‘Cowboys & Aliens' World Premiere at San Diego

‘Cowboys & Aliens' World Premiere at San Diego

For the premiere of his new shoot-'em-up epic "Cowboys & Aliens", Jon Favreau presented a screening almost as big and bombastic as the movie itself, invading the San Diego Civic Theatre with a horde that included Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Olivia Wilde, Sam Rockwell, Steven Spielberg and Ron Howard, reported Reuters.

"Cowboys & Aliens" is pretty much summed up by the title -- despite its fantastical premise, this is an action flick, from head to tentacle. Based on the 2006 graphic novel by Scott Mitchell Rosenberg, the film (out July 29) stars Daniel Craig as Jake Lonegan, a robber with a past that's an enigma even to him, following an alien abduction that leaves him with a fuzzy memory and a mysterious bracelet on his wrist. After waking up and stumbling into a nearly-abandoned mining town, he finds himself joining with the local townsfolk to fend off an invasion of aliens intent on blowing the place up and abducting its remaining citizenry -- "Gunfight at the O.K. Corral" meets "Independence Day", in a nutshell.

It's not a film that will be lauded for its emotional complexity. But it does offer wall-to-wall action -- the first five minutes offer a shooting, a stabbing and a face-pummeling -- and it would be a visual feast even without the presence of Olivia Wilde, full of explosions and oozing ectoplasm dripping from wounded aliens. And Harrison Ford's portrayal of menacing cattleman Woodrow Dolarhyde is particularly engaging.

Not entirely out of this world, "Cowboys & Aliens" is nonetheless right on target when it comes to delivering the thrills.

Pictures:
1.Director Jon Favreau arrives for the world premiere of the movie "Cowboys & Aliens in conjunction with Comic Con in San Diego, California July 23, 2011.
2.Actor Daniel Craig arrives for the world premiere of his new movie "Cowboys & Aliens" in conjunction with Comic Con in San Diego, California July 23, 2011.
3.Actress Abigail Spencer arrives for the world premiere of Universal Pictures motion picture "Cowboys & Aliens", in conjunction with Comic Con in San Diego, California July 23, 2011.
4.Harrison Ford, 69, reportedly began dating actress Calista Flockhart, 46, after meeting at the 2002 Golden Globes. He proposed to her over Valentine's Day weekend in 2009 and they were married a year later. They are 23 years a part.
5.Actress Nina Dobrev arrives for the world premiere of Universal Pictures motion picture "Cowboys & Aliens" in conjunction with Comic Con in San Diego, California July 23, 2011.
6.Producers Ron Haward (L) and Brian Grazer arrive for the world premiere of Universal Pictures motion picture "Cowboys & Aliens" in conjunction with Comic Con in San Diego, California July 23, 2011.
7.Actress Olivia Wilde arrives for the world premiere of Universal Pictures motion picture "Cowboys & Aliens" in conjunction with Comic Con in San Diego, California July 23, 2011.
8. Executive producer Steven Spielberg arrives for the world premiere of Universal Pictures motion picture "Cowboys & Aliens" in conjunction with Comic Con in San Diego, California July 23, 2011.