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IMDbPro

Cowboys & Aliens

  • 2011
  • PG-13
  • 1h 59m
IMDb RATING
6.0/10
226K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
4,034
137
Harrison Ford and Daniel Craig in Cowboys & Aliens (2011)
Set in the Old West, a lone cowboy with no memory of his past might be the town of Absolution's best hope against an alien invasion. Helped by the mysterious Ella (Wilde), he rallies a posse for an epic showdown.
Play trailer1:41
19 Videos
99+ Photos
ActionDramaSci-Fi

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.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.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
    • Alex Kurtzman
    • Damon Lindelof
  • Stars
    • Daniel Craig
    • Harrison Ford
    • Olivia Wilde
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    6.0/10
    226K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    4,034
    137
    • Director
      • Jon Favreau
    • Writers
      • Roberto Orci
      • Alex Kurtzman
      • Damon Lindelof
    • Stars
      • Daniel Craig
      • Harrison Ford
      • Olivia Wilde
    • 602User reviews
    • 446Critic reviews
    • 50Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Awards
      • 1 win & 17 nominations

    Videos19

    Cowboys & Aliens
    Trailer 1:41
    Watch Cowboys & Aliens
    Cowboys & Aliens - Trailer #2
    Trailer 2:30
    Watch Cowboys & Aliens - Trailer #2
    Cowboys & Aliens -- Super Bowl Spot
    Trailer 0:31
    Watch Cowboys & Aliens -- Super Bowl Spot
    Cowboys and Aliens: Trailer #1
    Trailer 2:30
    Watch Cowboys and Aliens: Trailer #1
    Cowboys & Aliens: Ella Is Abducted By A Speeder
    Clip 1:00
    Watch Cowboys & Aliens: Ella Is Abducted By A Speeder
    Cowboys & Aliens: Jake Defends Himself Against Sheriff Taggard's Men
    Clip 0:50
    Watch Cowboys & Aliens: Jake Defends Himself Against Sheriff Taggard's Men
    Cowboys & Aliens: Aliens Attack Dolarhyde And The Townspeople
    Clip 0:51
    Watch Cowboys & Aliens: Aliens Attack Dolarhyde And The Townspeople
    Cowboys & Aliens: A Wounded Alien Escape From The Town After A Raid
    Clip 1:09
    Watch Cowboys & Aliens: A Wounded Alien Escape From The Town After A Raid
    Cowboys & Aliens
    Featurette 2:13
    Watch Cowboys & Aliens
    Cowboys & Aliens: Western Meets Sci-Fi
    Featurette 1:53
    Watch Cowboys & Aliens: Western Meets Sci-Fi
    Cowboys & Aliens: The Vision Of Jon Favreau (Featurette)
    Featurette 2:02
    Watch Cowboys & Aliens: The Vision Of Jon Favreau (Featurette)
    Cowboys & Aliens: An Inside Look Revised (Featurette)
    Featurette 2:15
    Watch Cowboys & Aliens: An Inside Look Revised (Featurette)

    Photos390

    David Midthunder and Olivia Wilde in Cowboys & Aliens (2011)
    Harrison Ford and Daniel Craig in Cowboys & Aliens (2011)
    Olivia Wilde in Cowboys & Aliens (2011)
    Harrison Ford in Cowboys & Aliens (2011)
    Harrison Ford and Jon Favreau in Cowboys & Aliens (2011)
    Daniel Craig in Cowboys & Aliens (2011)
    Harrison Ford, Daniel Craig, and Jon Favreau in Cowboys & Aliens (2011)
    Daniel Craig and Jon Favreau in Cowboys & Aliens (2011)
    Daniel Craig in Cowboys & Aliens (2011)
    Harrison Ford and Adam Beach in Cowboys & Aliens (2011)
    Cowboys & Aliens (2011)
    Noah Ringer in Cowboys & Aliens (2011)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Daniel Craig
    Daniel Craig
    • Jake Lonergan
    Harrison Ford
    Harrison Ford
    • Woodrow Dolarhyde
    Olivia Wilde
    Olivia Wilde
    • Ella Swenson
    Abigail Spencer
    Abigail Spencer
    • Alice
    Buck Taylor
    Buck Taylor
    • Wes Claiborne
    Matthew Taylor
    Matthew Taylor
    • Luke Claiborne
    • (as Matt Taylor)
    Cooper Taylor
    • Mose Claiborne
    Clancy Brown
    Clancy Brown
    • Meacham
    Paul Dano
    Paul Dano
    • Percy Dolarhyde
    Chris Browning
    Chris Browning
    • Jed Parker
    Adam Beach
    Adam Beach
    • Nat Colorado
    Sam Rockwell
    Sam Rockwell
    • Doc
    Ana de la Reguera
    Ana de la Reguera
    • Maria
    • (as Ana De La Reguera)
    Noah Ringer
    Noah Ringer
    • Emmett Taggart
    Brian Duffy
    Brian Duffy
    • Deputy
    Keith Carradine
    Keith Carradine
    • Sheriff John Taggart
    Brendan Wayne
    Brendan Wayne
    • Charlie Lyle
    Gavin Grazer
    Gavin Grazer
    • Ed
    • Director
      • Jon Favreau
    • Writers
      • Roberto Orci
      • Alex Kurtzman
      • Damon Lindelof
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Director Jon Favreau was constantly harassed with demands to shoot or convert the film in 3-D, but he held his ground, claiming Westerns should only be shot on film.
    • Goofs
      When Jake is riding towards his house, the scene is a long shot but it can be seen very obviously that the bracelet is missing from his arm. In the following shot the bracelet is suddenly back on his arm.
    • Quotes

