Thanks to Kino Lorber, a boutique home video label committed to bringing remastered and rare titles to market, we will be getting a 4K remaster of director Jon Favreau‘s 2011 sci-fi western Cowboys & Aliens.
The movie stars Harrison Ford, Daniel Craig, and Olivia Wilde, and was based on the graphic novel by Scott Mitchell Rosenberg and Platinum Studios.
The sci-fi action-western merges alien invasion with the grit of the American frontier. The film is set in 1873 Arizona, where a mysterious amnesiac named Jake Lonergan (Craig) wanders into the small town of Absolution with an unusual, high-tech bracelet on his wrist.
After a confrontation with the local sheriff and a cattle baron, Woodrow Dolarhyde (Ford), Jake’s troubles take an unexpected turn when alien ships suddenly appear in the sky, attacking the town and abducting residents.
Shocked and outmatched, the townspeople realize their only chance of survival lies in working together withJake, who gradually recalls fragments of his past encounters with the invaders.
As Jake, Woodrow, and the townsfolk form an uneasy alliance, they embark on a perilous journey into the desert to track down the aliens and rescue their loved ones.
Along the way, they encounter various obstacles, including hostile tribes and new alien threats, as well as revelations about Jake’s former life and the mysterious Ella Swenson (Wilde), who holds a deeper connection to the alien menace.
I enjoyed this movie and I thought it was a fun and unique mash-up of genres.
The disc release features an all-new 4K remaster of the film’s theatrical cut, along with a director’s commentary by Favreau.
There’s also both an extended cut, and a bunch of bonus features originally included on the first home release, You can see a rundown of those here:
• HD Master of the Extended Cut (135 Minutes)
• Audio Commentary by Director Jon Favreau
• Conversations with Jon Favreau
– PLAY ALL (80:10)
– Daniel Craig (14:51)
– Harrison Ford (19:01)
– Olivia Wilde (10:49)
– Producers Steven Spielberg, Ron Howard and Brian Grazer (14:20)
– Screenwriters Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci (6:45)
– Screenwriter Damon Lindelof (14:22)
• Igniting the Sky: The Making of Cowboys & Aliens
– PLAY ALL (40:18)
– Finding the Story (5:31)
– A Call to Action (8:51)
– Absolution (8:55)
– Outer-Space Icon (10:22)
– The Scope of the Spectacle (6:37)
• 3 Theatrical Trailers (2 Newly Mastered in 2K)
• 14 TV Spots
• 5.1 Surround & Lossless 2.0 Stereo Audio
• Dual-Layered BD50 Disc
• Optional English Subtitles
Cowboys & Aliens will arrive on 4K from Kino Lorber on July 3rd.
