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                             “Cowboys and Aliens”

Given all the sequels, remakes, and reboots coming out of Hollywood (323
upcoming sequels, prequels, remakes and reboots) [1] (not to mention some
questionable inspriration—really? A movie [2] based the Hasbro game? [3]) I'm
a bit leery of anything coming out of Hollywood these days.

I was even a bit wary of “Cowboys and Aliens [4] even though its not sequel,
prequel, remake or reboot (maybe—it is based upon a comic book [5] but
reading the storyline in the comic, it seems the movie went its own
direction) but after a positive review from a source I trust, Bunny (who
originally wanted to see the movie just from viewing the previews) and I went
to the movies.

It's an odd movie—it's a solid Western, with Daniel Craig [6] playing an
anmesiac thief who stole gold from Harrison Ford [7], playing a cruel cattle
baron, but then it turns into an alien invasion pretty darned quick (and for
those of you who saw the trailer—everything in that trailer is in the first
half hour of the film). Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford then team up with the
remains of the town to hunt down the “demons” (as the aliens are referred to—
nice touch) and save the kidnapped townspeople. And then it's a solid alien
invasion story, albeit set in the 1870s. It's a film well worth seeing, if
just for the solid performances from everybody in the film (although Sam
Rockwell's performance reminded me quite a bit of his role in “Galaxy Quest
[8]” as the red shirt [9]).

I only have two real quibbles with the film, and if you don't want anything
spoiled, stop reading now. You have been warned.

SPOILERS!

The first quibble is the motiviation of the aliens. Any species that is
capable of interstellar travel is not going to land on an inhabited planet
just for the gold, especially when the indiginous inhabitants can violently
fight back. There are probably other planets (or moons) in the solar system
with enough gold and life (if any) that won't fight back, as it were. And
even if they are here for the gold, why bother the local inhabitants anyway?
Land, mine the gold, leave.

I guess they're just sadistic jerks, these aliens.

The second quibble is how one of the characters, who turns out to be an alien
who's homeworld was destroyed by the first set of gold mining aliens, even
arrived here. This character came here to fight the first set of aliens, but
there's no indication of where its ship is, or how it got here, or anything.
This is a smaller quibble than the first, but it's still pretty convenient.

But hey, it's a good film otherwise.

[1] http://www.imdb.com/list/WUNCarSomaM/
[2] http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1440129/
[3] http://www.boardgamegeek.com/boardgame/2425/battleship
[4] http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0409847/
[5] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cowboys_&_Aliens_(comics)
[6] http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0185819/
[7] http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000148/
[8] http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0177789/
[9] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Redshirt_(character)

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