Cowboys & Aliens [Review by Parsi]

I want to dispense with the elephant in the room first.  The premise of Cowboys & Aliens.  Sure, it may seem goofy to imagine Aliens sauntering about in the old West.  But, why is this premise any more or less ridiculous than any other film about aliens?  Why do we assume that aliens would only interact with us in modern times?  After all for aliens to arrive at Earth they need rather advanced technology and who is to say they would not have developed that technology over a hundred years ago.  In fact, some people even contend that humans did interact with aliens in the past.  All this is to say that the initial hesitation to the premise may be somewhat overblown.  The movie is not helped in this department by its title, but the blame here lies with the graphic novel it is loosely based on.

I think Cowboys & Aliens is an interesting watch.  The film certainly has flaws.  But, it is fairly novel and captivating.

Director Jon Favreau was heavily influenced by Westerns in making this film.  Prodded by producer Steven Spielberg, Favreau was instructed on the elements of a good Westerns by screening the great films of the genre.  Apparently, the biggest impact came from iconic John Wayne film The Searchers.  I wish I could claim first hand knowledge, but I must tip my hat to the terrific interview on NPR’s Morning Edition.

The influence of Favreau’s studies are evident.  At its heart Cowboys & Aliens is a Western and embraces many of the traditional elements.

Both Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford play morally ambiguous characters.  Ultimately, both become reluctant heroes.

Craig is the silent stranger, with a cloudy past.  In this case, his history is cloudy to him and not to the those he encounters.  He is stoic and gritty.  Craig, did a good job with the role.

Ford is an old school land baron, curmudgeonly and rugged. He is a self-made man and teaches with a heavy hand.  Ford is far darker than in his normal roles.  Ford has the chops but at times he seems a little tired.  He is at his best in the moments where he connects with other characters.  There is a genuineness to his interactions.  He grows and adapts, key elements to a successful character.

The movie also highlights the need to shed rugged individualism to work together.  Craig and Harrison have to shed their animosity.  The Apaches and the settlers have to come together.  Even the holdup men and the town-folk have to cooperate.

What seemed infinitely modern and out-of-place were some of the earlier fight scenes pre-aliens.  Craig disarms his would be assailants with the moves of a modern action hero and not a cowboy.  Now, don’t get me wrong, some of these scenes are sweet, but they are certainly out-of-place.

The human-alien interaction was also interesting.  In the fight scenes the aliens have the upper hand.  They are stronger, faster, and harder to kill.  The odd element is that they do not seem interested in using their advanced weaponry.  I am not sure why, maybe they are really into hand-to-hand combat, but it was curious.  The only hint of an explanation is that these are scouts, with the implication that they are not the brightest stars in the sky.

The explanation for the aliens presence is a little shallow.  We find out what they are looking for, but not why.  This was disappointing.

Frankly, I wish the film was grittier.  I wish they took more time to develop the characters.  I wish they took more time.  With the exception of the opening scene the film felt a little uncomfortable with silence.  Great Westerns embrace silence.  They stew in the scenery.  They are driven by facial expression and subtle movement.  Cowboys & Aliens hints at all of these things, but it is afraid to embrace any of them fully.

Cowboys & Aliens does enough things well to keep your attention.  It is at times a little clumsy, but as a genre bender it is worth a watch.

PARSI VERDICT: Saddle up and ride, even if the journey is a bit bumpy.

See what the other half thinks: Haus’s view.