In a summer where the blockbusters have been wildly varied--I'm talking about a scale from Pirates of the Caribbean to Super 8--Cowboys & Aliens is slightly on the higher end...but not by much. 

The Jon Favreau-directed flick isn't anywhere near as good as it should be, especially with the Iron Man director, Steven Spielberg producing, and the addition of both Indiana Jones and James Bond, but it's just not. It's not terrible, mind you, but it's just merely meh. Which is almost as disappointing as a truly awful movie since I actually had fairly high hopes for Cowboys & Aliens. I mean, with the formula I just described above, how could it go wrong?

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Cowboys & Aliens starts off well enough: with a bloody and bruised Daniel Craig waking up in the New Mexico desert with a weird bracelet clamped to his wrist. Soon a band of scalpers descend on him, and he promptly beats the shit out of them, steals their clothes and horses, and then rides into town, where he also beats the shit out of Colonel Dolarhyde's (Harrison Ford), the ruler of the town, son. Craig's character then realizes he's a wanted man who has no recollection of his name or past discretions. 

It is this setup for the true action of the film, the alien attack, that is definitely the best part of the story. There are some great fight sequences with Craig being a serious badass, as well as Ford showing off his gruffness. But once the aliens attack, the wonderful Western film we were watching turns into a sorta-mangled mess. Again, it's not that it's bad, it's just not the great film you might have expected. 

Eventually aliens attack and steal the town's people, and Ford and Craig's characters must set aside their differences to help get them back. Along for the ride is the mysterious Ella (Olivia Wilde) and the saloon owner (Sam Rockwell). 

My problem with Cowboys & Aliens is that the initial exposition was so enriching for me with all these characters developing and story unfolding, but once the ragtag team tracks the aliens, the movie gets kinda boring in spots, and it can't fulfill its initial promise. Plus, I noticed myself trying to nitpick the film: "Why are Daniel Craig's teeth so white?" "Are Olivia Wilde's eyebrows typical Western eyebrows?" "Why is Sam Rockwell doing nothing?!" The plot is merely a collection of random encounters strung together into a final battle. 

There are two saving graces for Cowboys & Aliens, though: Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford. The two actors really throw themselves into the not-so-awesome material and are huge badasses in the film. Craig is the perfect amount of stoic and slightly caring, and Ford shows off his grumpy, old man skills. And they both look good doing it. However, Olivia Wilde is merely an accessory to the film (isn't she always?), and Sam Rockwell is completely wasted here. I'm sorry, but if you go through the trouble of hiring effing Sam Rockwell, one of the best character actors of his day, you use him properly. 

Cowboys & Aliens feels a little off, and it's a film that should marry its two genres seamlessly. Although it has some good moments and some top-notch actors, the film doesn't live up to its full potential. While it's not one of the shittiest of movies this summer, I almost doubt you'll even remember seeing it come this time next year. 'Tis a shame. 

--Darcie Duttweiler