Even though it might not seem like it on the surface, the genres of science-fiction and the western have a lot in common. In fact, previous depictions of both the Wild West and the fictionalized colonization of deep space could even be considered similar on a thematic and philosophical level: the exploration of new frontiers; the development/intrusion of new technology and discovery of primitive (or not-so-primitive) civilizations; and a general sense of lawlessness where it's every man for himself.
It's striking similarities like these that have resulted in surprisingly successful marriages of the two genres in pop culture. Gene Roddenberry pitched the concept of "Star Trek" to NBC as "a Wagon Train to the stars". The original Star Wars possessed a distinguishing "used galaxy" feel of that screamed "western", with its rogue gunslingers and saloon-esque cantinas. And the television series "Firefly" (and its movie follow-up Serenity) took it even a step further by transposing post-Civil War settings of many Westerns onto its own mythos via similar dialogue, costuming, and even weaponry.
But what made the above examples work so well was the fact that they didn't actually ATTEMPT to be both sci-fi AND western. The films and shows were still predominantly science-fiction, and any western-esque trappings layered upon the movie were subtle enough as to not make you wonder if the film you're watching was directed by John Ford or George Lucas. But director Jon Favreau (Iron Man) clearly didn't get that memo, and as such, his awkward mash-up of the two genres make Cowboys & Aliens a bizarre, distracting, and overall less-than-engaging affair.
It's 1873, and a man (Daniel Craig) awakens in the Arizona desert with no memory of who he is or how he got there, and on top of that, he has both a large wound on his side and a strange metal bracelet attached to his wrist. Heading off to the small settlement of Absolution, the injured man is treated by the local preacher and doctor Meacham (Clancy Brown). The stranger learns quick that Absolution isn't the happiest place in the world, thanks to the influence of wealthy and aggressive cattleman Woodrow Dolarhyde (Harrison Ford), whose delinquent son Percy (Paul Dano) regularly causes trouble in Absolution without any punishment.
That is, until the amnesiac man subdues Percy and causes the boy to be arrested by Sheriff Taggart (Keith Carradine). Taggart is suspicious of this stranger, and soon recognizes him as outlaw Jake Lonergan, who's been wanted, among other things, for stealing gold from the elder Dolarhyde. Jake, adamant that he remembers nothing, is captured and about to be sent off to the Feds when strange ships in the sky begin attacking Absolution and abducting various townspeople, including Taggart and Percy. Jake manages to down one of the alien craft when his strange bracelet suddenly fires a blast of energy at it.
With the pilot of the downed craft on the run, Dolarhyde forms a posse to track it down and find the abducted townspeople. Joining him are his Native American right hand man Nat (Adam Beach), Meacham, Taggart's grandson Emmett (Noah Ringer), saloon owner Doc (Sam Rockwell), and a reluctant Jake, as well as the mysterious Ella (Olivia Wilde), who seems to know more about Jake's predicament than she's letting on.
Based on a 2006 graphic novel by Scott Mitchell Rosenberg, Cowboys & Aliens seemed cool on paper. After all, the two titular characters are classic imaginative bait for the 8-year-old boys in all of us, and really, haven't you always wanted to see... well, cowboys fighting aliens?!
It seems as though Favreau did, and at first, that seemed like a good thing. The actor/director has had a short but reliable track record for sci-fi films with plenty of childlike enthusiasm, with the space fantasy Zathura and the excellent Iron Man (and its not-as-excellent-but-servicable sequel). But Favreau made a huge misstep by making the endeavor WAY too serious and not capitalizing on the inherent goofiness of such a high concept premise.
And in its foolhardy attempt at seriousness, Cowboys & Aliens strays from the correct path of joy and purposeful silliness to superficiality and unintentional silliness. And Favreau and his team of five (yes, FIVE) screenwriters seem to be interested in throwing classic, by-the-numbers Western cliches at you rather than steeping the film in the mythology that made the genre so venerable. You could almost write a checklist of expected genre staples on display, all of which amount to cinematic posing that's as hollow as the sets the movie were filmed on (not to mention a slightly uncomfortable allegorical comparison of the besieged townspeople to real-life American Indians in terms of being assailed by superior technology. In a movie with a plot as ridiculous and ill-conceived as this, it's best to leave the racial and political commentary to the wayside).
The cast doesn't really salvage the proceedings much, either. Daniel Craig (this year's Oscar nominee for Best Glowering) goes overboard with the super-serious "Man With No Name or Memory" schtick, his eyebrows permanently furrowed and his frown suggesting Botox gone berserk. Harrison Ford continues the snarly-old-man routine that he's seemed to resign himself to in this latter part of his career, and Olivia Wilde (a.k.a. "that hot chick from Tron Legacy") apparently seems to be winning a "who can open their eyes the widest and longest" contest possibly instigated by the filmmakers. It's even more damning to the film's cred when you can't even get a memorable performance out of the usually fantastic Sam Rockwell, who's relegated to the less-than-admirable role of a chickenshit barkeep.
The visual effects and sound design, however, are top notch, even if the design of the alien invaders are less than revolutionary and merely perfunctory. The cinematography by Matthew Libatique proves once again that Westerns (even subpar ones such as this) are always the best-looking and most eerily beautiful of all the genres, but gimmickry such as this can only take you so far. Cowboys & Aliens attempts to walk in the majestic footsteps of Ford, Leone, and Eastwood and fails in almost every respect.
That's not to say that Favreau and Co. didn't try, and their intentions are admirable. But in the end, this marriage of genres got cut short with a messy divorce. Cowboys & Aliens? Try Oil & Water.
Letter Grade: "C-"
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