The less you try and learn about the movie going in, the more you’ll enjoy the ride. So I’ll keep the strokes broad enough not to ruin the plot. Cowboys & Aliens starts out like a fairly classic western, with Craig’s character waking up in Arizona Territory in 1873, unsure of who he is or how he got there. He’s got a bloody wound on his abdomen and a mysterious shackle on his wrist, indicating perhaps he is an escaped convict. He’s also a mighty fine gunslinger.

The guy stumbles into the town of Absolution, which is basically “owned” by a hard-ass named Colonel Dolarhyde (Ford). The two butt heads, but ultimately must come together – along with other townsfolk, a token boy, a token dog, a token woman (Olivia Wilde), and even some Indians – to fight a common enemy that threatens to wipe them out. That enemy would be the aliens – monster-like creatures that come out of nowhere to snatch people up with their fleet of spaceships.

Cowboys & Aliens is a PG-13 action thriller with just enough humor, heart and self-deprecation peppered throughout to tame the intensity of the fight scenes. The script was written by Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci (Star Trek) and Damon Lindelof (Lost), based on a graphic novel by Scott Mitchell Rosenberg. So there’s a definite Trek/Lost vibe goin’ on. The characters are just quirky enough to keep you guessing, and the story is just bizarre enough to hold your interest, even as you think, ‘where is this going?’

So, how do you get someone (like me) who balks at the idea of seeing an alien movie set in the old west to join you for this one? Here’s the pitch: for chicks, there’s the appeal of the naturally-suave Craig, who fills out his cowboy duds quite nicely, thank you very much (though regrettably only goes shirtless once or twice); Ford is fun for the nostalgia factor (there’s a bit of the ol’ Indiana Jones buried in there somewhere); and Wilde (a.k.a. “13” on House) delivers some (cow)girl power along with the eye candy.

What can I say? I was pleasantly surprised.

The movie is just one special effect piled on top of another and there are places that seem like gratuitous CGI to me, (“Look what I can do!”) not really adding anything to the story, but giving effects heads something to talk about. I saw the 3D version, but I’m not sure it makes all that much difference; with the exception of a couple of places there aren’t a lot of things that come out towards you. The alien world Cameron created here is beautiful and the reason to see the movie is entirely effects. There’s nothing special about the acting and the wall to wall music gets annoying. My 12 year old nephew told me he would not recommend it to his friends. I think that says a lot! It will no doubt make a lot of money around the world, but it isn’t worth the 2 hours and 40 minutes to me.