Cowboys & Aliens

Taking the man out of manifest destiny!

Swift shot: Quite simply, this is ‘Predator’ meets ‘The Missing’.  At its core, Cowboys & Aliens is a formulaic Western with an extra-terrestrial threat that serves as the common evil that brings together all the other players.  There is the quintessential bad boy with the rich daddy who gets locked up for mayhem, the simple-minded barkeep, the worldly preacher, the hot chick, the former War Between the States veteran, and even injuns and other badlands characters join the fray.  The one element out of the formula is Jake Lonergan (Daniel Craig) who has an edge over the aliens, but he doesn’t seem to remember why.

It was interesting to learn that the production crew actually acquired the rights to produce ‘Cowboys & Aliens’ before Scott Mitchell Rosenberg’s graphic novel was even finished; apparently Spielberg was fixated on the title and willing to risk a flop. I don’t think this was a flop by any means; it was an entertaining time at the theater, and the title doesn’t mislead – true to form, there are cowboys and there are aliens, but there is also a nice little twist or two to keep you intrigued.  Even Ron Howard was in love with the graphic novel cover art and jumped on board for that alone!  See, sometimes it is ok to judge a book by its cover, and there is a lesson to aspiring creators out there, be dynamic and bold.

This film has some of my all-time favorite character actors, chiefly Clancy Brown who I will always see as Drill Instructor Zim of Starship Troopers, but you probably know as the toughest screw from Shawshank Redemption.  He plays Meacham, the Absolution, New Mexico preacher who has his hands full with his flock and then “demons from the sky” start swooping down and even more hell breaks loose.

Sam Rockwell provides the comedy relief as Doc, the barkeep, and brings some lighthearted fun to an otherwise overly dramatic screenplay.  He is joined, seemingly at the hip, by his lovely wife Maria (Ana De La Reguera) who is the reason he has risked entering the godforsaken west to search for gold.  Thing is, he isn’t alone, other folks want the gold stashed deep in the caverns of Absolution.

Rounding out the cast were the under-rated Adam Beach as Nat Colorado, Paul Dano as Dolarhyde’s spoiled-as-shit punk kid, Percy (aptly named I might add) and finally the equally mysterious, Ella (Wilde).  Wilde brings a fiery presence to the town and the story overall, but sadly is under-used for the most part.  I almost forgot to mention Keith Carradine, who does a fine job as Taggart, the town’s sheriff, who tries to keep tabs on his grandson, Emmett (Noah Ringer) while juggling the chaos around him.

It’s 1875, and now about five years since Scarlett donned her drapes and did declare that tomorrow is another day . . . but, she didn’t happen to live in Absolution, where tomorrow is hardly a guarantee.  Ruled by the almost dictator-like retired Colonel Dolarhyde (Ford), the town is on the verge of a collapse when a Stranger (Craig) stumbles on the scene.   That night the demons swoop in on the townsfolk, and there might could be a reckoning as a posse is formed to find loved-ones abducted by the demons.  As the film progresses, the characters are explained with some solid dialogue, and my favorite side story was between Nat and Dolarhyde – where Ford’s acting chops were put to the test.

As I mentioned, there are aliens, and the scenes with them were well shot and blended seamlessly with a believable nineteenth century feel, where the west was still wild, untamed, and filthy too boot. Once everything comes to a head, and secrets are revealed, the film has a meager message, which I won’t ruin, but the message doesn’t come across as too preachy.  The action makes up for any silly political steering, and there is plenty of room left for Hollyweird to carry these characters onto another adventure well past the sunset.

I’d say watch this one in the theater for the action alone, but if you have a tremendous veritable theater at home, well-equipped with the latest and greatest tech, I am sure you would enjoy it there too.  On a related note, this was one of the few screenings I have been to that folks were turned away because the theater was packed – so that might could be a good sign for the folks who spent sleepless nights making sure 1875 New Mexico could host believable little green men . . .  all for your enjoyment.