By snoadmin
As its title suggests, “Cowboys and Aliens” attempts to combine two distinct genres — science fiction and western — together, bringing forth an interesting concept. Attempt is the key word here, as the film actually fails to combine both genres something unique. Instead, the film has common conventions and clichés haphazardly thrown together into what makes up most of the film.
It starts off quite simply, with an amnesiac man by the name of Jake Lonergan (Daniel Craig) waking up in the middle of the desert with a strange gadget firmly attached to his wrist. His lack of memory doesn’t stop him from being able to beat bad guys, though, as he effortlessly knocks three men out like a late 19th century Jason Bourne of the “Bourne Identity” series. Lonergan is soon taken to the nearest town called Absolution, where he discovers he is a wanted man. A mysterious woman named Ella (Olivia Wilde) also shows up and claims she knows who Lonergan is, ominously telling him they share a similar goal. Lonergan brushes her off, however, and after an unsuccessful fight with the sheriff’s men, is taken to jail. Col. Woodrow Dolarhyde (Harrison Ford) is then introduced as a man who has control over the town due to his wealth from selling cattle, and wants his son Percy released from jail as well.
Later that night, aliens attack and begin to lasso townsfolk. Lonergan’s device reacts to their arrival, leading him to blast one of their ships down. When one of the aliens flees the scene, the townsmen decide to follow it back to its base to rescue the abducted townsfolk. Lonergan and crew then go on an adventure in which Lonergan slowly discovers who he really is. The cowboys and Native Americans then join forces to fight aliens and horses as fast as alien spaceships.
In order for “Cowboys and Aliens” to really be about cowboys and aliens, the film understandably needs to utilize common tropes found in western and science fiction films. The problem here is the plot feels so contrived that halfway through, the movie is entirely predictable. Another issue is the movie is based off a comic book, but related very little with the original.
The aliens’ main goal to collect gold on earth is ridiculous. Gold is apparently as valuable to them as it is to humans. The aliens abduct humans to analyze their weaknesses to liquidize the resource to bring back home.
The characters in the film are very forgettable, despite the well-known actors. Dolarhyde seems like a grumpy older Indiana Jones whose main goal is to emphasize the western ideals of “being a man,” and helps develop the character of Emmett (Noah Ringer). He also emphasizes the difficult relationship between Native Americans and the Whites of the time.
Ella confuses more than clarifies, and is stuck in a role of being the woman of the crew and unable to do anything for the majority of the film.
Jake Lonergan is the typical lone wolf who doesn’t really have a reason for being as cool and well-trained as he is. He’s the sole person out of the entire group who can actually fight against the aliens, and has the same type of weapon as the enemy does.
Visually, the movie is consistent until they decide to include overlaying filters over certain scenes, like when Lonergan is carrying Ella after a battle with the aliens. The few flashbacks that Lonergan have also have an overlaying filter. The filter doesn’t have any significance or any purpose, but it is distracting and does not add to the film aesthetically.
“Cowboys and Aliens” has much potential as a concept, but ultimately fails to deliver as a completed work.
