Western/Sci-Fi/Adventure film that promises a lot more than it actually delivers.
It’s a story as old as time: a small western town in the U.S. finds itself under attack from giant flying aliens who are literally lassoing citizens up into the air and dragging them away. Daniel Craig plays a wanted bandit who finds himself in the middle of the wild west with no memory of who he is, or how he got there, or what this weird metal contraption is that is now stuck to his wrist. Unfortunately for him, his reputation precedes him, and he is soon arrested at the nearest town which is under the unofficial rule of an aggressive tycoon, played by Harrison Ford. However, once the aliens start their airborne fishing antics, the town realises it needs Craig, if only for his gizmo which is able to shoot these abductor ships down.
A chase soon begins, as those willing to go after the aliens and rescue those who have been taken, go off in search of the mother ship. The gang have to put aside their differences in order to defeat these evil creatures, whilst encountering trials and tribulations along the way.
The premise is obviously quite outlandish, coming from a comic strip, but manages to stay true to the Western side of filming. The goodies, baddies and inbetweeners are all there, with plenty of gun slinging and saddling up. The action, whilst mainly family-oriented, is good and the tempo keeps you from getting too bored during the two hours duration. However, this film could have been so much more.
Rather than opting for a bland, please-all paying customers approach, it would have been more interesting to see this film with an 18 certificate, and some real horror and gore. The storyline would easily transfer into a horror film, and the happy-smiley horse riding scenes could be replaced with terrifying journeys into the alien lair, and Daniel Craig could be on a race against time to prevent the world from being probed…just a thought.
Go into this film expecting Indiana Jones meets Independence Day and you will probably not leave too disappointed, but if you go in expecting the brilliance that a title like Cowboys and Aliens promises, you will probably leave wishing for that time back.
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