Cowboys Vs Aliens

[Merusk]

So according to an intervew with Favreau I heard on NPR this is supposed to closely follow the old school western formula and just replace "Indians" with "Aliens" (get it. ha.)  How'd it do on that front?

I'm surprised it even tied Smurfs, since Smurfs is a Family movie and this just looked too out there for folks to glom on to.

[WindupAtheist]

Smurfs was some derpydoo shit starring a TV actor, C&A was a $160 million would-be blockbuster. This is not good news for them.

[Hawkbit]

We had a rare weekend without the kid, so we went to the movies to see HP7-2, had to wait 90 minutes for the next one and just said 'fuck it'.  We rarely go to the movies anymore because of, well, the other people.  I just find movie going to be a challenging experience anymore.  Don't fuck with your phone, don't bring a 1yr old to an R rated flick and don't fucking talk during it.  I don't understand why that's so difficult.

Anyways, every single person coming in the theatre was going to see Smurfs, and my kid saw it with the grandparents, too.  I liked the look of C&A, but I'll have to catch it on Netflix in a year now.  Along with HP7.5 now. 

[fuser]

I'm boggled it cost $160mil to make. There was some great CG in there but the set pieces were smaller and in less scale then say Deadwood, everything was framed close and not a huge amount of extra's.

Oh well, really enjoyed it. After 5mins of Skyline I wanted every character to die a horrible gruesome death, the characters in C&A actually had some thought behind them.

[pxib]

The weirdest Cowboys & Aliens tie-in.

Freddie Wong is famous for his zero-budget special effects spectaculars. Functionally he (and the stuntmen involved) are advertising their own Hollywood businesses. Watch the making-of linked at the end of the clip for a clue on why it costs $160 million to make movies for a studio.

[Sand]

Saw it. Liked it a lot. Craig playing the taciturn badass is nothing new and he does it as well as he does anywhere else. Ford's character is much more nuanced than I thought he'd be and well... Olivia Wilde.

100%  agreed. Everything Sucker Punch was not, a really really good guys summer action blockbuster.
Indians, cowboys and fucking aliens!

Harrison Ford was awesome!  

[WindupAtheist]

Isn't it funny how everytime I hear some variation of "Cowboys, ninjas, and zombies in the same movie? What more could you want?!" coming from some geek, the movie in question ends up being a giant fucking flop? It's almost like everyone isn't six years old.

[Malakili]

Isn't it funny how everytime I hear some variation of "Cowboys, ninjas, and zombies in the same movie? What more could you want?!" coming from some geek, the movie in question ends up being a giant fucking flop? It's almost like everyone isn't six years old.

Because its only a good idea until you have to actually shell out cash to see it.  I'd totally see this movie for free.

[Mazakiel]

Saw it this weekend.  The GF liked it, but I was pretty underwhelmed by it. 

[Sand]

Isn't it funny how everytime I hear some variation of "Cowboys, ninjas, and zombies in the same movie? What more could you want?!" coming from some geek, the movie in question ends up being a giant fucking flop? It's almost like everyone isn't six years old.

Because its only a good idea until you have to actually shell out cash to see it.  I'd totally see this movie for free.

Its worth the cash.

[UnSub]

Isn't it funny how everytime I hear some variation of "Cowboys, ninjas, and zombies in the same movie? What more could you want?!" coming from some geek, the movie in question ends up being a giant fucking flop? It's almost like everyone isn't six years old.

Because nerds get excited over the, "Wouldn't it be awesome if..." and are then dismayed when it isn't. We drown in our own in-jokes.

"Cowboys and Aliens" deserves to flop on the grounds it was the most cynically designed idea - it pretty much was written based on a fake movie poster and then the system gamed so that the IP owner got a pay day.

[Surlyboi]

Says the guy that didn't see it.

[UnSub]

Says the guy that didn't see it.

Me seeing it or not (and it doesn't open in Australia until the 18th anyway) doesn't change the truth about what I said.

[Surlyboi]

Doesn't change the truth, but it doesn't make you right either.