      Jake Lonergan: I've been shot.

      Meacham: Only two kinds of men get shot: criminals and victims. Which one are you?

      Jake Lonergan: I don't know.

      Meacham: You got a name, friend?

      Jake Lonergan: I don't know that either.

      Meacham: Just what do you know?

      Jake Lonergan: English.

    • Alternate versions
      An extended version is available on home video running ~17 minutes longer.
    • Connections
      Featured in The Hour: Episode #7.104 (2011)
    • Soundtracks
      Apache War Dance
      Written and Performed by The Mescalero Apache Tribe

    User reviews602

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    Looks good, superb cast but painfully predictable.
    Its 1873; New Mexico Territory; an  Outlaw and a Cattle Rancher must put aside their differences to stop Alien invaders hellbent on experimenting on humans and stripping the land of its gold.

    There's something kooky about the title Cowboys and Aliens, B-movie-ish, yet, exciting, enticing and genius. However, even with the star talents including Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford, with the striking Olivia Wilde and excellent Sam Rockwell Cowboys and Aliens still falls short of expectations. The script is bland, every effort has gone into developing the two main leads but at a cost of the rest of the characters, the basic story and plot.  

    The special and practical effects are well integrated and executed but while fantastic they are nothing that hasn't been seen before, reminiscent of District 9, Independence Day to name a few. Considering director's Jon Favreau fun and exciting Iron-man outings this offering is less satisfying. It's not the mishmash of classic genres that's the problem, it's the lazy, predicable story telling. 

    The films opening is strong and intriguing, building up to the tension of Ford's character Colonel Woodrow Dolarhyde meeting with Craig's Jake; its Jones meets Bond, perfect. Both are excellent giving weight to the proceedings. Horses are flipped, guns and gauntlets go wild, aliens leap and stomp on cowboys. But after the first few alien attacks the film wavers onto familiar territory. Although it has a fabulous cast beneath its hat and sweeping, breathtaking Western landscapes under it's belt - it buckles under it's own weight. 

    Even with its somewhat serious tone it's not brave enough to explore or commit to its own themes leaving it underdeveloped. But it also omits much needed fun leaving the whole film unseasoned and as empty as the plains of Arizona. Debatably, flop Wild Wild West (1999) infused the sci-fi and Western genre more successfully. 

    Cowboys and Aliens is entertaining, it looks good, has a superb cast but it's painfully predictable and just not that great.
    helpful•87
    51
    • amesmonde
    • Aug 13, 2011

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    FAQ7

    • Did Liev Schreiber have an uncredited role (as the the bad guy who took over Longeran's gang) in this film?
    • What is "Cowboys & Aliens" about?
    • Is "Cowboys & Aliens" based on a book?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • July 29, 2011 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • United States
      • India
    • Official sites
      • Official Facebook
      • Official site (France)
    • Languages
      • English
      • Apache languages
    • Also known as
      • Cao Bồi & Người Ngoài Hành Tinh
    • Filming locations
      • Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
    • Production companies
      • Universal Pictures
      • Dreamworks Pictures
      • Reliance Entertainment
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $163,000,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $100,240,551
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $36,431,290
      • Jul 31, 2011
    • Gross worldwide
      • $174,822,325
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 59 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Sound mix
      • Dolby Digital
      • Datasat
      • SDDS
      • Dolby Surround 7.1
    • Aspect ratio
      • 2.39 : 1

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