Cowboys and Aliens on Blu-ray and DVD

Written by Jonathan Jacobs

Cowboys and Aliens is as American as apple pie (provided the apples in question are not imported from China and do not contain traces of melamine). Cowboys and Aliens go together like Harold and Maud, like Mr. Miagi and the Karate Kid, like liver and fava beans, and ironically like Cowboys and Indians. Before crossing the threshold ladies and gentlemen let me settle an argument, or a question. Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford make a fine pairing of the old and the new. Cowboys and Aliens provides pure enjoyment despite much of the slapstick and slapdash action sequences. Best of all, with Spielberg as the Executive Producer we are treated to excellent writing that is not without a modicum of intellectual dialogue. There are no "shits, fucks or you knows" that distract from this fantastic adventure, and irrespective of my colleagues' criticism, this is one to sit back and enjoy.

Five seconds into this picture it seemed rather obvious that the action would be unrelenting. Jake Lonergan (Daniel Craig) wakes up in the middle of the desert. He has suffered a massive abdominal laceration that has been somehow cauterized and he is wearing a metal bracelet of unknown origin. Three outlaw cowboys happen upon him fresh from awakening in a confused state. They attempt to subdue him but Jake quickly dismisses them with manly brutality that reminds me of John Wayne even more than John Wayne did. After showing sharp reflexes, he follows the beaten path and stumbles upon a remote desert town that is in the middle of a routine local raucous.

Percy Dolarhyde (Paul Dano) is busy attempting to intimidate the local townsmen despite being a completely spoiled wimp. He is allowed to act foolish because his father is a former Civil War commander, the legendary Woodrow Dolarhyde. General Dolarhyde knows a thing or two about combat and its bloodiness. Percy and Jake's paths cross in the middle of the younger man's temper tantrum. Percy accidentally shoots a sheriff's deputy while trying to strong-arm the much more inimical man. After his absolute blunder, Jake swiftly knees him in the groin and is quickly done with his antics.

These minor provocations and collisions bring about something far more confluent, more spectacular. Woodrow Dolarhyde rides forth to the small western town to rescue his son from criminal prosecution. Once there, the town is mercilessly attacked by a squadron of alien scouts that utilize grappling hooks to capture innocent victims. The aliens want to eradicate any resistance to be sure, but more so they want human subjects for experimentation. They seek to determine the homo sapiens' weaknesses to prepare for a future planet wide invasion. The elder Dolarhyde, Jake, the town's only woman Ella Swenson (Olivia Wilde) and a host of other contributing characters are all present during the alien onslaught. Percy and others are kidnapped and this makes for strange bedfellows. Together they decide to go on the offensive and take back their loved ones. Along the road to rescue, Jake begins remembering his true identity and how he came to possess the only effective weapon against the less vulnerable invaders. One crucial reason why the others chose the American Southwest was because of its rich supply of gold. Gold is the one element that powers their sophisticated technologies. It is their fossil fuel if you will.

Cowboys and Aliens takes itself only as serious as it needs to. The aliens move so swiftly and menacingly that they are almost laughable. The film is more suspenseful than frightening and more comedic than doleful. Ultimately, Jake and his former riders team with Dolarhyde and his followers as well as with the townspeople and a flock of Native American fighters that have also been ravaged by the extra terrestrials. In order to rescue their loved ones and to survive mass extinction everyone must work cohesively despite their widening differences.

Surprisingly, Cowboys and Aliens feels like a real Western, hell a Best Western if you prefer, though not as cheap. Daniel Craig learned to talk American for the film and that speaks volumes in and of itself. Harrison Ford is always a welcome addition and it seems that he is ageless when performing in action films. Action/Adventure movies have always been his bread and butter. Olivia Wilde's character may be essential to the storyline but she is forgettable aside from a hint of eroticism and a chiseled set of cheekbones. Paul Dano is truly a great stage performer. For those of you that religiously follow my columns, you will recall he starred in The Extra Man and played a feature role in Knight and Day alongside Tom Cruise. He conforms to any role be it a wimp, a weasel, a confused youth, etc. Overall, Spielberg hit the jackpot with this fresh and feverish summer thriller. It is jolly good fun for the whole family. If I may have one final word, however curmudgeonly, I would like to watch a Spielberg directed or influences film without E.T. evolving into a more villainous alien. I realize the world of CGI is changing but let's leave E.T. in the 80s where he can phone home using a payphone and not a Spring 4G Hotspot. Now, please read below for a list of the Blu-ray features.

Digital Copy of Cowboys & Aliens - Theatrical Version (expires 05/27/2012) 
Second Screen
Conversations with Jon Favreau
Igniting the Sky: The Making of Cowboys & Aliens
Feature Commentary with Director Jon Favreau
My Scenes
D-BOX
BD-Live
U-Control Picture In Picture
pocket BLU App