Is "Cowboys & Aliens" An Out Of This World Thriller?

In the spring, I wrote a summer film preview, which said that, “there's always that one movie each summer, which could either be innovative, inventive and entertaining, or ridiculous, laughable schlock.” The film I was writing about was “Cowboys & Aliens,” a far-fetched action blockbuster that opened Friday.

Sounding like a game you made up with your friends at recess, “Cowboys & Aliens” tells the story of Jake Lonergan (a perfectly cast Daniel Craig), a dusty, stoic cowboy who finds himself in an unknown dessert, with no knowledge of his past, how he got there, or why there is a strange, futuristic bracelet on his wrist.

He stumbles into the Wild West town of Absolution, populated by a "Who's Who" of western stock characters: there’s Doc (the under-appreciated Sam Rockwell), Sherriff Taggart (Keith Carradine), the mysterious and beautiful Ella (Olivia Wilde) and, of course, Colonel Woodrow Dolarhyde (Harrison Ford, playing a character firmly in his wheelhouse), the gruff businessman who rules the town with an iron fist.

Much to his surprise, Lonergan finds out he is wanted for a host of crimes, including theft and murder. He just doesn’t remember if he’s guilty or not. Before he is taken into custody though, a giant spaceship invades the town, blowing things up and kidnapping several locals.

Trying to save their friends and family, Colonel Dolarhyde forms a gang to track down the extraterrestrials and, because of his mysterious alien wristband, Lonergan joins them. Along the way, they must deal with bandits and Indians, who believe the white men are responsible for the “demons” in the sky.

I must admit that I enjoyed “Cowboys & Aliens” quite a lot, actually.  The ensemble cast is strong, the action sequences exciting and the tonal homages to John Wayne-esque movies is lovingly prepared and pretty spot-on. It is, for lack of a better word, a damn entertaining film.

That’s all good and true, but does the combination of sci-fi and western genres really work? Sometimes, but it often feels forced and shoehorned. Is it paced somewhat unevenly? Yes, some parts lag while others speed by. Is the character development skin-deep at best? Absolutely. Does it fall into the trap of using many typical western and alien movie clichés? It sure does, unapologetically so.

I should gripe about these things, this is a film critique after all, but I just can’t bring myself to do so. Not to repeat myself, but it’s a damn entertaining two hours. It has explosions, humor, immense battle scenes, beautiful women, great scenery, solid acting, and, of course, cowboys and aliens. What more can a guy ask for?

Is it high art? Of course not. But if you want to escape the scorching summer heat, grab a popcorn, a cold soda and get a ticket to see “Cowboys & Aliens,” a mindless summer action film which I thoroughly enjoyed.

What I'd see this week:

• For some adventure — “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2”/”Cowboys & Aliens”
• For some laughs — “Crazy, Stupid, Love"
• For the kids — “Winnie The Pooh”
• For something a little different — “Terri”