Year:
2000
Studio:
Warner Brothers
Movie:
3/5
DVD:
2/5
In 1958 the US Air Force conducted high-speed, high-altitude research
with experimental planes (X-1 and X-2). The pilots were daredevils and
adrenalin junkies and awfully brave. One such team, Team Daedalus, ran
afoul of their commander and perhaps in a fit of petty revenge, the
team was excluded from the newly formed NASA and the chance to go into
space.
Forty years later, a Russian communications satellite needs urgent
repair. Strangely, it uses a guidance system designed in the US by the
Team Daedalus leader. Nobody alive can figure out how to fix it and
when NASA goes to Frank Corvin (Clint Eastwood) to help them, he says
that he will only help if NASA sends Team Daedalus up in space to fix
the satellite.
And so we have the movie concept. Four old ex-Air Force test pilots who
need to be trained to go into space. It's an excuse for Eastwood to get
a veteran cast of well known older actors and do a movie. Tommy Lee
Jones plays William Hawkins, the ace pilot. Donald Sutherland is Jerry
O'Neill, engineer and horndog. James Garner plays Tank Sullivan,
navigator and preacher. James Cromwell plays Bob Gerson, Corvin's
nemesis and NASA project leader. Marcia Gay Harden and William Devane
also star in this movie.
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Space Cowboys is an adventure movie
first. Although fun and has good special effects and some action-type
moments, it's not an exceptional movie. Some elements are just too hard
to believe, the most glaring being the very last scene of the movie.
Maybe it didn't bother most people but it bothered me.
The DVD sadly has no commentary track, as I think it would have been
great to hear Eastwood talk about the movie and reminisce a bit. There
is a 30-minute behind-the-scenes, a 7-minute interview with editor Joel
Cox, a couple of 7-minute featurettes on the effects and NASA, and the
full "Tonight Show" scene of the movie.
All in all. it's an ok NASA/space movie that people might like because
of the actors and the space theme.
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