Cowboys & Aliens (2011)

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  • COWBOYS & ALIENS


    DIRECTED BY JOHN FAVREAU
    UNIVERSAL/ DREAMWORKS PICTURES



    Information from IMDb


    Plot Summary
    The Old West.. where a lone cowboy leads an uprising against a terror from beyond our world. 1873. Arizona Territory. A stranger with no memory of his past stumbles into the hard desert town of Absolution. The only hint to his history is a mysterious shackle that encircles one wrist. What he discovers is that the people of Absolution don't welcome strangers, and nobody makes a move on its streets unless ordered to do so by the iron-fisted Colonel Dolarhyde (Ford). It's a town that lives in fear. But Absolution is about to experience fear it can scarcely comprehend as the desolate city is attacked by marauders from the sky. Screaming down with breathtaking velocity and blinding lights to abduct the helpless one by one, these monsters challenge everything the residents have ever known. Now, the stranger they rejected is their only hope for salvation. As this gunslinger slowly starts to remember who he is and where he's been
    Written by Universal Pictures

    Full Cast
    Daniel Craig ... Jake Lonergan
    Harrison Ford ... Woodrow Dolarhyde
    Abigail Spencer ... Alice
    Buck Taylor ... Wes Claiborne
    Olivia Wilde ... Ella Swenson
    Sam Rockwell ... Doc
    Matthew Taylor ... Luke Claiborne
    Cooper Taylor ... Mose Claiborne
    Clancy Brown ... Meacham
    Paul Dano ... Percy Dolarhyde
    Chris Browning ... Jed Parker
    Adam Beach ... Nat Colorado
    Ana de la Reguera ... Maria
    Noah Ringer ... Emmett Taggart
    Brian Duffy ... Deputy
    Keith Carradine ... Sheriff John Taggart
    Brendan Wayne ... Charlie Lyle
    Gavin Grazer ... Ed
    Toby Huss ... Roy Murphy
    Wyatt Russell ... Little Mickey
    Jimmy Jatho ... Saloon Patron
    Kenny Call ... Greavey
    Walton Goggins ... Hunt
    Julio Cedillo ... Bronc (as Julio Cesar Cedillo)
    Garret Noel ... Gang Member (as Garret James Noel)
    David O'Hara ... Pat Dolan
    Troy Gilbert ... Red
    Chad Randall ... Bull McCade
    Scout Schoenfeld Hendrickson ... Jake's Gang Member (as Scout Hendrickson)
    Raoul Trujillo ... Black Knife
    David Midthunder ... Apache Warrior 1
    Moses Brings Plenty ... Apache Warrior 2
    Phillip Pike ... Apache Singer
    Calum Blaylock ... Apache Singer
    Paul Ortega ... Medicine Man
    David Chee ... Apache Dancer
    Simon Choneska ... Apache Dancer
    Nathaniel Chee ... Apache Dancer
    Vonda Tso ... Apache Dancer
    Lariat Geronimo ... Apache Dancer
    Freddy Apache ... Apache Dancer
    Oliver Enjady ... Apache Dancer
    Hoyle Osborne ... Pianist
    Rex Rideout ... Fiddler
    Kelly Ruble ... Wealthy Man (uncredited)


    Writing Credits
    Roberto Orci (screenplay) &
    Alex Kurtzman (screenplay) &
    Damon Lindelof (screenplay) and
    Mark Fergus (screenplay) &
    Hawk Ostby (screenplay)
    Mark Fergus (screen story) &
    Hawk Ostby (screen story) and
    Steve Oedekerk (screen story)
    Scott Mitchell Rosenberg (Platinum Studios comic book)


    Production Companies
    Universal Pictures (presents)
    DreamWorks Pictures (presents)
    Reliance Entertainment (presents)
    Relativity Media (in association with)
    Imagine Entertainment
    K/O Paper Products
    Fairview Entertainment
    Platinum Studios


