Despite a few character and plot related issues, Cowboys and Aliens is a pretty old time. I suppose being at the Comic-Con premiere with the cast and crew in attendance added to the overall excitement. And while it's true, critics should be able to look through the transparent hype that sometimes comes with a spectacular premiere presentation, I feel like some of the writers at this particular screening were a little too hard on the film. In Jon Favreau's genre mash up, Daniel Craig plays an intense gunslinger with a nasty bout of amnesia. After arriving in the town of Absolution, Craig finds himself battling an equally intense local (played by the incomparable Harrison Ford) and an army of other worldly beasties.

With Cowboys and Aliens, what you see is what you get. Nothing more and nothing less. Favreau's direction is lively and his numerous nods to genre films of the past (both sci-fi and western) are entertaining. Craig is rugged and perfectly suited for the cowboy wardrobe while Ford appears to have that twinkle back in his eye. He isn't an entirely likable character in this picture but the fact that it's Harrison Ford makes him likable by default. The reason behind the alien arrival is a bit silly and for a race of apparent intelligent beings, these creatures aren't all that savvy. Still, the showdown between humans and aliens is an exciting one populated by spectacular special effects, outstanding stunt work, gorgeous cinematography, and a terrific supporting cast (including the likes of Keith Carradine, Paul Dano, and Sam Rockwell).

Beauty Olivia Wilde is a stunning physical specimen to be sure, but a reveal regarding her character at the mid-way point of the movie is pointless and unnecessary. In the end, her character is really only on hand as a tell to the audience what's happening. The proceedings would have been just as entertaining without her character over explaining the mechanics of a simple plot. And Paul Dano's moments with Ford towards the end of the film reminded me of the un-earned reconnect between father and son in the closing seconds of Super 8. While watching Cowboys and Aliens, I got the sense that this film could have been so much more, but in the end, it was still an entertaining way to spend a couple of hours at the movies.