This is post 1 of 2 in a double feature movie review. The secong review will post at 5:00 PM today. Enjoy.
Cowboys and Aliens has two things going against it. 1. It’s called Cowboys and Aliens. 2. Harrison Ford is in a movie with aliens and he’s not playing Han Solo. The last time that Harrison made a movie with aliens it ruined my childhood. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was so bad I saw it twice. The first time I saw it I was so crushed by how bad it was that I had to see it again just in case it really wasn’t that bad. It was just as bad the second time. I love Indiana Jones. It’s one of my favorite all time movie series. Love it. I don’t think I’ve watched a film since the Crystal Skull came out. It was painful for me to watch.
So going into Cowboys and Aliens I had my doubts. Maybe that was a good thing to do because I loved this movie! It was shockingly good. The action was intense, the aliens were scary, and the characters were well played. Cowboys and Aliens is what Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull should have been. It wasn’t campy or cheesy. It was intense and had scares. Sure it’s still a far fetched concept but what alien movie isn’t. Is it any more believable that aliens came in the 1980’s and that they loved Reese’s Pieces (E.T.)? Is it any more believable that they came to destroy the world and that the Fresh Prince of Bel Air beat em (Independence Day)? Is it any more believable that people have the force and hang out with hairy aliens (Star Wars)? My point is that aliens are far fetched. It’s far fetched if they come at any point. It’s actually creative to bring them into a time period where we’ve never seen them.
Cowboys and Aliens is rated PG-13 for some very intense action violence. I wouldn’t take the kiddos to this one. I give it two thumbs up.
Rob’s Rating System =
Two Thumbs Up – A great movie worth paying full price.
One Thumb Up – A decent attempt and worth seeing at a matinee price.
Thumb to the side – An ok film, but wait for video.
Thumb down – A stinker of a film. Don’t waste you life seeing it.
One Thumb Up – A decent attempt and worth seeing at a matinee price.
Thumb to the side – An ok film, but wait for video.
Thumb down – A stinker of a film. Don’t waste you life seeing it.
So have you seen Cowboys and Aliens? What did you think?
Crystal Skull was so bad it ruined your childhood? It came out 3 years ago dude. You were
30 years old. Your childhood had long since gone the way of the dodo! Yet your words got me thinking. If a 30 year old man could watch a movie that ruined his childhood, that would have to be one really bad, heaping, pile o’ stink. Stink that bad should be quarantined in a deep mine in the Colorado mountains. Perhaps that was your point. I will wait for C&A to come to T.V. before I see. I find I enjoy a movie so much more when it is laced with inane commercials every 5 minutes or so.
I just mean it ruined everything I loved about my childhood. I went into hoping to reclaim what I loved and I left hating the fact that they made that movie.
I’ve been excited about this movie since it has a) cowboys, b) aliens, c) Indiana Jones, and d) James Bond. Now I really gotta go see it, thanks for the review Rob!
Walt, let me know what you think.
2 thumbs up? Really? That seems extreme…
I know what you mean about ruining the childhood… Transformers kind of did that for me and it wasn’t THAT awful.
Dan, it’s good. You should have gone with me to see it.
In my mind, there was never a Transformers movie released after 1986.
Russ, agreed. I loved the animated movie!
Cool! I’ve heard mixed reviews… but this is one I’ll definitely be checking out.
I think the key was going in with low expectations. I didn’t expect to like it and I did a lot.
I’ve seen aliens before. I know they’re real.
Kyle…which Kyle is this? That would explain a lot.
I liked it. Of course I liked ALL of the Indiana Jones flicks. Truth is I can’t remember seeing a Harrison Ford movie I didn’t like. David Tsion can’t believe I liked Crystal Skull. LOL!
Charlotte-marie, say it ain’t so. You liked the last Indy flick?
I think I might be one of the very few who actually like Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull. Yeah. I think I am. I so want to see Cowboys and Aliens. Hoping to see it when it comes out on DVD. Going out to the movies is hard when you’re 40 miles from the nearest movie theater and you have to pay for baby sitting. Thanks for the review.
Thanks Josh. Someone else had to like that movie because it made a lot of money. I am just not one of those people. Thanks for the comment.
Great review! You actually covered some curious news in your post. I came across it by using Bing and I’ve got to admit that I already subscribed to the RSS feed, it’s very great 🙂