Common Sense Media Review
By Sandie Angulo Chen
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Cool but predictable sci-fi Western has lots of violence.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
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Cowboys & Aliens
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 25 parent reviews
Based on 52 kid reviews
Kids say that this film, while noteworthy for its sci-fi western blend, suffers from excessive violence and a lackluster plot, resulting in mixed reviews. Some praise its action sequences and visual effects, but many find it boring or inappropriate for younger viewers, emphasizing that it is better suited for teens and adults due to its graphic content.
- violence excessive
- praises visual effects
- suits older teens
- boring plot
- mixed viewer reviews
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
Based on Scott Mitchell Rosenberg's graphic novel, COWBOYS & ALIENS opens with an unnamed man (Daniel Craig) sitting in the desert with a mysterious bracelet cuffed to his wrist. After felling three men who think he's good for bounty, the lone cowboy appears in a sleepy 19th-century Arizona town, where he encounters a kind preacher (Clancy Brown) and enrages Percy (Paul Dano), a drunken bully who's the son of local cattleman Col. Dolarhyde (Harrison Ford). When the local sheriff (Keith Carradine) discovers that Craig is actually Jake Lonergan, a wanted criminal, he arrests him. Then aliens attack the town and kidnap many residents -- including Percy, the sheriff, and the saloon owner's wife. To stop the invasion, Jake teams up with Dolarhyde; his Native American deputy, Nat (Adam Beach); the sheriff's grandson, Emmett (Noah Ringer); Doc (Sam Rockwell), the barman; and Ella (Olivia Wilde), a beautiful, gun-toting woman who knows more about the aliens than anyone else.
Is It Any Good?
Craig buzzes with a simmering intensity that can turn into a swashbuckling boil at any moment. With his sharp features and broad shoulders, he transforms from brooding loner into a relentless warrior every single time he's threatened -- from the opening scene to the last alien he dispatches. But as promising as the movie starts -- with Craig's amnesiac, wounded gunslinger stealing clothes (including tight-fitting leather chaps) off his rivals and galloping into town -- the middle is a muddle of alien carnage and incomplete plot development that leaves you dissatisfied no matter how exciting it is to watch Craig and Ford share the screen.
Ford, no longer dashing and young, is now the perfect curmudgeon; his Dolarhyde is a meanie with a soft spot for his ne'er-do-well son. Beach is earnest as Ford's underappreciated charge-turned-employee, but the Native American subplot in the second half feels a bit Dances with Wolves without any heart. Wilde is appropriately gorgeous as the enigmatic Ella, but her romance with Jake is far too predictable. If director Jon Favreau had paid as much attention to the story as he did the fighting sequences, Cowboys & Aliens could have been a milestone instead of just another passably cool summer movie.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the merging of the two genres. Which aspect worked better -- the Western or the sci-fi parts?
How was the violence handled in the movie? Was there too much, or was it necessary to the story?
When you see actors in a movie, do you think about the other parts they've played in the past? How does that affect the way you react to them and their actions?
Movie Details
- In theaters : July 29, 2011
- On DVD or streaming : December 6, 2011
- Cast : Daniel Craig , Harrison Ford , Olivia Wilde
- Director : Jon Favreau
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Universal Studios
- Genre : Action/Adventure
- Topics : Adventures , Aliens , Transportation ( Cars & Trucks ) , Friendship , Animals ( Horses ) , STEM ( Science ) , Space , Travel , History ( War: Other )
- Run time : 118 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : intense sequences of western and sci-fi action and violence, some partial nudity and a brief crude reference
- Last updated : September 5, 2025
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