Film File - Cowboys & Aliens

If ever a title communicated an unusual concept, this is surely it. Taking one of cinema's oldest and most enduring genres and mixing it with one of the silver screen's decidedly modern outputs is new territory for Hollywood - and one that scores a quick-draw win for summer audiences in search of thrills and a few chuckles. Set in 1875 in New Mexico, a stranger called Jake Lonergan (Daniel Craig), with no memory of his past, stumbles into the remote desert town of Absolution. His only defining attribute is a mysterious shackle encircling his wrist, an item he knows nothing about or how it came to be there. Like many a western town - think back to Clint Eastwood's 'Unforgiven' or John Ford's 'High Noon' - this stranger quickly finds they don't like outsiders in Absolution, and especially if they don't hop to the tune played by the local bad boss, Colonel Woodrow Dolarhyde (Harrison Ford). Though the residents have lived in a state of constant fear for many years, nothing prepares them for the latest chapter in their history when, out of nowhere, savage marauders from the sky scream down with warp speed spacecraft and blinding lights to terrorise the citizens - monsters a whole lot worse than the human kind Absolution was previously used to. Step forward Jake Lonergan, the only hope for Absolution. As this gunslinger slowly starts to remember who he is and what he's experienced, he realises he holds a secret that could give the town a fighting chance against the alien force. With the help of the elusive traveller Ella (Olivia Wilde), he pulls together a posse comprised of former opponents - townsfolk, Dolarhyde and his boys, outlaws and Chiricahua Apache warriors - all in danger of annihilation. Unlikely allies united against a common enemy, they prepare for an epic showdown for survival. Joining the Absolution irregulars are Doc and Maria (Sam Rockwell and Ana De Reguera), the excellently named Nat Colorado (Adam Beach), Dolarhyde's cowardly son, Percy (Paul Dano); preacher Meacham (Clancy Brown) and Sheriff John Taggart and his nephew Emmett (Keith Carradine and Noah Ringer). Adapted from Scott Mitchell Rosenberg's graphic novel detailing a terrifying invasion set in the mysterious land of the American West in the late 19th century and replete with gunslingers, outlaws and saloon fights, this harsh backdrop provides a unique place for the otherworldly assault on planet Earth. With the end of the Civil War only a decade prior, innovations in technology and industry, from the light bulb to telegraphs and transcontinental railways, shared space with a violent expansion of the young country. In the 14 years since Rosenberg first showed what was to be the 'Cowboys And Aliens' graphic novel, many producers and directors grappled with the conundrum of how to bring these two classic genres together on film. 'Iron Man' screenwriters Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby, as well as writer Steve Oedekerk, eventually crafted the story that would serve as the basis for the completed screenplay. Shortly afterwards, Jon Favreau came aboard as director, with Steven Spielberg, Ron Howard and Brian Grazer as producers. Following the basic premise of many a western - stranger in town about to get lynched becomes a hero - 'Cowboys & Aliens' pretty much does what the title suggests. With Lonergan's amnesia starting to slowly abate, he realises his bracelet holds the answer to defeating these airborne terrors, but not before a whole heap of townsfolk are snatched for experiments - including Colonel Dolarhyde's son. With the aliens a bit of a disappointment - think slimey Power Rangers - the film's success is largely down to some spectacular battle scenes, aided by a great cast who can act well, even with a weak script. Favreau keeps the throttle on right through, especially the repeated plucking into the air of innocent bystanders for grisly experiments aboard the invaders' craft. This one would have made a decent western in its own right, but the addition of fights, six-shooters, saloons and the ruthless quest for gold make this one of the summer's strangest, but still very likeable, movie creations.