Cowboys and Aliens (2011)

“Only two kinds of men get shot: criminals and victims. Which one are you?”

Synopsis: – Seriously. Its called Cowboys and Aliens, you don’t need a plot synopsis for this.

Cowboys and Aliens is a surprisingly good movie; it has a fantastic cast, skilled directing, beautiful scenery, and plenty of gun-slinging action. In fact, its so good that it may lure you into thinking its a decent adventure movie about real people and the western frontier. And just when you’re starting to take it seriously, it’ll slap you in the face with a juvenile action-cliche and remind you “hey, what are you doing! Are you actually expecting this to make any sense!? Its called COWBOYS AND ALIENS!!!”

Even though Daniel Craig is definitely not playing 007 this time, there’s enough action movie cliche’s and contrived gadget-saves to make you wonder if this character is really a time traveling James Bond. Once again, remind yourself, “this is a cowboy movie… with aliens…” and all will be put right. This won’t be making anyone’s top ten list, no matter how much they love cowboys and/or aliens. But besides the handful of western and science fiction cliche’s, there’s some genuinely good moments here.

What makes it good?

Westerns have a way of rounding up a star-studded cast, and here Cowboys and Aliens is no exception. Daniel Craig is sufficient as the archetypal amnesic anti-hero (see what I did there?) who can out-gun, out-ride, and out-brawl anyone despite not knowing his own name. His look and demeanor lend itself to this role well, though at times you can tell he’s struggling to subvert his English dialect and replace it with a sandpapery western one.
Harrison Ford is perfect as the semi-antagonist ranch owner with a dark past. Part of me wishes the aliens hadn’t shown up and stolen his villainous thunder. Ford’s screen presence brings a unique gravity and emotional depth to the film, not something you’d expect in a movie about aliens. (… and see what I did there?)  The supporting cast gives noteworthy performances which I’ll summarize briefly: Sam Rockwell (hilarious), Adam Beach (impactful), Clancy Brown (king of the one-liners), Paul Dano (who we love-to-hate), and Olivia Wilde (meh?)

Themes: Redemption

Pretty much every Western ever told is about redemption. Lone hero with a troubled past, father with an estranged son, pretty girl looking to avenge those who killed her family, etc. Its all been done before (well, at least without aliens). In one way or another, they’re all looking to redeem themselves and their relationships. There’s a strong theme of valuing life, relationships, and virtue, because we don’t know how much time we have before death.

Conclusion: “What you see is what you get.”

This is a cowboy movie. And its a sci-fi alien movie. But whether or not its greater or less than the proverbial ‘sum of its parts’ is up to you. You can get frustrated with its plot holes and disregard for basic physics, or you can enjoy it for what it is. Cowboys and Aliens follows a similar formula as the Indiana Jones films: “Take a B movie action-adventure and give it an A-level director, cast, and special effects.” The result is an enjoyable popcorn flick featuring the New Mexico desert, gritty cowboys, and of course, aliens.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Zipped Lips.

Cowboys and Aliens does exactly what it sets out to do: tell an old fashioned cowboy tale with aliens in it. In fact, its so well done that you’re in danger of taking it seriously and ruining all the fun.

Isaac’s “Top 25 Must See Movies of the Decade” (2000-2009)

In developing ‘My Top 25 Movies of the Decade’, I knew there was no way I could rank my movies from 1st to 25th.  Any attempt would be futile.  How do I pit my favorite comedy against my favorite Pixar? Kudos to my friends who were able to achieve this, but for me it wasn’t possible. I instead organized them by year of release. Not only does this relieve the pressure of ranking each one, but emphasizes the time and context of its release.  I also included a number of honorable mentions to round out what I could not cover with just 25 titles.  (Also, just because I enjoyed and recommended it does not mean that it is appropriate for all ages.)

I know that this list is completely subjective. It is not the ’25 best ever’, it is simply my favorites and recommendations. Chances are, there are a couple films here that you disliked or were greatly disappointed in. But know this, I chose each and every one for a reason. Perhaps my review will bring something to light, some theme or value you might have missed before. In the end, these are just my recommendations. My goal is to champion movies worth remembering, challenge you to see something new, and recommend some great movies you might have missed.

1. Memento (2000)

Before Batman Begins and The Prestige, Christopher Nolan got warmed up with Memento. A rather under-watched film, Memento is the mystery thriller of a man who can’t make new memories. Most writers would consider this premise to be captivating enough, but Nolan doesn’t stop there. Oh no, he puts all the scenes in reverse order. When each scene begins, you have no context for what is going on just as the main character has no memory of what has come before. Nolan effectively simulates memory loss for his entire audience. The intriguing plot and unique storytelling lands Memento solidly in my list for the top 25 movies of the decade.