|
Directed by |
|
Starring |
|
Specs |
- Widescreen 2.35:1
- 16:9 Enhanced
- Dual Layer (RSDL 1:07:58)
|
Languages |
- English: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
|
Subtitles |
English - Hearing Impaired |
Extras |
- 1 Theatrical trailer
- 3 Featurette - Up Close with the Editor, Tonight on Leno & The Effects
- 3 DVD-ROM features - Space Shuttle Challenge, Original Theatrical Website & Theatrical Trailer Sampler
- 1 Documentaries - Back at the Ranch: A Look Behind the Scenes
- Filmographies - Cast and Crew: Selected Highlights
|
|
|
Space Cowboys |
Warner Bros./Roadshow Entertainment .
R4 . COLOR . 125 mins .
PG . PAL |
Feature |
|
Contract |
|
Arguably still one of the most powerful and influential people in Hollywood, actor, producer and director Clint Eastwood has never been one to skirt social issues. In the lead-up to the release of Space Cowboys, he fired a scathing broadside at the major Hollywood studios, accusing them of age discrimination. An indignant Eastwood observed that “you get a little older and they want you to play roles 20 years younger, which is ridiculous. They want you to play a 40-year-old guy. You don’t want to play a 40-year-old guy any more.” Hollywood, he continued, “is a very faddist community.” In an industry which seems to becoming increasingly obsessed with youth, physical perfection, and developing half-baked
melodramatic comedies for the teenage market, it is of little wonder that the screenplay for Space Cowboys - which features geriatric astronauts coming out of retirement for one final mission - would take two-and-a-half years to bring to fruition. Written by Ken Kaufman and Howard Klausner, the script for
Space Cowboys was brought to Eastwood’s attention by the Warner Bros. studio in 1997. The charismatic film icon’s first reaction did not seem encouraging; the script was deemed to be politically incorrect in its depiction of the elderly and there was some skepticism as to whether or not there was a potential audience for the film. However, after reading the initial script, Eastwood became interested in the relationship between the lead characters and decided to film it. During the shooting of Space Cowboys, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration announced that Senator
John Glenn Jr. - who, in the Project Mercury Gemini capsule
Friendship 7, became the first American to orbit the earth - was to be sent into space once again. At the age of 77, Glenn was simply part of an experiment conducted to determine the effects of weightlessness on the elderly. No doubt this news was greeted with enthusiasm on the film’s set; not only was Space Cowboys' somewhat ludicrous story given credence, but, more importantly, it became socially acceptable. With a budget of $65 million, Space Cowboys earned $18 million upon its opening weekend and received an Academy Award for Best Sound Effects Editing in 2001. Mick Clark's comments in USA Today seemed to typify the positive reactions to the film: "You have to take the whole movie on faith. Nothing is remotely possible or realistic... The joy of Space Cowboys is spending quality time with some favourite old actors who obviously enjoy working together." "I can't fill a space shuttle with geriatrics!" |
Space Cowboys begins in 1958 when a quartet of elite US Air Force pilots - Francis ‘Frank’ Corvin (Clint Eastwood), William ‘Hawk’ Hawkins (Tommy Lee Jones), Jerry O’Neill (Donald Sutherland) and Tank Sullivan (James Garner) - are being groomed to become the first Americans in space. Named Team Daedelus by NASA’s officials, the astronauts-in-training have their aspirations dashed when the organisation’s officious administrator Bob Gerson (James Cromwell) decides to abort their mission. Gerson believes that the advancement of the space program
will be served better by instead sending a chimpanzee into orbit. Consequently, Team Daedelus is disbanded and forgotten to history... Forty years later, the opportunity to resurrect the Daedelus team presents itself in the form of a pre-Glasnost Soviet telecommunications satellite, IKON. Its rapidly deteriorating orbit ensures that, without assistance, the Cold War relic will re-enter the earth’s atmosphere within thirty days. For their own private reasons, the Russian authorities will not entertain the prospect of IKON's imminent destruction and seek NASA's help in repairing and repositioning the satellite into higher orbit.
Unfamiliar with IKON’s antiquated production design, NASA - in conjunction with the Russian space administration - decide that their best course of action is to consult the expertise of Corvin, one of the few astronauts alive that possesses a knowledge of Cold War technology, and send him into space to repair it. NASA's intention is to launch a space shuttle mission to IKON and, through the use of the shuttle’s robotic arm, capture the rogue satellite. Reluctantly, Corvin agrees to NASA’s plan - on the sole condition that the other members of Team Daedelus accompany him. However, the mission soon
becomes more than just a personal goal for Corvin and his colleagues to ascend into space; it eventuates into a quest to discover exactly why Corvin's system designs for the defunct US space station Skylab have been incorporated into those of IKON’s.
Video |
|
Contract |
|
Space Cowboys contains an exceptionally crisp transfer, exhibiting the high technical standard that we have come to expect from Roadshow Home Entertainment. It is presented in its original 2.35:1 theatrical screen aspect ratio and is 16:9 enhanced. Blacks are impenetrably solid, providing great depth - in
particular, during the film’s latter half when the action is
transferred into space. Shadow detail is superb, evidence of
which can be found in the scenes where the Daedelus crew
commence their capture operation of the IKON satellite. Neither too opaque or too solid, they seem to strike a perfect balance. There are no evident MPEG artefacts and, except for a small
black dot located in Chapter 24, no apparent film artefacts.
