Cowboys & Aliens

"I need to know where you came from." "So do I"
Running time: 118mins (1hour58mins)

I'm sure that hat looks familiar...

After Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skulls you may have thought our beloved Dr Jones series had suffered the sanguine shade of embarrassment for long enough. Think again.

Meet Jake Lonergan (Daniel Craig), an amnesia struck cowboy from 1873 Arizona. Other than a large, metallic bracelet on his arm, Jake has no clues to his identity and how he ended up in the middle of the unforgiving desert. Arriving in a nearby town it's clear that he is not welcome in the once affluent area, that's now dominated by stern businessman Woodrow Dolarhyde (Harrison Ford) and his trouble making, reckless son Percy (Paul Dano).

It's not long before a fleet of four alien ships, similar looking to the Star Wars X-Fighter , indiscriminately abduct several of the town's men and women. Jake discovers that the bracelet on his wrist is in fact a weapon capable of shooting down the enemy aircraft, unlike the traditional Western world guns.

Dolarhyde senior and Jake team up to pursue ships and rescue their friends and family from the clutches of the unearthly kidnappers. Along with an attractive female who seems intent on helping to uncover the lost fragmented memories from his elusive past.

Enter Trailer:

One problem - the several deja vu moments from Indiana Jones. Beneath the chiseled heroic bones of this film is a deep love story, a romance of no ordinary nature. Our protagonist quickly finds himself inseparable from his bronze skinned beauty, whose slender yet curvy body ensured she would not be forgotten in a long time. Alas, our mystery lover is not Alice (Abigail Spencer) but his trustee hat. In several sticky situations Jake makes sure his hat is where it belongs - his head. Dropped in the water, where's the hat? Jumping from an explosion, don't forget the hat. In one moment our hat adoring heroes, Harrison Ford and the new, Daniel Craig shaped, Indy, leap to from an exploding chasm, but new Indy's hat falls off yet Ford's stays perfectly perched. Rubbing the salt in the wound a little bit?  

All in all, an enjoyable watch - not something to set the world alight but worth a view for the great solo performances from Craig, Ford and rising child actor Noah Ringer.

Rating:          Impressionante