[Mrbloodworth]

Isn't it funny how everytime I hear some variation of "Cowboys, ninjas, and zombies in the same movie? What more could you want?!" coming from some geek, the movie in question ends up being a giant fucking flop? It's almost like everyone isn't six years old.

With a title like Cowboys and Aliens, one would not expect some serious attempt at being a western. That's why I did not find it very likeable. It was also a bad western, but they hit all the "must have scenes" even if it was completely retarded to do so ( looking at you, jump on space ship guy ).

As a western, it was one of the most cookie cutter westerns I have ever seen. As a sci-fi flick, its was just lacking.

Skyline WAS a better movie if you like Sci-Fi ( Even campy sci-fi ).

[Surlyboi]

I love science fiction, Skyiine was lacking in so many ways in that category. It was an SFX movie with no soul.

[Mazakiel]

I didn't like Cowboys and Aliens, but to compare it to Skyline is a bit low.  Cowboys and Aliens was a bit dull and too by the numbers, but I didn't regret seeing it or anything.  I watched Skyline for free at a friend's house, and still managed to feel ripped off. 

[Merusk]

Isn't it funny how everytime I hear some variation of "Cowboys, ninjas, and zombies in the same movie? What more could you want?!" coming from some geek, the movie in question ends up being a giant fucking flop? It's almost like everyone isn't six years old.

With a title like Cowboys and Aliens, one would not expect some serious attempt at being a western. That's why I did not find it very likeable. It was also a bad western, but they hit all the "must have scenes" even if it was completely retarded to do so ( looking at you, jump on space ship guy ).

From the Farverau interview, you can blame that particular flaw right on Stepen Spielberg's shoulders.  He had a meeting and lectured Farverau and the writers on all the necessary plot points, character arcs and inclusions in a western, and listed that one specifically.

Steve is apparently a REALLY BIG western fan.  Look at this as another piece of fan-fiction but with a really huge budget.

[Teleku]

Isn't it funny how everytime I hear some variation of "Cowboys, ninjas, and zombies in the same movie? What more could you want?!" coming from some geek, the movie in question ends up being a giant fucking flop? It's almost like everyone isn't six years old.

Because nerds get excited over the, "Wouldn't it be awesome if..." and are then dismayed when it isn't. We drown in our own in-jokes.

"Cowboys and Aliens" deserves to flop on the grounds it was the most cynically designed idea - it pretty much was written based on a fake movie poster and then the system gamed so that the IP owner got a pay day.

Err, isn't this a film adaptation of a comic book that came out several years back?

[HaemishM]

Err, isn't this a film adaptation of a comic book that came out several years back?

^ This. ^

[Mrbloodworth]

I love science fiction, Skyiine was lacking in so many ways in that category. It was an SFX movie with no soul.

Skyline was a fun romp with some great visuals and action, I also really liked the ending. Who said sci-fi needed a soul?

[Margalis]

Err, isn't this a film adaptation of a comic book that came out several years back?

The movie has actually been in development since the late 90s.

[Teleku]

Ah, interesting, just read the wiki.  So they came up with the idea of the graphic novel, then pitched it for a movie as well.  Both projects went forward, but the film got canned.  The comic came out in 2006, and then the rights to the movie where bought by another studio, who then adapted the comic into the film we have now.  Crazy.

Also, Robert Downey Jr. almost stared in it, heh.

[Khaldun]

I think this is a key point: if you do a genre mash-up, you can't have the product be a lesser example of BOTH genres. It's got to be a beautiful hybrid in its own right, a weird thing. Firefly and Wild, Wild West (series, NOT movie) would be good examples of Western-SF mashups that were quirky enough in their own right to achieve escape velocity.

[Evildrider]

So when does Dinosaurs vs Ninjas come out?   

[UnSub]

Err, isn't this a film adaptation of a comic book that came out several years back?

^ This. ^

Kinda sorta. It was almost a pure pitch until the movie entered development hell, then the author gamed the system to get a 'best selling graphic novel' that in turn got the movie back on track.

[Abagadro]

I think this is a key point: if you do a genre mash-up, you can't have the product be a lesser example of BOTH genres. It's got to be a beautiful hybrid in its own right, a weird thing. Firefly and Wild, Wild West (series, NOT movie) would be good examples of Western-SF mashups that were quirky enough in their own right to achieve escape velocity.

