Cowboys and Aliens Review

I finally saw Cowboys and Aliens last night. Not that i had high expectations about it but the theme always looked interesting to me and i was curious to see if this mix of two different themes was going to work or not. In fact, i enter the theatre with a not-so-good mental image of the film, thinking it was not going to be good, so i was surprised to see that it was better than i thought.

The three main actors are Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford and Olivia Wilde. I'm not a big fan of Daniel Craig. I always though that he's good in action scenes but not in emotional scenes, and i still think it. In Cowboys and Aliens he's a kind of mix of Charles Bronson and Steve Mc Queen. Except that Mc queen had much more charisma and, to say the truth, was better than him. Anyway, i have to say that in this role Daniel Craig is not bad, but more "Bronson" than "Mc Queen".

Thanks God, there is Harrison Ford who, as it is often the case, is saving the movie with a role in which you don't expect him as he is playing a bad guy. Well, not a totally bad guy, let's say he's more like a tough guy who can be also bad if needed... Olivia Wilde have this almost extra-terrestrial beauty which, as you'll see if you go watch the movie, is perfect for her role. The story itself is not that bad as well as the SFX but, still, it will be hard to consider the movie as an "A" movie.

However there is one big mistake during at least a good half of the movie, which i really really hated. And it's obviously a choice from the director or the cinematographer. Most of the shots of Cowboys and Aliens are filmed using a telephoto lens, and yes, even the close shots. Master directors Sergio Leone and Sam Peckinpah did also filmed westerns using that kind of lens, but unfortunately Jon Favreau is not Leone or Peckinpah. With them it was not only a style choice, something interesting was "happening" in the frame when they did it, and it's not the case here. It wouldn't be a major problem if this lens choice didn't had an impact on the whole esthetic of the movie but unfortunately it has a negative impact on it, which means that the movie don't really have an esthetic appealing and i won't be surprised if this half-disappointment in the reviews was coming from that. When you look at an old John Ford movie, the story is great, the actors are wonderful and the movie, esthetically speaking, is gorgeous. Now, here, you don't have that. The story is okay, the actors are okay or very good in the case of Harrison but the movie is not esthetically pleasant and all this makes at the end a not-so-memorable movie although you can have a good time watching it. I have to add that i'm not a big fan too of the photography itself, but that's only my own taste...

Considering that you've probably already read plenty of not-so-good reviews of Cowboys and Aliens if you still want to see it, just go, and just like me you probably will think that it was "not as bad as you thought". But of course, this doesn't make of Cowboys and Aliens a real good movie.

Picture: copyright Universal - Dream Works

2011 Movies update : The Year of the Aliens

Let's have a little look at upcoming 2011 movies. It seems that it'll be "the year of the aliens" as there is currently in production several movies on that theme. The first one below is not an "Earth vs Aliens" movie but the DC Comics superhero - Green Lantern - takes his power from extra-terrestrials as you will see in the HD trailer below. It looks better than i thought and here is the official synopsis:

In a universe as vast as it is mysterious, a small but powerful force has existed for centuries. Protectors of peace and justice, they are called the Green Lantern Corps. A brotherhood of warriors sworn to keep intergalactic order, each Green Lantern wears a ring that grants him superpowers. But when a new enemy called Parallax threatens to destroy the balance of power in the Universe, their fate and the fate of Earth lie in the hands of their newest recruit, the first human ever selected: Hal Jordan. Hal is a gifted and cocky test pilot, but the Green Lanterns have little respect for humans, who have never harnessed the infinite powers of the ring before. But Hal is clearly the missing piece to the puzzle, and along with his determination and willpower, he has one thing no member of the Corps has ever had: humanity. With the encouragement of fellow pilot and childhood sweetheart Carol Ferris (Blake Lively), if Hal can quickly master his new powers and find the courage to overcome his fears, he may prove to be not only the key to defeating Parallax...he will become the greatest Green Lantern of all.








Next, "Battle: Los Angeles". This one is a typical "Earth vs Aliens" and L.A seems to be the battleground! Here is the synopsis and the HD trailer:

For years, there have been documented cases of UFO sightings around the world - Buenos Aires, Seoul, France, Germany, China. But in 2011, what were once just sightings will become a terrifying reality when Earth is attacked by unknown forces. As people everywhere watch the world's great cities fall, Los Angeles becomes the last stand for mankind in a battle no one expected. It's up to a Marine staff sergeant (Aaron Eckhart) and his new platoon to draw a line in the sand as they take on an enemy unlike any they've ever encountered before.








Last but not least "Cowboys & Aliens". Yep, that's right, the action is in 1873, in the old wild west! I know that a fight between aliens and cowboys seems a bit hard to swallow but it's an adaptation of a successful graphic novel, it's a Dreamworks production, Steven Spielberg himself is the producer, it's directed by Jon Favreau (Iron Man's director) and Harrison Ford, Daniel Craig, Olivia Wilde and Sam Rockwell are playing in it. That's right, Harrison Ford is playing in a movie where 19th century cowboys are fighting aliens! So, with all this it can be that bad, right? Here is the synopsis and the first HD trailer:

1873. Arizona Territory. A stranger (Daniel Craig) with no memory of his past stumbles into the hard desert town of Absolution. The only hint to his history is a mysterious shackle that encircles one wrist. What he discovers is that the people of Absolution don't welcome strangers, and nobody makes a move on its streets unless ordered to do so by the iron-fisted Colonel Dolarhyde (Harrison Ford). It's a town that lives in fear. But Absolution is about to experience fear it can scarcely comprehend as the desolate city is attacked by marauders from the sky. Screaming down with breathtaking velocity and blinding lights to abduct the helpless one by one, these monsters challenge everything the residents have ever known. Now, the stranger they rejected is their only hope for salvation. As this gunslinger slowly starts to remember who he is and where he's been, he realizes he holds a secret that could give the town a fighting chance against the alien force. With the help of the elusive traveler Ella (Olivia Wilde), he pulls together a posse comprised of former opponents--townsfolk, Dolarhyde and his boys, outlaws and Apache warriors--all in danger of annihilation. United against a common enemy, they will prepare for an epic showdown for survival.



Pictures and videos: copyright Dreamworks, Universal, Warner Bros, Columbia Pictures