Space Cowboys Reviews

Like many other movies directed by Clint Eastwood, it has been a while since I have see this one and I will probably re-watch it at some point. Before making back-top-back all those heavy dramas (some people have actually criticized him of making nowadays some obvious Oscar bait every time around), Clint Eastwood used to mix it a little bit more in the past, making also some features easier to digest. This movie is a perfect example. Indeed, it was obviously nothing amazing but it was never supposed to be a major game-changer, it was supposed to be a rather light feature and and it was definitely pretty entertaining. The cast (one of the best Eastwood ever had, including Eastwood himself, Tommy Lee Jones, Donald Sutherland, James Garner, James Cromwell, Marcia Gay Harden) obviously had a blast making this and I had a fairly good time watching this. Still, with such great actors involved, it was still a little bit frustrating that they didn't get something a little more substantial to chew on. To conclude, the whole thing was rather harmless but also really forgettable, I'm afraid, but like everything else directed by Clint Eastwood, it is still definitely worth a look.

"I can't fill up a space shuttle with geriatrics!"

Trust Clint Eastwood to step up to the challenge of directing a space-based adventure movie in the shadow of moronic films like Armageddon and Battlefield Earth. Although imperfect, 2000's Space Cowboys is a consistently engaging and humorous drama-comedy with likeable characters, and it eschews the insulting idiocy of similar Hollywood pictures. Additionally, with the cast including such seasoned, charismatic screen legends as Clint Eastwood, Tommy Lee Jones, Donald Sutherland and James Garner, Space Cowboys is immediately in a classy league of its own. One must admit, however, that this is a curious entry to Eastwood's esteemed filmography. During his long and prolific career as an actor, producer and director, Eastwood dabbled in several genres ranging from westerns to mysteries and war movies. But with Space Cowboys, Eastwood is overseeing a production involving extensive special effects and scenes set in zero gravity.

In 1958, the four men of Team Daedalus - Frank Corvin (Clint Eastwood), Hawk Hawkins (Tommy Lee Jones), Tank Sullivan (James Garner) and Jerry O'Neill (Donald Sutherland) - were the best that the American Air Force had to offer, and they were shaping up to be the first Americans in space. However, with the United States government creating NASA, the high-ranking Bob Gerson (James Cromwell) replaces the hopeful Team Daedalus with a chimpanzee. Years later, in the late 1990s, a Russian communication satellite begins losing altitude and threatens to plummet to Earth. NASA agrees to help the Soviets, but NASA engineers cannot understand the satellite's dated guidance system from the 1960s. Unfortunately for Gerson, his only hope is to recruit the system's creator, Frank Corvin, who is now a senior citizen. Frank, who still despises Gerson, only agrees to help on one condition: that he and the other guys from the former Team Daedalus can travel into space to repair the satellite.

A light-hearted, feel-good boy's movie, Space Cowboys is a convincing home run. Written by Ken Kaufman and Howard Klausner, it is entertaining and enjoyable, with an interesting story that translates to something engrossing and well-paced in Eastwood's trustworthy hands. Although the movie is primarily a drama, there is ample humour, and Eastwood handles the material with a deft hand. By endowing every character - even the supporting roles - with strong personalities, witty humour flows from their interactions without descending into self-parody. Even more surprisingly, Eastwood and the screenwriters take the story beyond the comedic to include moments of drama and tragedy, which is incredibly effective.

With a hefty 130-minute runtime, Eastwood wisely devotes the first two-thirds of Space Cowboys to setting up the characters and the story. Before the characters blast off into space and, consequently, into the possibility of danger, we have the opportunity to genuinely get to know the guys and grow to like them, warts and all. The character development is unhurried and compelling, thanks to the witty writing and the impeccable cast of screen legends. Eastwood clearly understands that action movies are more exciting and engaging if audiences care about the characters. With that said, though, a few clichéd storytelling fragments do not entirely gel, such as a barroom brawl that arises due to the clichéd hostility between Frank and Hawk. However, these shortcomings barely matter since the sense of fun never wanes. Thankfully, too, the final act is consistently gripping once the action shifts into outer space.

Those expecting Space Cowboys to incorporate aliens, space warfare, or large-scale battles should look elsewhere for entertainment, as Eastwood's film is closer in tone to Apollo 13 - it's a drama that is more about the characters than the spectacle. Space Cowboys also demonstrates that such a film can be intense and nail-biting if something goes wrong in space, and that is what happens to fuel the movie's climactic moments. Superficially, the film shares similarities to Armageddon, as it likewise involves several oddball characters going into space to stop a disaster. But the similarities end there, as Space Cowboys confidently surpasses the Michael Bay-directed film due to its quieter tone, more likeable characters, and a firm refusal to become an overblown, brainless blockbuster. NASA even consulted on the production to enhance the film's authenticity, allowing everything to feel real and plausible instead of overtly Hollywoodised. It helps that the visual effects by Industrial Light and Magic are stunning, vividly bringing the space scenes to life through old-school miniatures, enormous sets and digital doubles. Plus, with cinematographer Jack N. Green capturing the action on 35mm film, the picture carries a tangible, old-school appearance instead of a glossy digital look. Over two decades later, the illusion effortlessly stands up.

Most of the fun of Space Cowboys derives from watching the leads in their autumnal years playing geriatric space jockeys and bantering with one another. All four leads are charismatic and comforting to watch, and we can quickly grow to like these guys. Even though Eastwood also produced and directed the film, this is not an ego trip for him, with the other guys receiving plenty of quality script material to work with. Tommy Lee Jones, James Garner and Donald Sutherland all score most of the laughs and get a large majority of the side-splitting one-liners, and Jones is the one who gets the girl in the end. The sense of camaraderie within the group and the chemistry they share is tangible and charming; as a result, it is pleasant to spend time in their company for two hours. Even the supporting cast is outstanding, with actors like James Cromwell, Marcia Gay Harden and William Devane bringing their A-game to the table here. The picture commences with a black-and-white prologue featuring younger versions of Gersen and Team Daedalus, and the actors share an adequate resemblance to their older counterparts, but less effective is the decision to dub the actors with the voices of Eastwood, Jones, Garner, Sutherland and Cromwell. The voices sound distinctly older, and the resulting audiovisual dissonance is strange.

Curmudgeons and cynical movie-goers could probably find things to complain about since the storytelling is not devoid of clichés, the film does take liberties with science, and it's not exactly groundbreaking cinema. Yet, it all adds up to a fun time, and the joy of Space Cowboys is spending quality time with charismatic actors who work well together and easily score laughs. With an engaging story, several humorous moments, a pulse-pounding climax, and a heartwarming outlook on life, Space Cowboys is top-notch family-friendly filmmaking.

7.9/10