Cowboys and Indians vs. Aliens

By Christopher P. Jacobs
Movies Editor

For most of the 20th century, the Western was America’s favorite movie genre, dying out in the 1970s to be replaced largely by science-fiction/horror action thrillers for the past 30-40 years, although a few successful Westerns have appeared from time to time over the past decade. Last Friday we got both in one movie with the release of Jon Favreau’s “Cowboys and Aliens.”

A modest boxoffice hit, tying with the more kid-friendly “The Smurfs” for the number one spot on their opening weekends, “Cowboys and Aliens” had a slightly lower per-screen gross but a slightly more favorable viewer reaction, according to Box Office Mojo.

Director Favreau is best-known for his mega-hits “Iron Man” and “Iron Man 2,” and handles both the action and character development well. Of course, much of the credit is also due to the strong cast headlined by Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford with memorable support from Olivia Wilde, Sam Rockwell, and Keith Carradine, among others.

The script tries to throw in something for almost everyone, with classic genre cliché situations both Western and Sci-fi, character conflicts, mystery, romance, and of course plenty of action once the aliens show up. While it often works, it also often looks like it’s trying to please everyone, perhaps due to having seven credited writers and sixteen producers involved (including Steven Spielberg and Ron Howard).

As the movie begins, Daniel Craig’s character wakes up alone in the middle of the 1870s New Mexico desert, unable to remember who he is or why he’s there. He also can’t figure out why there’s a strange metallic bracelet on one arm. He easily defeats a gang of bounty hunters who happen upon him, demonstrating to himself and the audience how quick he is with his wits, his fists, and guns. Once he arrives in town, he’s recognized as notorious bandit Jake Lonergan, but still has no recollection of his past and seems to act more as a sympathetic vigilante on the side of the underdogs than an outlaw out only for himself.

Eventually wealthy and cantankerous old cattle baron Woodrow Dolarhyde (Harrison Ford) shows up to rescue his wayward son Percy (Paul Dano), both of them stereotypes of the rich and selfish villains who feel the right to control everyone else’s lives. Dolarhyde is especially interested in Lonergan to recover the gold Lonergan’s gang recently stole from his payroll shipment, but the sheriff (Keith Carradine) insists on shipping out both Lonergan and the Dolarhyde’s delinquent son with a federal marshal. This sets up the plot’s initial obvious conflict.

Everything suddenly changes when alien spaceships interrupt the showdown by attacking the town and spiriting off many of its inhabitants, including the terrified Percy. At this point, Lonergan somehow intuitively realizes that the bracelet on his arm is a high-tech weapon that can attack the aliens, which he does to the amazement of everyone. Naturally he and Dolarhyde reluctantly team up with each other, a mysterious woman (Olivia Wilde), and the local Apache tribe to hunt down the aliens, find their outpost and recover the missing people – the process of which takes up the remainder of the film.

“Cowboys and Aliens” would be entertaining enough with this basic formula, but the script is able to develop several of the characters interestingly, exploiting them and then inverting a few stereotypes along the way. The greatest depth and growth is given to Harrison Ford’s Dolarhyde, with a fair amount for Craig’s Lonergan once he rediscovers his memories through an Indian ritual. Wilde’s unusual character often serves as a catalyst for both actions and character developments, and figures prominently in the otherwise standard and predictable resolution.

Fans of either Westerns or Sci-fi should find much to enjoy in “Cowboys and Aliens.” While it may not rank with the best of either genre, it is well above average for both. We get some touching observations on family relationships, stubbornness, racism, love, and self-sacrifice, as well as macho fisticuffs, spectacular CGI effects and alien creatures. It’s another good example of a summer Saturday matinee movie that is best appreciated on a big screen with a big audience.

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