Somewhere between the Wild West and outer space still exist rare, imaginative, fun films, but Hollywood quickly brushes them aside to hash out another remake and give audiences a fake sense of nostalgia. In a summer filled with superheroes, robots and reboots, it’s refreshing to see a director find that imagination and run with it. Jon Favreau’s Cowboys & Aliens may stumble across the finish line, but his slick direction and an impeccable cast make it one hell of a ride.
Set in Arizona in 1873, an amnesiac Jake Lonergan (played by a badass Daniel Craig) wakes up wounded in the desert. He finds himself with a mysterious shackle around his wrist. He visits the town of Absolution seeking answers and hospitality only to find out he’s a wanted criminal. Colonel Woodrow Dolarhyde (Harrison Ford) returns to town when hearing the news of Lonergan’s capture, and demands Sheriff John Taggert he turn over the criminal to him. Several lights suddenly appear in the sky and spaceships attack the town, capturing several people in their destruction. Lonergan destroys one of the ships with the mysterious shackle, and is later forced to ally with Dolarhyde and others to search for the kidnapped townspeople.
How many men does it take to adapt Scott Mitchell Rosenberg’s graphic novel? Damon Lindelof, Alex Kurtzman, Roberto Orci, Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby. For those who struggle with math, that’s five writers (not including a story credit to Steve Oedekerk). Unfortunately none of them was able to rid the script of its weak plot and simple answers explaining the aliens’ purpose on earth.
But I appreciated the simplicity shown in other areas of the film and accepted it for what it was: a summer popcorn flick. With an awesome (or ridiculous, depends on who you ask) premise and a cast including Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford, many expected this mash-up to pioneer a creative movement in the movie industry. Favreau is bold enough to take that challenge dabbling with a western and mixing it with science fiction, but the screenplay forces the director to please audiences rather than amaze them.
Favreau deserves more credit, though, than criticism for Cowboys & Aliens. His coherent storytelling and direction kept the film at a steady pace thanks to executive producer Steven Spielberg. The famous director gave Favreau an iPad with classic westerns, such as Stagecoach. Favreau opted to focus more on the western formula of introducing and developing characters, followed by tension before the big duel at the end. The special effects are remarkable, as well as the stunts, and the director obviously took notes from Spielberg when it comes to humor in tense situations. But the film shines brightest when James Bond and Indiana Jones share the screen.
Craig really channels his inner Clint Eastwood (peppered with Steve McQueen’s coolness) to create a memorable character in Lonergan. His clouded history and unforeseen future sets up a great story of redemption, and the same goes with Dolarhyde. Ford plays the tough-loving, racist father to perfection, and introduces himself to a younger generation unaware of Han Solo and Indiana Jones. Both actors brought their best work, and Favreau was smart enough to net let their talents go to waste.
An all-star cast and a big budget did not faze Favreau, showing he learned from his Iron Man 2 misstep. Cowboys & Aliens never takes itself too seriously and avoids campy B-side territory to deliver a solid film with memorable characters and great action sequences.
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