    Produced
    Bobby Cohen .... executive producer
    Jon Favreau .... executive producer
    Daniel Forcey .... co-producer
    Brian Grazer .... producer
    Randy Greenberg .... executive producer
    K.C. Hodenfield .... co-producer
    Ron Howard .... producer
    Karen Johnson .... associate producer
    Ryan Kavanaugh .... executive producer
    Alex Kurtzman .... producer
    Damon Lindelof .... producer
    Roberto Orci .... producer
    Scott Mitchell Rosenberg .... producer
    Steven Spielberg .... executive producer
    Denis L. Stewart .... executive producer
    Chris Wade .... co-producer

    Original Music
    Harry Gregson-Williams

    Cinematography
    Matthew Libatique


    Trivia
    Robert Downey Jr. was set to play Jake Lonergan, but dropped out due to scheduling conflicts.


    Daniel Craig was chosen because of his distinct likeness to Yul Brynner, who starred in the cowboy epic The Magnificent Seven.


    Daniel Craig recommended Eva Green for the role of Ella after working with her in Casino Royale. However, Eva turned the role down and Olivia Wilde was cast.


    An early draft of the screenplay was written by Thomas Dean Donnelly and Joshua Oppenheimer.


    This is DreamWorks's third comic-book adaptation, after Road to Perdition and Over the Hedge.


    The filmmakers cite Alien and Predator as an influence on the look of aliens in the film.


    Screenwriters Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman described the film as "Unforgiven with aliens landing."


    Director Jon Favreau was constantly harassed with demands to shoot/convert the film in 3-D, but he held his ground, claiming Westerns should only be shot on film.


    Steven Spielberg screened The Searchers and Close Encounters of the Third Kind for Roberto Orci and Jon Favreau so that they could get the atmosphere of the film.


    Roberto Orci feels that the title, humorous as it may sound, will raise interest and put people off guard about the film, which will surprise them.


    Harrison Ford wanted to go bareheaded in the film and not wear a hat (he is most famous for his performance in Steven Spielberg's Indiana Jones films, where Jones wore a fedora), but since it was a Western film he was convinced to wear a hat. In American Graffiti , Harrison Ford was asked to cut his hair (to go bareheaded with a period haircut) for the film. He refused, stating that his role was too short, and offered to wear a hat instead.


    Once again, with the involvement of Steven Spielberg, Harrison Ford is cast opposite a James Bond, in this case, Daniel Craig. The last time was when he worked opposite Sean Connery in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade. Craig has also appeared in 'The Adventures of Young Indiana Jones: Daredevils of the Desert (1999)'.


    In the final scene of the movie, a "Southland Ice Company" ice wagon is shown. Southland Ice Company is the predecessor company to 7-11 stores.


    As with most films distributed by Universal Pictures, there is a brief promo after the end credits for Universal Studios. However, the promo used at the end of this movie uses the decidedly 1960s era ad to promote the Universal Studios back lot tour in Hollywood, California. This promo was replaced in 1990 when Universal Studios opened a second location in Orlando, Florida and changed its logo.


    Goofs
    Continuity: When Jake is at the bar pouring numerous shots of whiskey, his last one was poured without him drinking the previous shot therefore pouring it twice without drinking.


    Revealing mistakes: In the opening scene, Jake tries to remove the bracelet by hitting it several times with a rock, but the rock never actually strikes the prop.


    Plot holes: Ella tells Jake to remove the arm gun he only needs to clear his mind, but at no time when he was knocked unconscious did it slip off.


    Revealing mistakes: The morning after the first alien attack, the posse follows the trail left by the alien which, according to the dialog, headed North. However, the early morning shadows cast by the sun on the the riders and their horses are on their right, which indicates that they're riding Southward.


    Anachronisms: When dynamite is about to be lit they grab a matchbox made of cardboard, up until well into the 20th century (around the 1940s) matchboxes were made of wood.


    Anachronisms: Nat Colorado mentions being found by Dollarhyde as a child after the Mexican American War, but he is also supposed to have grown up alongside Dollarhyde's son Percy and mentions as a child hearing stories of the Colonel's exploits at Antietam during the Civil War. The two wars are a decade and a half apart


    Revealing mistakes: SPOILER: The three cowboys Lonergan meets after first waking up appear very dirty and sweaty, and all of their equipment is old and used. The cowboy hat he later takes from one of them is obviously new, as it doesn't appear dirty and doesn't have a sweat salt stain where it would rest on ones head.


