Cowboys & Aliens - 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray

The intermingling of genres, like science-fiction and the Western, is really nothing new in movies, but the CGI-laden Cowboys & Aliens aims to feel like something audiences haven't seen before. While not exactly as intelligently topical as Michael Crichton's Westworld or amusingly subtle as Joss Whedon's Serenity, Jon Favreau's action flick brings plenty of engaging entertainment and exciting spectacle to the proceedings. It might not please every viewer out there, but it satisfies the wide-eyed fantasies of long-time devoted followers of both genres — or at least, of this particular viewer.

The movie's genre mashup is overt and in your face, which is a drawback because it shows a lack of finesse. It commences with a Western theme and setting, suddenly switching to an alien invasion storyline that runs through the usual obstacle course. The change is surprisingly not as jarring as one would reasonably expect although it takes some time to find its proper footing afterward. The glue holding the marriage together is Favreau's direction infused with several stylish nods to the archetypes and thematics of both genres, ranging again from explicit to sly.

Daniel Craig stars as our "Man with No Name" hero in the literal sense, waking up in the middle of a scorching desert without any recollection of who he is or why he carries a mysterious iron bracelet on his wrist. After a quickly determined fight with three bounty hunters, a clue into his past is revealed, which nicely sets off that whole morally ambiguous protagonist feel we love in a good 'ole shoot 'em up horse opera. Wearing an Indiana Jones fedora, the mystery man rides into a town conveniently named Absolution. This, too, pretty much sets the tone for the rest of the film — a little of the wittily clever mixed with the obvious.

It's not a complete loss, however, since it turns out 007 also makes a great anti-hero gunslinger. This is probably the best performance of a tough-as-nails and ill-tempered loner since Clint Eastwood's own iconic outlaw graced the screen. But to be perfectly honest, I wish it were seen in something far better than this, which is not to say that Favreau's film isn't any fun though it is somewhat weighed down at the beginning of the second act. When the aliens finally attack the town, allowing Craig to discover his charm bracelet is actually a futuristic handgun, the thrill of sci-fi elements mixes well with the Western ideal, but afterward, things quickly slow down.

The outsider is set on his quest to free those kidnapped, as well as to obviously absolve past sins, in typical frontier justice style. His ragtag posse consists of local folk, each playing to the strengths of their cliché. Harrison Ford is the most formidable as wealthy cattle rancher Colonel Dolarhyde. Beautiful Olivia Wilde is the knows-more-than-she-lets-on Ella. Sam Rockwell plays his part in his typical quiet fashion as a saloon owner with a medical background while Paul Dano does the opposite as Dolarhyde's troubling-making son. The best surprise is Adam Beach as Dolarhyde's Indigenous hired hand, bringing a welcome emotional subplot to an otherwise straightforward tale.

Sadly, that aspect to the script can only be seen fully on the extended cut of the movie, which adds 16 minutes of dialogue and scenes that explore it a bit more, also making it the superior version. What was seen theatrically surprisingly eliminates more sequences with the Indigenous peoples doing a war dance and Beach's Nat feeling disconnected from his people, like he doesn't belong in either world. It's a necessary component that makes a later heartfelt scene more powerful. In either case, Cowboys & Aliens is an enjoyable, action-packed thrill ride, serving the perfect popcorn-entertainment blend of two very beloved genres, but the extended cut of the film is definitely the preferred version. (Movie Rating: 3.5/5)

Vital Disc Stats: The Ultra HD Blu-ray
Kino Lorber brings Jon Favreau's Cowboys & Aliens to Ultra HD Blu-ray as a two-disc combo pack containing the extended version of the movie on Blu-ray and the original theatrical cut on the 4K disc. The difference is sixteen minutes of added dialogue and character development. The triple-layered UHD100 disc and a Region A locked, BD50 disc are housed inside a black, eco-elite vortex case on opposing panels, and the package comes with a slipcover. At startup, the disc goes straight to a static menu screen of the cover art with the usual options along the bottom left corner of the screen and music playing in the background.

