There haven't been many films up to this point we've reviewed that have mixed critic AND mixed audience scores. Cowboys and Aliens (2011) is such a film. This unique western stems from a graphic novel, and I think the premise is really interesting. We have all types of alien invasion filmography, so why not have one during the wild west?
Again, I think the idea is cool. An alien invasion in the 1800s is something most people haven't really thought of before. There's a lot of things you can do with that, and I think the filmmakers make quality attempts.
There are some fine moments of writing/direction from Jon Favreau (Iron Man) and others. One includes having Daniel Craig's character not speak throughout the entire opening scene. It is a nice touch. Also, having the cattle hand fall into the water during an initial attack keeps up the mystery. That mystery is what do the aliens look like and how many? etc. Combine this with an amnesia plotline, and it's interesting.
There is a list of acceptable moments in the film. Calling the aliens "demons" makes perfect sense considering the time period. Daniel Craig having a wrist rocket is wicked. The first main demon attack is pretty epic. Also, there's Chest hands... (you can just look that up). Furthermore, it's creepy. You see some human prisoners in a trance that's eerie along with some fairly dark torture moments. It's still PG-13, but it sorta stretches the rating.
A specific scene to mention involves the upside-down boat. Yes, I typed that correctly. It's a neat mix of set design and CGI.
The cast is excellent. Olivia Wilde (Ella), Daniel Craig (Jake) and Harrison Ford (Dolarhyde) all perform adequately. You get what you expect, and that's all you can ask for. Walton Goggins (FX's Justified) makes an appearance too, and I've become a huge fan of his.
While it's a good movie, one particular story aspect is a little problem. Sam Rockwell's character is seen at the beginning as a saloon owner alongside his wife. His name is Doc which wouldn't be a problem except that there are moments when it's confusing. People would call for him specifically to help an injured person. My point is that the name may have been confused some in scriptwriting, or it's all coincidence. Either way, it's an issue. There is some exposition at the begging as well which is nearly never okay for a movie.
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