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

1 win & 17 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 (as Ana De La Reguera)
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. New Mexico 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:

extraterrestrial alien | desert | cowboy | arizona | human versus alien | 

---

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

Did You Know?

Trivia

Harrison Ford wanted to go bareheaded in the film and not wear a hat (he is most famous for his performance in the Indiana Jones film franchise, where he wore a Fedora). As this film is a Western, he was convinced to wear a hat. In American Graffiti (1973), Harrison Ford was asked to cut his hair (to go bareheaded with a period haircut) for the film. He refused, stating that his role was too short, and offered to wear a hat instead.

---

Goofs

When Jake encounters his old gang, he punches in the mouth the first guy that comes close and who had recognize him. He has blood on his finger in the next shot. A few shots later the blood vanishes and after several shots it reappears.

---

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.

---

Alternate Versions

An extended version is available on home video running ~17 minutes longer.

---

Connections

References Stick (1985)

---

Soundtracks

Indian War Whoop
(uncredited)

User Reviews

A lot more serious than the name would suggest. Decent effort

I put off watching this movie for some time, for the simple reason - it sounded like a slightly spoof or comedy sci-fi/western due to the name. In fact this is nothing of the sort (thankfully) and is actually a very decent shot at combining typical western fare with an alien element. From the first (quite violent)and bloody fist fight you'll realise this isn't silly kids stuff. Too often these days, a movie like this would have been dumbed down and littered with comedic or slapstick scenes. The story such as it is, is basic, but believable. The way the movie plays, at no point do you question the believability of having cowboys fighting aliens with their obviously superior technology. It was something that concerned me before watching but it works out right and makes sense. No issues with any of the acting, or the effects. Overall a decent effort, worth watching especially for sci-fi fans.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site [France]

Country:

USA India

Language:

English Apache languages

Release Date:

29 July 2011 (USA)

Also Known As:

Cowboys & Aliens

Filming Locations:

Bonanza Creek Ranch - 15 Bonanza Creek Lane, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$163,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$36,431,290, 31 July 2011

Gross USA:

$100,240,551

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$174,822,325

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures, Dreamworks Pictures, Reliance Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

119 min 135 min (extended)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital Datasat SDDS Dolby Surround 7.1

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1