To my shock and dismay, Favreau's sci-fi western rides into the dusty town of Ultra HD with a serviceable yet underwhelming HEVC H.265 encode that was not graded in HDR. Going on nine years since the format's inception, it is both surprising and disappointing to see a 4K disc not in either HDR10 or Dolby Vision. Worst still, the video was upscaled from the original 2K digital intermediate, causing several notable issues. On the one hand, the transfer enjoys a welcomed uptick in overall clarity and definition where fine lines and objects are relatably sharp and well-defined. But on the other hand, there are several instances of mild aliasing along the sharpest edges of buildings or in the foliage of many extreme wide shots. The CGI creatures and spacecrafts are also most noticeable and can often appear blurrier than its HD counterpart. For the most part, closeup shots of the cast are a tad more revealing, but not any significant margin. 

Presented in a 2.40:1 aspect ratio, the contrast balance is rather average yet appears to run hotter in some spots, creating some clipping and posterization in the clouds of the many daylight sequences, often looking more like white blobs in the sky. Although whites remain clean and somewhat crisp overall, they nonetheless lack the sort of energetic pop and vibrancy we've come to expect of the format, making much of Matthew Libatique's beautiful cinematography look flat and wanting. Similarly, the color palette is accurately rendered and pleasing to the eye, for the most part, but they are not any fuller and better saturated than the Blu-ray although facial complexions, thankfully, maintain healthy skin tones that are accurate to the climate and region. Surprisingly, black levels continue looking inky and sable for a good chunk of the movie, but low-lit interiors look drab and murky. Since shadow delineation doesn't falter greatly during these sequences, it's possible it could all be the result of the photography and not a fault in the transfer.

Overall, the 4K presentation is rather disappointing, and given its beautiful photography, the movie would undoubtedly benefit from a remaster of the original elements and graded in HDR. (4K SDR Video Rating: 72/100)

The genre-bending actioner strolls into home theaters with the same exceptional DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 soundtrack as the previous Blu-ray release. The design features a great deal of activity in the rears, especially during scenes with the alien spacecrafts. While listening with the receivers' Dolby Surround or DTS: Neural:X up-mixing functionality on, the scout drones whiz by overheard convincingly and pan between the speakers with persuasive ease, extending the soundfield with thrilling effectiveness. Imaging is widespread as other small atmospherics fill the back area, most notably when the posse spends the night inside an upside-down steamboat. Even in the many segments of supposed silence, the track brings a satisfyingly immersive experience.

Things remain first-rate in the front soundstage, feeling quite expansive with lots of detailed clarity. Off-screen effects and channel separation provide spacious warmth that's highly engaging thanks to a brilliant, room-penetrating mid-range. The upper frequencies are sharp and crisp, maintaining the loud noise amid the many action moments clear and discernible. The low-end, also, comes with a heaping helping of powerful, very responsive bass, giving each gunshot and explosion a compelling force and weight. Dialogue and a few whispered conversations are delivered with great intelligibility and nicely focused in the center of the screen, never drowned out by the rest of the action.

In the end, this lossless mix sounds absolutely amazing and is exceedingly satisfying. (Audio Rating: 94/100)

The genre bender arrives with a few of the same bonuses as the previous Blu-ray but lacks a majority of the supplemental material. The only thing shared between both discs are the audio commentary.

• Audio Commentary with director Jon Favreau
• Conversations with Jon Favreau (HD, 80 min)
• Igniting the Sky (HD, 18 min)
• Trailers (HD) houses a trio of theatrical previews and a couple of TV spots

Jon Favreau's Cowboys & Aliens is an entertaining blend of two much-loved film genres: the Western and Sci-fi. With strong performances of various archetypes, the mash-up of frontier-justice gunslingers and alien invasion disaster is far from perfect, but the story sticks to what it promises and delivers without completely going overboard. Daniel Craig stands out as our morally ambiguous anti-hero and it would be great to see him again in the same genre with stronger material. The 4K Ultra HD invades homes with a serviceable but underwhelming upscaled presentation that lacks HDR and the same awesome, near-reference DTS-HD MA soundtrack. Featuring only a couple of the same supplements as before, the 4K UHD edition is ultimately only Worth a Look for devoted fans while others will want to wait for a sale.

All disc reviews at High-Def Digest are completed using the best consumer HD home theater products currently on the market. More about the gear used for this review.