Film Review: Cowboys & Aliens

Cowboys & Aliens is a watchable enough movie, but there is nothing particularly bright or exciting about it. With the talent involved in the film, it is a shame the end product is not better.

When a man wakes up in the middle of a plain with a mysterious metal bracelet on his wrist, he struggles to remember anything. Making his way into town, trouble quickly ensues when people start to recognise him. Woodrow Dolarhyde has a score to settle with the man, but this is interupted by an attack on the town by flying machines…

With the title Cowboys & Aliens, most would expect an endlessly fun movie. Unfortunately Jon Favreau’s film does not deliver on this front. The film is played quite seriously, which eliminates most of the fun that could be had with this concept. It is a shame, as Favreau did a great job in making Iron Man fun and appealing.

The main problem with the film is that the tone is all wrong. The filmmakers seem to be aiming for earnest when they should have been aiming for mirthful. Cowboys & Aliens would have worked better with an abundance of tongue-in-cheek humour, more akin to the style of Back to the Future Part III. Instead, it is a straightforward western that features aliens. The film should have been more of a thrill ride, but is far to serious for that.

Moreover, the writing is patchy, despite the emphasis on sincerity rather than fun. The film features some lazy stereotypes, such as the faithful Indian servant Nat. Even the main characters offer little reason for the audience to root for them. They are too one-dimensional, which makes it difficult to care about their fates. The cowboys and Indians strand is dull and cliché and the dialogue doesn’t help either as it is often staid.

The special effects used in the film are pretty much faultless. Likewise, set design is also good. Some of the action sequences are let down by a lack of strong direction. Cowboys & Aliens is surely one of the loudest films of the year. This is fine given the blockbuster style, but some may find it a little overbearing.

Daniel Craig is solemn as Jake; the character has little life to him. Olivia Wilde is a little livelier as Ella, while Harrison Ford is well cast as Dolarhyde. The actor certainly brings some much needed presence to the movie.

The touches of Steven Spielberg, producer of the film, are all too clear. However, in a stellar career this is not one of the filmmaker’s brighter moments.

Film Review: Rango

In an age where almost everything animated appears in 3D, Rango refreshingly does not opt for this route. Although the film is animated and rated PG, it is more likely to appeal to adults and older children rather than younger viewers.

Rango is a lonely chameleon who puts on plays with his toys to entertain himself. When Rango accidentally finds himself in the middle of the desert, he comes across the town of Dirt. Rango takes the opportunity to invent himself as a gun-slinging hero…

Directed by Pirates of the Caribbean‘s Gore Verbinski, Rango is not the typical animated feature. The film does not seem to fit the Pixar/Dreamworks mould of combining adventure, comedy, drama and romance. Instead, Rango is best described as a western. Given its characteristics, this category seems most appropriate. However, like a film such as Back to the Future Part III, Rango will sometimes adhere to conventions, and at other times play on the familiar archetypes present.

Given this western predilection then, it is perhaps unsurprising that Rango is more likely to entertain older audience members than the young children usually targeted by animated features. The film begins rather slowly, which won’t really entice youngsters with a short attention span. Moreover, those expecting a Disneyesque movie may be disappointed by Rango‘s offbeat style.

Although humour is present in Rango, it is a hard push to describe the film as hilarious. The comedy is more self-reflexive, with jokes about performing and genre that are likely to go over the head of some. Elsewhere the humour is quirky, with the film’s narrator becoming involved in the action, for example. The narrative is interrupted on two occasions with sequences that are interesting but bizarre. Nevertheless, they do not help in making Rango enthralling;  the film lacks a good narrative.

The animation in Rango is sumptuous. Nickelodeon, ILM and the other production companies have done a fantastic job with the aesthetics. The detail in particular is amazing. Although animation tends to look better in 3D than live action generally, hopefully Rango‘s inevitable success will attest that not every new feature needs to be produced in three dimensions.

Rango features a host of famous names voicing the array of characters. Johnny Depp is suitably cast as Rango, although it is difficult to ever lose sight that it is Johnny Depp voicing the character. Isla Fisher is decent as Beans, as is Abigail Breslin as the very cute Priscilla. Ray Winstone and Bill Nighy meanwhile conform to their usual bad guy roles.

Rango is a fun movie, and something different to the usual big-budget animated fare. However, the film lacks the heart that would take it from enjoyable to amazing.