Jack and I had a lot of fun at this over-the-top high-concept movie that is exactly what it says. There's a lot of testosterone, violence, and explosions; plenty of laughs; magnificent photography; a wonderful soundtrack; and Daniel Craig's physique perfectly framed in his trousers, chaps, and vest, just to name a few aspects one or both of us liked (see if you can guess who). We don't get why the haters (critics 45%, audiences 55% on rottentomatoes) are making such a fuss and taking this parody way too seriously. Sure, five credited writers (and a story by two of them plus one more) can signal trouble (in such cases there have been more writers whose names didn't make their ways to the screen), but this isn't supposed to be high-brow! It's cowboys and aliens, people, lighten up. Seventeen producers (beginning with Steven Spielberg, including director Jon Favreau, Ron Howard, his business partner Brian Grazer, and the three writers who aren't credited with the story) no longer sets a record, because that's held by Get Low with twenty-three. Released about six weeks after Spielberg's Falling Skies TV series began, there are some similarities, including various sticky things.
The cast is also huge. Apparently, after Robert Downey Jr. dropped out as the lead, Jake, Craig (I wrote about him in Defiance, he's James Bond in Quantum of Solace and others, and soon to be seen as Mikael Blomqvist in the Dragon Tattoo remakes) was chosen for his cursory resemblance to Steve McQueen, a consummate cowboy, though I don't think McQueen pursed his lips like that. Harrison Ford (hard to pick my favorites but I'll go with American Graffiti (1973), Star Wars IV-V (1977 and 80), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), Blade Runner (1982), Witness (1985), The Mosquito Coast (1986), Working Girl (1988), Regarding Henry (1991), and The Fugitive (1993)) as Dolarhyde delivers his many funny lines completely straight, and both Craig and Ford look completely comfortable riding horses. In fact, Ford told Dave Letterman he liked his horse from this movie so much, he bought it after the show wrapped. Paul Dano (after I wrote about him in Taking Woodstock he was in Meek's Cutoff) is powerfully pathetic as Percy, Jodi's hero Clancy Brown (of his 187 credits, many are voiceovers and TV, he was in The Shawshank Redemption (1994) and The Informant!, to name two) is a bit earnest, but his character is the preacher Meachum who is expected to teach 'em, Keith Carradine (my faves are Nashville (1975), Welcome to L.A. (1976), Choose Me (1984), Trouble in Mind (1985), The Moderns (1988), Mrs. Parker and the Vicious Circle (1994), 2 Days in the Valley (1996) (those seven are among my favorite movies of all time!), and his series arc on Dexter as Special Agent Lundy) is Sheriff Taggart, Sam Rockwell (after I wrote about him in Moon he was in Iron Man 2) has some comic moments as Doc and three women have lines: Olivia Wilde (she took a few months off from House to shoot this) has the most as Ella (that woman really needs a cheeseburger), Ana de la Reguera only has a few as Doc's wife, and Abigail Spencer (the schoolteacher in Mad Men) is the woman in Jake's dream. Favreau, now known as director of both Iron Man movies, is gaining experience in this campy violence genre. I wrote about cinematographer Matthew Libatique for his Oscar-nominated work on Black Swan, and here the daytime desert shots, especially, are breathtaking.
The thrilling music is by Harry Gregson-Williams, who co-scored Chicken Run (2000) and The Town, and by himself composed for Phone Booth (2002), Gone Baby Gone (2007), Unstoppable, and many others. As I write this I am playing in the background the entire soundtrack, available on itunes and other places, starting with this youtube link and proceeding numerically to the last track (17). Jack also thought he recognized a Civil War tune, Just Before the Battle, Mother, played by a saloon piano player, but no list of songs was in the credits.
To summarize: this is a popcorn flick full of action, violence, loud noises, and improbable juxtapositions. If you hate that stuff, you'll hate this. If you like it, we think you might enjoy yourself.
This is the 400th movie about which I've written on babetteflix in three years minus twelve days. I have three more in draft mode and will get to them eventually. Be patient!
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