Cowboys and Aliens

Directed by: Jon Favreau

Written by:

- Screenplay: Robert Orci, Alex Kurtzman, Damon Lindelof, Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby

- Screen story: Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby, Steve Oedekerk

- Comic book: Scott Mitchell Rosenberg

There are few things that capture the pre-adolescent male mind more than cowboys. One of those things, though, may be aliens. Jon Favreau asks: why not both?

Jake Lonergan (Craig) awakens in the New Mexico desert with no memory of his past and a strange metal bracelet attached to his wrist. He wanders into the nearest town to try to put the pieces together, only to see aliens abduct several people of the city. With the help of Doc (Rockwell), the lovely but mysterious Ella Swenson (Wilde), and Woodrow "biggest cattle rancher in town" Dolarhyde (Ford), Lonergan chases after the aliens to rescue the missing people.

Favreau's film attempts to balance the tropes of both the western ("Cowboys") and science fiction ("Aliens") genres. The exposition draws on western film tradition - a lone gunman wanders into town and upsets the status quo - while also remaining fresh and original. The resolution is also gleaned from past westerns, although it slips slightly into the cliché. In fact, the whole plot culls from the annuls of the great American western film tradition. But, the action and effects - which make up a significant chunk of the screen time - are totally science fiction. It's amazing how the two styles were sewn together almost seamlessly.

The actors were, generally speaking, great for their roles. Sam Rockwell felt out of place for the first half of the film, although that may have had more to do with his character than with his performance. Olivia Wilde's character - and the fact that no one in town noticed her presence - also struck a false chord, although (without spoiling anything) it does get explained away later in the film. Craig and Ford were both top-notch and it was good to see Ford back in the action genre.

The special effects were good, but they were not outstanding. I was not blown away by any sequences in the film, which I had been expecting. On that end, I was disappointed. I was hoping for at least one earth-shattering effect, but, alas.

In general, kudos to Jon Favreau for making a pretty wonderful film. It gave exactly what it advertised - "Cowboys and Aliens" - and even a little more than I expected.

Iron Man 2

Directed by: Jon Favreau

Written by: Justin Theroux

To say that the original "Iron Man" knocked me off my socks off would be an understatement. It was as near to a perfect comic book movie as has ever been made. For the sequel, director Jon Favreau returned and brought most of the stellar cast back with him. (Except for the strange case of replacing Terrance Howard with Don Cheadle, which has been well documented and debated elsewhere.)

This film picks up a little while after the original left off. Tony Stark's Iron Man (Downy) persona is causing a bit of consternation in Congress by avoiding government regulation. Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, Ivan Vanko (Rourke) finds out that some of his father's inventions may have been stolen by Stark's father - and so, of course, he vows revenge. Taking the form of the villain Whiplash, Vanko reveals to the world the dangers of relying on Iron Man alone to protect them. Stark's rival Justin Hammer (Rockwell) attempts to take advantage of Stark's weakened business position by hiring Vanko to develop technology to rival the Iron Man suit. As all these rivalries, vendettas, and machinery collide, danger and explosions ensue.

Similar to the first film, the strengths of "Iron Man 2" lie in amazing visual effects and action sequences and the powerful ensemble cast. The action in this film is basically non-stop from beginning to end. There are only a handful of moments in which the audience can catch their breath. The action is incredibly gripping, though, and manages to push the plot forward without becoming tedious. The action is also pretty well mixed - the scenes of CGI machines fighting it out are balanced well with a some sequences involving live actors (if still digitally enhanced).

The supporting cast is another strong point for the film, including Paltrow and Favreau. A few new characters - such as Justin Hammer and Black Widow (Johansson) - also add to the mix. If anything, the supporting cast could have used a little more screen time. I've never seen a comic book movie in which the secondary characters are so successful at being simultaneously believable (without being overly dramatic) and light (without hamming it up).

This film falls short of the original, though. Mainly, it was missing the heart that fueled the original. The first film had a sense of wonder and awe while remaining fun. The sequel, though, had a darker tone and the fun was replaced by much more destructive action sequences. Pound for pound, the original was better - though what makes it superior is completely intangible.

Still, I enjoyed this movie, and recommend it if you enjoyed the first.