There seemed to be no grain present - if there was, it is
remarkably unobtrusive. Details are very sharp, providing excellent definition. Instances of aliasing were noticed throughout the film, afflicting the most usual objects - such as venetian blinds, automobile grills and, for a moment in Chapter 1, the tapered wing of the X-2 experimental aircraft. Moiré was occasionally seen affecting computer keyboards, a striped polo-neck shirt in Chapter 5, and some wood paneling in Chapter 8. However, these are minor nuances with which only the most anally-retentive would be concerned. There is no colour-bleeding or over-saturation - not even in the scenes featuring Hawkins’ cherry-red bi-plane in Chapter 9, and those involving the astronauts in their lurid orange flight training suits. The layer transition is situated at 1:07:58 and placed in the middle of a confrontational scene between Corvin and Gerson. Occurring just after an exchange in dialogue with no background music, it is barely noticeable. In fact, it was not detected until upon the third viewing.
Audio |
|
Contract |
|
There is but one audio selection available, that of the English Dolby Digital 5.1. Dialogue is always very clear and easy to understand, with a
clarity that is, at times, almost crisp. Sound, too, is
exceptionally clean, exhibiting great depth and pitch.
Other than a peculiar staccato crackling in the film’s forty-fifth second, I did not detect any audio distortion, anomalies or sound drop-out. The front speakers provide the bulk of the aural experience,
delivering dialogue and sound effects which travel cleanly
between the forward channels. The surrounds produce ambient noise and subtle music throughout most of the film. However, they definitely come into their own element during
the action scenes - in particular, the latter portion of the film involving the Daedelus’ encounter with IKON and the shuttle’s atmospheric re-entry. There is some aggressive use of split-surround effects in these sequences, often involving shards of debris and the bellow of ricochets off metal surfaces. The subwoofer is also used to great effect in these scenes,
often exhibiting heavy resonance. Together, all five channels create an encompassing environment, rich in texture and depth.
Extras |
|
Contract |
|
Overall |
|
Contract |
|
In some respects, Space Cowboys shares a common affinity with films as diverse as Armageddon, The Right Stuff, and Apollo 13; the script seems to merely borrow elements from these films and attempt to present them in an innovative way. Needless to say, the film is not successful in this regard as it often confuses drama with tired, well-worn clichés. I am not suggesting that Space Cowboys is entirely predictable - for
instance, the revelation of IKON’s true nature is somewhat of a genuine surprise - but anyone who has seen Armageddon will no doubt be able to determine what is going to happen in advance. There are several plot threads which are not adequately
explored and subsequently leave the audience scratching their heads in bewilderment. Potentially intriguing questions - such as the enigma of how Skylab’s schematics find residence within a Soviet satellite - are answered with vague, even trivial, explanations. The long-standing rivalry between Corvin and Hawkins, established within the first few moments of the film, is resolved far too quickly, leading to a poignant - but ultimately unsatisfying - dramatic climax. However, Space Cowboys strength derives solely from the chemistry of its lead performers, and it is this reason that the film succeeds as much as it does. It seems that everything - even the much anticipated launch into space and the subsequent encounter with IKON - has been sacrificed for the sake of establishing the camaraderie between the film’s stars. Given the limitations of the script and the predictability of it all, the scenes involving Eastwood, Jones, Sutherland and Garner are nothing short of celluloid gold. Despite my reservations about the film’s structure and plot
resolutions, I found myself warming to Space Cowboys. It is certainly not one of Eastwood’s best efforts - acting or directorial - but I can think of more unpleasant ways in which to kill two hours of my time. I would recommend renting this title before purchasing it.
LINK: http://www.dvd.net.au/review.cgi?review_id=644
Send to a friend.
|
|
|
And I quote... |
"... A perfect example of the bubblegum genre... Space Cowboys is an amalgamation of both Armageddon and The Right Stuff...
" - Shaun Bennett |
|
Review Equipment |
- DVD Player:
Panasonic SC-HT80
- TV:
Panasonic TX-43P15 109cm Rear Projection
- Audio Cables:
Standard Optical
- Video Cables:
standard s-video
|
Recent Reviews: |
by Shaun Bennett Engelbert Humperdinck - Live "With his superlative vocal technique, smouldering sensuality, and acute witticism, Humperdinck exudes radiance in a concert performance that borders on the sublime..."
Illuminations - The Tea Party Collection "Currently, this stands as the definitive pictorial document of a formidable group who, despite the never-ending comparisons and ridicule, seem destined for greatness. Highly recommended..."
Tangerine Dream - The Video Dream Mixes "The digital equivalent of an acid-fueled hallucinogenic experience, featuring a mind-altering barrage of ethereal imagery set to pulsating trance-orientated electronica...
"
Cleopatra - Special Edition "Maligned and misunderstood, Cleopatra can be perceived as either a
forgotten classic or as a grand folly...
"
What Becomes of the Broken Hearted? "Ample proof, if needed, that a sequel does not necessarily equal... Few moments of brilliance cannot save the film’s lack of direction or characterisation...
"
|
|
|
Related Links |
|
|