COWBOYS & ALIENS (2011)

I heard about Cowboys & Aliens via a friend after last year's Comic-Con. Then I slowly heard about it through the various media outlets. One of the coolest things I heard was that director Jon Favreau had refused to do it in 3-D. Finally, a director (a good director, too) had found his creative voice and stood up to the man. When I finally did see the trailer I was more or less intrigued. That was about six months ago. Somewhere between that point and now I lost the fond feelings I had for Cowboys & Aliens. I don't know what it was, but by the time I eventually saw the flick, I was more or less displeased by the lackluster story flashing before my eyes.

There's been a lot of talk about the mixing of two previously un-mixed genres - science fiction and western. Of course, fans of the Joss Whedon TV series Firefly will promptly (and justly) disagree. The mixing of those two genres was the basis for the 'space western' as Whedon called it. Only difference here is that it happens closer to home. What made me want to see it the most was the nice mystery element the trailers set up. It was less about 'Why are the aliens (or demons as they're called) here?' and more about 'Why does Daniel Craig have that cool little thingy attached to his wrist?'. Unfortunately, neither answer is as satisfying as you might like.

Aside from Daniel Craig's presence (Robert Downey Jr. was originally slated to be the lead), we also get appearences by Harrison Ford, Sam Rockwell and hottie Olivia Wilde (Tron Legacy). All of them do fine enough but I felt even their performances or roles were nothing to get excited about it. I felt very similarly when I was watching True Grit, a film this far too closely resembles. I kept on thinking 'So what?'. So what if this person dies, so what if that person gets hurt... and why the hell is that chick resurrecting out of the fire?! Yeah, that last one isn't True Grit, but whatever.

What I'm left wondering with Cowboys & Aliens is if the western genre is still alive and kicking? Is this a typical western movie? No, but western it still is. I always hope no genre is too dead to be brought back with a good movie, but the most recent good western I've seen is the animated Rango. At the very least it had the essence of the older western movies we all used to appreciate. Meanwhile, True Grit and Cowboys & Aliens exist for the wrong reasons in the wrong ways.

Cowboys & Aliens sadly gets a closed door. While I can appreciate the slight originality to it, I felt a lack of adventure and wonder. It's all very cool and ten years ago I would have loved this movie. Now though, it'll slip through the cracks and end up as a 'meh' movie when all is said and done. If you ask anybody about this film, you'll get a 'It's neat, but...' - and that's never a good response.

*Stills courtesy of Universal Pictures

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RANGO (2011)

Karma, karma, karma chameleon.

Johnny Depp is a weird guy - I mean that in the best of ways. We all know what he looks like when he's not in make-up as Jack Sparrow, Edward Scissorhands or The Mad Hatter. He seems very laid back and relaxed - yet he has this other side to him that allows him to pull off very unique and interesting performances. It's obvious why Tim Burton likes him and why Depp is today's go-to guy for the odd-ball characters that sometimes even land him an Oscar nomination. In something like Rango, it seems like Depp has once again successfully separated himself from the person he is off the screen and while you can recognize Rango's voice as Depp, it becomes very difficult to picture him saying the lines or if you've seen some of the behind-the-scenes footage - to see Depp acting the way he does while shooting.

Rango is about a pet lizard (a chameleon to be more exact) who has a passion for the theatre. Everything is just as he likes it until the car he's riding in the back of hits an armadillo in the middle of the desert and his glass tank flies out of his owner's car and he's left to fend for himself. That is until he finds the small town of Dirt - where apparently water shortage is an issue. Dirt is inhabited by all sorts of desert creatures - the most feared being a rattlesnake named Jake voiced by Bill Nighy (Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Hot Fuzz).

After saving the inhabitants of Dirt from a a vulture (or something like that), the mayor (Ned Beatty, Toy Story 3) makes Rango the town Sheriff. All is good for a while for Rango until he discovers a secret plot to control the town's water - in turn controlling the town's people.

In an age where animated movies tend to turn to pop culture references in order to relate to the audience (and get another laugh or two), Rango is extremely refreshing in its originality. Besides more or less playing on the western genre and using a perfectly-fitting Clint Eastwood reference, this film is a wholly unique piece of work with some of the most original tones and pacing I've seen in a long time - animated or otherwise. All the performances are top notch and you get some really funny moments. I'm inclined to say this is an animated films adults will enjoy more than perhaps the kids will - due to the quirky nature of the humour, the subtle jokes and the slower and more odd moments.

Rango gets an open door. I believe this is a film that will appreciate over time and find its way onto the shelves and into the hearts with other animated classics. If you don't like westerns on the other hand, this may not be entirely for you - even then, it's a stretch to say you wouldn't enjoy yourself. The animation with Rango is some of the best you're likely to see in a while. Pay close attention to the lighting, and the flavor this film has within it's vibrant style. Definitely one to enjoy while it's still on the big screen if you can.

*Stills courtesy of Paramount Pictures

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TRUE GRIT (2010)

As gritty as the trail to high adventure! -excerpt from the 1969 True Grit trailer.

As I sat there and watched True Grit the other night, I felt pleasantly involved. Hailee Steinfeld captivated me as the 14-year old star of the movie, Mattie Ross. Jeff Bridges and Matt Damon more often then not made me smirk with their banter, and the brief appearance of Josh Brolin (who plays Tom Chaney) was amusing. Yet, I am disappointed and in some ways, I feel ripped off.

True Grit is about a young girl named Mattie Ross who hires Rooster Cogburn (Bridges) to hunt down and bring to justice the man who killed her father - Tom Chaney. Accompanying Cogburn on his search is Texas Ranger LaBoeuf (Damon). The three head off into the wild west bound for adventure... sort of.

The film itself, while shot and produced beautifully (one wouldn't expect less from directors Joel and Ethan Cohen), starts off slow and didn't ever seem to pick up speed for me. Even the climactic moment at the end of the film felt more like a slight pick-me-up rather than the moment I was waiting for for the last ninety minutes . While one can't deny that the acting in True Grit is top notch, I often wondered if it would actually be enough to hold the film together. For the record, it is.

I aforementioned that I felt ripped off and it's because after seeing this remake of the 1969 John Wayne vehicle, I checked out the original. Much to my dismay, the remake was made nearly shot for shot - therefore making this new version moot. Creatively speaking, True Grit didn't need to exist as it does nothing for bringing new ideas to the table. More often than not remakes fall into the failed category because the people behind the film either rely too much on the source material and follow it exactly (Psycho [1998]), or they stray too far from it and it's even worse (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory [2005]). I expected more from the Cohens, but it's not the first time I was let down (Burn After Reading [2008]).

Despite this huge factor, though, I am giving True Grit an open door. It's still really well made and directed, and the actors and acting all create a very believable 19th century atmosphere. If you go in expecting a good movie, that's exactly what you'll get - good. Great on the other hand, is an entirely different thing.

*Stills courtesy of Paramount Pictures

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