Pass the Popcorn: Cowboys & Aliens

Cowboys & Aliens asks the question, "what would happen if aliens decided to invade earth during our past instead of the near future?" Once you get past the title, the movie actually plays pretty straight and is better for it. The story starts off as Daniel Craig's character wakes up not remembering who he is or why there's a metal bracelet attached to his wrist. Of course, we quickly find out that's he's a badass, which leads to western standoffs and alien attacks. He slowly gets pieces of his memory back as the story unfolds.

All in all, it was a good time. It made me realize that Harrison Ford is a much better supporting actor than a star these days while Sam Rockwell always delivers a solid performance. There were a couple of plot points that were unnecessary, which muddled up the flow of the movie. And there were also some kumbaya moments that really felt cheesy. But what can you really expect from an alien western.

If you don't expect too much, you'll be rewarded with a popcorn flick that puts a new spin on a retread story. If you're expecting the next Aliens, then maybe you should just skip this one.