Rating: 
Summary: Highly Entertaining
Review: For pure entertainment value, this is one of the better films of 2000. Although the plot is contrived and derivative, the comedy is endearing and the four veteran actors are as brilliant as they have ever been. From a directorial standpoint, Clint Eastwood is excellent, wringing as much comedy, adventure and suspense as could be imagined from the screenplay and the cast. I was particularly impressed with the realism of the space scenes. The weightlessness is beautifully choreographed, and the visual effects, especially for the EVA's, are stunningly realistic.The acting in this film is wonderful. Each of the four leads gives his part something unique and special. Clint Eastwood provides toughness, James Garner gives it charm, Donald Sutherland offers mischievous humor and Tommy Lee Jones adds audacity. You can't help but cheer for these guys, even though it is easy to predict how things will turn out. James Cromwell and William Devane round out an experienced cast playing their straight dramatic roles to perfection. The Jay Leno interview is a scream, the climax of which is an infinitely funny line by Donald Sutherland. There isn't a lot to say about this film except see it. I rated it an 8/10. It is great fun and highly entertaining.
Rating:
Summary: Pure Hokum....Pure Fun!
Review: I expected nothing from this film and found myself liking it immensely. That is due to the charisma of the 4 stars playing old poops finally getting their chance to go into space after having been cheated out of it when they were young. (I loved the opening with the F-15 type jet tearing-up the stratosphere). Cut to today and there is some cockamamy reason why these guys have to go up in the Shuttle to fix a Russian satellite. Great fun is made of their age in training and this first half of the film hooked me. It lets down somewhat in the space segment of the back half of the film, but Clint Eastwood is not a director to waste time and he moves quickly through the plot points and dilemmas, so I didn't lose interest. I was somewhat disappointed with how low-key and detached he handled Tommy Lee Jones' situation in space, but he redeemed all of that with the closing shot. "Fly me to the moon and let me play among the stars..." It's just entertainment, and it was a lot of fun with some old pros. 3-1/2 to 4 stars depending on your mood.
Rating:
Summary: Not bad for a bunch of old guys!
Review: This film was one of the few that I saw on the recommendation of my parents, who saw the movie in the theater. I then went to see it a week or so later. My dad told me the truth, as he always does- when it comes to his ratings on movies. I later bought this film on dvd. I've been told that older actors are having a hard time finding work these days. Well, in my opinion, it takes a movie like this one to prove that the old guys still can make a great movie. Hat's off to Clint Eastwood for making a killer movie!
Rating: 
Summary: Not Bad.
Review: 'Space Cowboys' is a decent fiilm about aging astronauts traning to go back into space. The plot is a little silly, but one should treat it more like a science fiction film than a serious drama. The high point of the movie are the 4 veteran actors. The bring delight to the screen.
Rating:
Summary: Good, but not great.
Review: As a big fan of the space program, I had pretty high expectations for this film. Sadly, after watching, I came away feeling vaguely dissapointed. Like another reviewer suggested, there seemed to be something missing. I watched a summer action movie when I was expecting a more tight knit drama. Maybe I've just seem Apollo 13 too many times. I just couldn't form any sort of emotional attachment to these characters which frankly is a real shame. We've got way too many 'action stars' in Hollywood films these days, and not nearly enough heros. Surely with over two hours screen time the plot could have been tigher and the subject matter a more epic quality. I won't even go into the various plot holes. Int he real world, NASA and Russian space officials would probably be sacked, or perhaps deported for some of the things they pulled. Still, it's not all bad. Watching such great veteran actors chew each scene is sheer joy, and worth the price of admission, although Garner and Sutherland seem to take a backseat to the films two 'big name' stars. The rest of the cast does a fine with the material onhand. The special effects are of course stunning, ILM's usual high standards. And of course as I said being a NASA fan, I loved the Space shuttle launch and landing footage. But then, I could watch that sort of thing all day. All in all it's a fine film. The DVD features excellent sound and picture quality along with several well done behind the scenes documentaries. A commentary would've been nice, but I suppse we can't have everything. I guess the problem is perhaps I was expecting too much.
Rating: 
Summary: These Men are Truly Ageless
Review: Impressive. Plain and simple. Clint Eastwood has proved himself, yet again, as a remarkably competent actor and director. Space Cowboys is both heartfelt and funny. Tommy Lee Jones, Donald Sutherland, and James Garner round out the middle age cast of space-goers assigned to go into orbit to fix an ailing satellite. Sending this group of retirees in to space was not exactly the perfect plan for NASA. But Eastwood's character, Frank Corvin, was determined to get Team Datalys in to space after they missed their chance some forty years before. Jones was great as "Hawk;" there was amazing tension but ultimately respect between Frank and Hawk. Sutherland and Garner were both great additions to the cast as well. James Cromwell plays a rather fitting NASA naysayer. The whole of Team Datalys were grounded by this man. . . It was rather fascinating to see the concept of age in this movie. It is plausible that Eastwood is himself, feeling his age. Though it was clear that these gentlemen were quite capable, they knew that the days ahead of them were fewer than the days behind. Coming to grips with this and living life to the fullest are paramount. This is a great movie, and a must-have in any DVD collection. epc
Rating:
Summary: The Ripe Stuff
Review: Maybe this would not have done as well if it had been called "The Ripe Stuff" but I think it would have been a great title for this one. It certainly brings back memories and shows what can be done when you take the best entertainment ideas and put them all together in a beautiful experience. This movie makes for a fun evening. I would have loved for Hawk to have set up a tent and cooking fire on the moon but that would have spoiled it.
Rating:
Summary: The Ripe Stuff
Review: Maybe this would not have done as well if it had been called "The Ripe Stuff" but I think it would have been a great title for this one. It certainly brings back memories and shows what can be done when you take the best entertainment ideas and put them all together in a beautiful experience. This movie makes for a fun evening. I would have loved for Hawk to have set up a tent and cooking fire on the moon but that would have spoiled it.
Rating:
Summary: Lotsa fun
Review: Great story line, great gags, great characters, great visual effects. And corny. Totally implausible premise of 4 old codgers (Eastwood, James Garner, Donald Sutherland, and Tommy Lee Jones) 'volunteer' to repair a Russian satellite that only Eastwood's character knows how to do. This satellite is a Cold War hanger-on that is somehow still armed with live nuclear warheads. Mission: disarm it. And, in the tear-jerking and rousingly patriotic conclusion, they do a fine job to it. But first we get to have fun watching these geriatric wrecks pass NASA's physical exams.
Just plain fun.
Rating: 
Summary: Clint, how could you?
Review: A laughably bad movie, the whole story is unplausible and unbelievable, and not just the sci-fi aspects of it. So many great actors wasting their time here. It's like watching a deleted scenes reel from a good movie. Come to think of it, there are no deleted scenes on the DVD. The extra interview with Jay Leno is telling, he has a hard time disguising his bewilderment with the script. But it's OK for a couple laughs. Maybe a good date movie for the AARP folks. Rent this, but buy Kelly's Heroes or Mystic River instead.
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