Cowboys & Aliens (2011)

A spaceship arrives in Arizona, 1873, to take over the Earth, starting with the Wild West region. A posse of cowboys and natives are all that stand in their way.

Director:

Jon Favreau

Writers:

Roberto Orci (screenplay), Alex Kurtzman (screenplay),

Stars:

Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Olivia Wilde

16 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Daniel Craig	...	Jake Lonergan
Abigail Spencer	...	Alice
Buck Taylor	...	Wes Claiborne
Matthew Taylor	...	Luke Claiborne (as Matt Taylor)
Cooper Taylor	...	Mose Claiborne
Clancy Brown	...	Meacham
Paul Dano	...	Percy Dolarhyde
Chris Browning	...	Jed Parker
Adam Beach	...	Nat Colorado
Sam Rockwell	...	Doc
Ana de la Reguera	...	Maria
Noah Ringer	...	Emmett Taggart
Brian Duffy	...	Deputy
Olivia Wilde	...	Ella Swenson
Keith Carradine	...	Sheriff John Taggart

Storyline

The Old West.. where a lone cowboy leads an uprising against a terror from beyond our world. 1873. Arizona Territory. A stranger 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 (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 ...

---

Plot Keywords:

cowboy | sheriff | posse | bar | arrest | 

---

Taglines:

First contact. Last stand.

---

Genres:

Action | Sci-Fi | Thriller | Western

---

Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of western and sci-fi action and violence, some partial nudity and a brief crude reference

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site [France]

Country:

USA

Language:

English Apache languages

Release Date:

29 July 2011 (Canada)

Also Known As:

Cowboyok és űrlények

Filming Locations:

Durango, Mexico

Box Office

Budget:

$163,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

$36,431,290 (USA) (29 July 2011)

Gross:

$100,215,116 (USA) (28 October 2011)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures, DreamWorks SKG, Reliance Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

119 min 135 min (extended)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital Datasat SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Daniel Craig recommended Eva Green for the role of Ella after working with her in Casino Royale (2006). However, Eva turned the role down and Olivia Wilde, who'd auditioned for Eva's Bond role of Vesper Lynd, was cast.

---

Goofs

When meeting up with Jake's old gang in the valley, they are told to put their hands in the air. In one of the shots Ella is seen getting off her horse. In the next shot, immediately after the previous, she is standing beside her horse, but there is no way she could have gotten off her horse so quickly.

---

Quotes

[first lines]
Wes Claiborne: [to Jake] We're riding towards Absolution. You know how far west we are?
[Jake doesn't answer]
Mose Claiborne: Maybe he's a dummy.
Wes Claiborne: Is there a reason you're not answering my question?
Mose Claiborne: Look here, Pa. He's got iron on his wrist. He's been shot. Could be done broke out of hoosegow. Might be worth bounty.
Wes Claiborne: Might could be.

---

Connections

Featured in Conan: I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings Karaoke (2011)

---

Soundtracks

Apache War Dance
Written and Performed by The Mescalero Apache Tribe

User Reviews

Title Says It All

It's easy to figure out what Cowboys & Aliens is going to be. I'm not familiar with the comic book that it's based on but the film is definitely what the title has promised us. There are cowboys, then there are aliens. If you are fond to Western movies then you'll be entertained but if you are expecting too much aliens then you might get disappointed. You won't be seeing anything mind blowing in this film. If you want to see Sci-Fi action plus Western Violence then this film is just for you.

Cowboys & Aliens is nothing but to entertain you. The only thing that is unique here is the Western & Sci-Fi collaboration. The film is just your typical Western movie but instead of Indians or some sadistic bandit, the aliens are the antagonist of the film. The aliens are pretty intriguing but we don't see them that much until the third act. It's disappointing if you are expecting too much aliens. The only things we see them do are ride their ships, stab people, shoot with their weapons, & jump scare the audiences. It's also your typical alien invasion film.

At least the action is full of explosions. Jon Favreau sure knows how to make the action scenes exciting no matter how flawed they are. The performances saved most of the film. Daniel Craig's character is actually bland in the script so does Olivia Wilde's, but Craig's performance gives a little more character to the role. I don't know what to say about Olivia Wilde's, she is just hot. Harrison Ford & Sam Rockwell do what they do best. Paul Dano can be both fun to watch and annoying at the same time.

It's easy to recognize that the CGI effects were made by Industrial Light & Magic, since the CGI aliens looks just like any monster from J.J. Abram's films. No doubt, it's good. The score is true to its western themes. The production design is pretty decent enough for a western film.

In the end, Cowboys & Aliens is just another blockbuster released to our cinemas. I don't know if this film is going to be remembered years from now but I think the only purpose of this film is to show its gritty western violence and some sci-fi action. If you're expecting more than the title then you will be disappointed. If you are expecting more aliens than the cowboys then you'll be disappointed. Cowboys are the focus and the aliens end up being the jump scare of the movie. It's not bad nor good though. If you are careless about the story and the character development, & you're just seeking for some sheer action and huge explosions then I can recommended this. But not quite.