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Just saw "Cowboys & Aliens," and I'm not sure why so many of the reviews were negative.
I was entertained throughout the entire film. I thought that the action sequences were extremely well done - not too much CGI and not choppy, either. The first 20-30 minutes grabbed my attention immediately. I was pretty much hooked at that point.
The scenery was absolutely beautiful. It gave the movie a really wide scope, and allowed you to be pulled into the environment without making you feel like you were watching a show at Universal Studios. I was pretty impressed with the look and feel of the film - Favreau paid attention to detail, and I always appreciate that. There were a lot of panoramic shots of the crew riding on horseback on the open plain, which we haven't seen a whole lot of since..well, geez...2007's 3:10 to Yuma.
In terms of acting, I thought that Daniel Craig was a perfect fit. He wasn't James Bond in chaps - I got the feeling that he took his role very seriously, giving his character, Jake, more depth than most reviewers are willing to recognize. Harrison Ford was another great character, whose philosophy was summed up in the film by his Native American right-hand (Adam Beach): "[...] He doesn't like violence, but he'll never run from a battle." Craig and Ford worked really well as a duo.
Olivia Wilde, although an expendable character, didn't annoy me as much as I thought she would. She actually has a lot more to do with the plot; the trailers made it seem as though she would be the love interest, but in fact, she was more like a guardian angel. A cheesy sub-plot, indeed, but not entirely ridiculous.
The aliens in the movie were awesome! The interactions between them and the humans during the battle sequences were nearly seamless. At no point was I thinking, "Ok, come on!" or "Please, that's impossible."
Compared to some of the other summer blockbusters I've seen this year, "Cowboys & Aliens" was a welcomed relief. Although there was some down time mid-way, I was very entertained. It's a movie about cowboys and aliens - how harsh can some of these critics and reviewers be? It's a good time at the movies, as far as I'm concerned.
7.5/10
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Last edited by filmgirlinterrupted; 07-31-11 at 12:53 AM.