Cowboys & Aliens (7/10)

Here's a good movie that could have been much better. I love the sci-fi and genre western so this should be a winner for me. I feel that the problem was with the source material. Steven Spielberg (the producer) was said to have screened "Unforgiven" and "The Searchers" for director Jon Favreau to give a feel for the atmosphere. Bad choice there. Don't get me wrong those are two of the best films the genre has two offer (an argument that they may be the best), but the mood in "Cowboys & Aliens" felt like it was in a weird funk. It was too dry and standard for my taste. I'd have shown Favreau "The Proposition", a take no prisoners type of western. I adored the mood there and felt it would have fit here perfectly. So maybe John Hillcoat should have directed this and I'd throw in Nick Cave and what ever talents he'd bring and there's a masterpiece. 

Jake (Daniel Craig) wakes up in the desert with no memory and a strange wristband. He rides into town and here comes the western elements. The town is unofficially run by rancher Woodrow (Harrison Ford) and his son does what he likes because of it. Watching the son, Percy (Paul Dano stealing the show)  shooting whatever he feels like was a great touch to the film. It showcases the chaos the western genre brings. Well the aliens will show up and capture several towns people and so they round up a posse to get them back. Throw in the mysterious Ella (Olivia Wilde) and "Doc" (Sam Rockwell) and the film has enough characters to showcase the minimum amount of development. Sam Rockwell is weird in this movie, he's playing a normal person. Rockwell plays best when he doesn't play to what the audience wants. He's held back here. This was nice twist on genre clash, but it could have been much more.

7/10

Recommendation: A nice movie if your looking to be entertained for two hours, but there's better movies out there. Watch it on a big screen (theater or big TV) and it's worth it.