Going to see a film entitled Cowboys & Aliens I knew exactly what to expect (and what not to). So under no illusion that I was about to witness a soon-to-be Oscar-nominated production, I sat back and enjoyed the ride. So did Cowboys & Aliens deliver thoroughbred thrills, or leave me riding a donkey? Well… both.

Daniel Craig is Jake Lonergan, a cowboy who wakes up in the desert with no memory of his past, a mysterious stomach wound and a large bracelet. Jake heads to a nearby town to discover what happened to him and why he’s wearing woman’s jewellery. Cue your standard Western fare; a run-in with the law, a beautiful woman (Olivia Wilde), and the local cattle rustler (played by the appropraitely grizzled Harrison Ford).

Just as Jake thinks it couldn’t get any worse, aliens attack (as they do!). The aliens love playing cowboys too and proceed to lasso up the townsfolk, whisking them off into the desert night. Fortunately for Jake he discovers that his lady-bling is actually the finest of man-ccessories, when it transforms into a weapon of mass destruction – just in time to save the film’s main characters. So off they ride to save their kith and kin.

Daniel Craig makes an excellent cowboy and even puts on a pretty convincing accent. However the other leads, despite having great screen presence, are sadly let down by their one dimensional characters. I can’t say I expected anything more, but it is a shame. Harrison Ford’s cattle-rustler is all over the place; varying too much between the baddest guy in town and a reformed father. Olivia Wilde lights up the screen, but has by far the worst lines in the film – touching Lonergan’s wound and asking “Does it hurt?” got the full eye roll from me. And Sam Rockwell is completely underused.

Jon Favreaux is a solid action director, as we know from Iron Man, and he applies his skills well. The town-destruction and desert-chase scenes are particularly good; and the action is varied enough that it doesn’t become too samey. But the real star of this film is the creature design. They look ‘the business’ and their lasso-equipped spacecraft are pretty cool too.

Ultimately the film suffers from being completely predictable and formulaic; but that’s not to say it’s terrible. I’ve definitely seen a lot worse this year (yes, I’m talking to you, Green Lantern!).

6/10

Have you seen Cowboys & Aliens? Did Daniel Craig cut it as a cowboy? What did you think of the creatures?