    Memorable Quotes

    Filming Locations
    Abiquiu, New Mexico, USA
    Randsburg, California, USA
    Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA


    Trailer


    Cowboys & Aliens

    Best Wishes
    Keith
    London- England

    Edited 5 times, last by ethanedwards ().

  • they are just starting to advertise this movie downunder will see if i get the chance to get to see it otherwise will have to wait

    " its not all black and white, but different shades of grey"


  • Jim I have to admit I think the same.
    Although I loved Indiana Jones,
    and some of his others, The Fugitive , Clear and Present Danger etc..
    he has failed to impress me in the rest.


    As far as interviews are concerned, he is utterly dismal,
    and I sometimes wonder how he ever made it as an actor at all!!
    His so called laid back demeanour is sadly not appropriate,
    and does his image no good whatsoever!

    Best Wishes
    Keith
    London- England



  • I didn't mean to imply that Ford has made no good movies - I liked all of the titles you named above, especially "Clear and Present Danger" and the Indiana Jones movies. And I think my personal favorite was "Witness".

    No, Keith, what I meant to say was he probably wasn't any good in this "Cowboys and Aliens" thing.

    De gustibus non est disputandum

  • I didn't mean to imply that Ford has made no good movies - I liked all of the titles you named above, especially "Clear and Present Danger" and the Indiana Jones movies. And I think my personal favorite was "Witness".

    No, Keith, what I meant to say was he probably wasn't any good in this "Cowboys and Aliens" thing.


    Jim, I was responding to the article that you linked,
    and more or less agreeing with what they said.
    We seem to have the same views about his 'better' movies

    Best Wishes
    Keith
    London- England

  • Just watched this movie with a couple of friends,
    and we all thought the same, it just doesn't fit.
    The genres, did not sit well together.
    We thought it very poor, no plot, too dark,
    with almost the first hour, filmed in darkness making almost impossible
    to make out what was going on.
    Daniel Craig was indeed wooden, and Harrison Ford did his hopeful
    career revival, no good at all!
    The film also featured what appeared to be re-cycled aliens
    from other movies, in other words nothing new!


    The funniest moment to me, was when after the Apache had captured
    our friends, and witnessed the aliens attacking,
    they all sat around, with the chief utterering these words


    'They come from a land far above the stars'.


    So philosophical of the Native Americans of the time I thought,
    when in reality they would probably have all scattered,
    frightened to death, by the appearance of nasty monsters in their happy hunting grounds!"


    With such a big budget, big name stars,
    and producers like Steven Spielberg and Ron Howard
    one could have expected better.
    However, overall all we got was a silly film and a movie destined to be a flop

    Best Wishes
    Keith
    London- England

    Edited 16 times, last by ethanedwards ().


  • Thanks for the review Keith sounds like typical lighting on a "Ridley Scott" movie. Anyway I have decided to see new Ape movie. I might wait for DVD on Cowboys & Aliens.

  • Well, I must confess, I don't see what was so bad about the film. I enjoyed it very much. I didn't think Danial Craig was wooden at all. Harrison was ok, neither great or bad in the roll. But, I agree with Keith in that the Indians were not real believable. I thought the aliens were scary enough brutes. All in all, I didn't feel I wasted my money seeing it in the theater.

    Mark

    "I couldn't go to sleep at night if the director didn't call 'cut'. "

  • "Cowboys And Aliens" (2011)
    -Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford


    plot :
    A 19th century gunslinger unites townspeople, outlaws, and a band of Apache warriors against an extraterrestrial threat.


    Phantoms Review: I love this movie. Yes, it's goofy as hell, but it's supposed to be. A fun action packed sci-fi western.
    Harrison Ford and Daniel Craig make very charismatic western heroes.
    It's definitely not for everyone, but I like it. :)

    They'd never forget the day,the stranger rode into town