Cowboys & Aliens (film)

I guess I just don’t like westerns.

I mean Cowboys & Aliens has such a lot going for it. Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford are both strong leads, who play their roles as straight as they can, which proves to be an uphill battle in a film with such a parodic title.

Director Jon Favreau also comes with high credentials after Iron Man, and if nothing else turns-in a movie with a really clear soundtrack. There are plenty of talky scenes here with no music to drown them out, and even if there had been, this dialogue has been captured with clarity.

One line in particular struck a chord with me from preacherman Meacham (Clancy Brown):

"God doesn’t care what you were, just what you are."

Yet I’m afraid that I just didn’t connect with any of these characters. I had no wish to see anyone reunited with their wife, son or anyone else, save for the relief of finally seeing the closing credits finish and get to leave the cinema.

At the end of the day, the one thing this film really needed was a more interested audience-member.

Still, the constant laugh-track from Jon, Steve I think, and others off to my left indicated that at least five of our 6-guy group were having a good time this evening.

Sorry - too many cowboys for me, and I guess just not interesting enough aliens.

(available here)