Don't forget Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.!

[Khaldun]

I think this is a key point: if you do a genre mash-up, you can't have the product be a lesser example of BOTH genres. It's got to be a beautiful hybrid in its own right, a weird thing. Firefly and Wild, Wild West (series, NOT movie) would be good examples of Western-SF mashups that were quirky enough in their own right to achieve escape velocity.

Don't forget Adventures of Brisco County, Jr.!

Oh hella yeah. There's a show that really deserved more seasons.

[Riggswolfe]

Isn't it funny how everytime I hear some variation of "Cowboys, ninjas, and zombies in the same movie? What more could you want?!" coming from some geek, the movie in question ends up being a giant fucking flop? It's almost like everyone isn't six years old.

The guys who love that stuff are a relatively small part of the populace and also increasingly relatively picky. Sure, they forgive some things because they're sacred cows to them (transformers, star wars) but are quite picky about non-IP movies.

[shiznitz]

I enjoyed this movie on Saturday, but it had a few issues so I see why it didn't do better.  I got excited at first that Harrison Ford was going to be a nasty character, but then, of course, that couldn't happen...

[Slyfeind]

I think this is a key point: if you do a genre mash-up, you can't have the product be a lesser example of BOTH genres. It's got to be a beautiful hybrid in its own right, a weird thing. Firefly and Wild, Wild West (series, NOT movie) would be good examples of Western-SF mashups that were quirky enough in their own right to achieve escape velocity.

Woah. I never realized the Wild Wild West series was a mash-up. I guess I was too young to notice. Now after reading about it, I kinda wanna see it....

[Mattemeo]

Skyline WAS a better movie if you like Sci-Fi ( Even campy sci-fi ).

WAT

Skyline was a fun romp with some great visuals and action, I also really liked the ending. Who said sci-fi needed a soul?

WAT

Skyline was an inexcusable, wholly derivative and utterly umeritable anal leak of sci-fi. It wasn't even camp. It didn't have the wits to be camp. Calling it soulless would be entirely redundant; it was a quick flash cash-in by a couple of FX nerds with absolutely no fucking idea how to make a movie during production down-time on another shit-house sci-fi blockbuster (Battle: Los Angeles). Skyline currently ranks at #1 on my list of the 5 worst sci-fi/fantasy movies I've paid to see:

1: Skyline
2: Chronicles of Riddick
3: Aliens vs Predator
4: Dungeons & Dragons
5: Daybreakers

with a special mention for Mutant Chronicles, which while I actually marginally enjoyed, still made me want my money back.

[Mattemeo]

Oh, and the post I actually meant to write before I had an opinion freakout;

Really rather liked Cowboys and Aliens. It was hokey, and it was ok with that, and went with it. It's very much a hybrid movie so expecting the best of both genres present was always going to lead to disappointment; that said I was cautious going in and felt that Favreau did a good job of easing me in with the nice, gritty intro scene and the classic western build-up.

Daniel Craig is really fucking intense throughout the whole film. If it was another actor I don't think I could have taken the character remotely seriously but Craig has such an assuredness about him that he lets the comedy of the situations roll around him without demeaning the character. It's pretty much as if every one of the townsfolk understand how crazy the situation is but flocks around the rock of Jake.

As others have said in this thread, I could have done without the jumping-on-the-alien-jet beat, but knowing it's a Speilberg-suggested trope I can let it slide a little.

Also, Clancy Brown. CLANCY BROWN. More films need Clancy Brown.


and more naked Olivia Wilde.

[DraconianOne]

Also, Clancy Brown. CLANCY BROWN. More films need Clancy Brown.

Yes. Watch The Burrowers. It's a mediocre creature feature (and a western) but he's in it and raises overall quality of film.

Also, he should have been Judge Dredd (and I will continue to say that every time his name comes up in conversation.)

[Sand]

Oh, and the post I actually meant to write before I had an opinion freakout;

Also, Clancy Brown. CLANCY BROWN. More films need Clancy Brown.

At last. The gathering.