Rating: 
Summary: A pleasant surprise
Review: I think this was overlooked by many people. Sure it's no academy award winner, but i think the story and acting were fantastic. A must see, kinda like a bored saturday afternoon flick, but well worth the time.
Rating:
Summary: Old Cowboys showing the Right Stuff!!
Review: Clint Eastwood and James Gardner were stars back in the 50's telly with RAWHIDE and MAVERICK, and later many other vehicles. Donald Sutherland and Tommy Lee Jones made a big splash in the 70's, and have gone on to prove they are some of the best actors around today. But all are showing a little wear and tear on the leading man image, but they clearly demonstrate they are spark as tacks and still the best.
They are ageing ex-astronauts that never made it into space - a thorn in their sides. Eastwood went on to design guidance systems for the space platform. One of the communication satellite that used his system is decaying and, unfortunately, none of today's hotshots know how to fix it. So the old space cowboys get a second chance to make it into space.All four leads give warm, funny and outstanding performances, backed by powerhouse William Devane and James Hampton. You just cannot miss these old cowboys showing they still have the right stuff!
Rating: 
Summary: Leisure World Set Goes on a Little Field Trip
Review: Our Man Clint(who also directed) gets to take a little journey into space in this very entertaining film. This time he takes three other legends of the screen with him.Donald Sutherland, James Garner, and Tommy Lee Jones join him in this adventure.
The story opens (in really crisp Black and White) in 1958. Airforce test pilots are the pioneers of the space program.They are daring and brash, and seem to go through alot of expensive planes.They dream of going into space and to the moon someday. Then the unthinkable happens....Enter NASA and the replacement of the test pilots with first a monkey(how degrading) and then astronauts.
Fourty years later(and in beautiful color) they are given a shot. A Russian Satelitte, with a "primitive" guidance system is out of control and heading toward earth. Too big to capture with the shuttle, the Space Program is forced,well kinda blackmailed, into sending the designer of the system up to do the repairs.And guess who that is, yup,Clint Eastwood! He's not going without his team though, and a deal is struck(but look out there might be some loopholes in it!).
The older guys must train for and meet the physical requirements in 30 days, for what would usually be a 12 month training period. They take alot of guff from the younger guys and there are some really funny scenes of them trying to get in shape. Made me wonder if this was what John Glenn went through!
They become national news and even make an appearance on Leno, which is laugh out loud funny.
They finally realize their dream of going into space,and along for the ride are two younger and cocky astonauts(Loren Dean/Courtney Vance). They encounter more serious problems when they get to their destination. Problems that could spell disater for the world, and things get pretty tense,our guys must figure a way out.
So fasten your seatbelts. It's going to be a bumpy, funny exciting, thrilling,dramtic, and sentimental ride.
These guys are supported by a fine cast. James Cromewell, their nemisis for over 40 years, Marcia Gay Harden, their champion of the cause,and William Devane, the flight executive who has his doubts about these old guys, but secretly admires them.
The DVD(WB) is high quality. It's a beautiful widescreen picture, you won't miss a thing. The scenes in space as well as on earth are breathtaking. The 5.1 Dolby Digital sound is fantastick. You are really surrounded by the sounds of the planes you'll feel the shuttle blast off, and even the outer space noises are distinctive.There's also some great special features that come with it,including some behind the scenes documentaries, DVD-ROM, but my favorite was watching the entire length of the Leno interview which was shorter in the movie.If you love this movie the DVD is well worth the price.
Get the popcorn and the TANG ready for this one...Laurie
Rating:
Summary: I WAS THERE
Review: This film gives me some very strong emotional yanks in many directions. Its accuracies and inaccuracies (Big Deal! It's a novel!) were woven into a wonderful story that really punched me in the nostalgia glands in many ways. The strongest was that the mission was to go up in STS-200 (Shuttle Transportation System, 200th launch). You see, I was the Launch Control System supervisor at Kennedy Space Center for STS-1 and STS-2. (Gawd, I'm as old as those Space Cowboys.) A gang from my group of favorite actors, and a good assembly of supporting actors, make this a real piece of entertainment for young and old (even if you hadn't been where I was). Take the kids (if you have any). It is great historical allegory laced with REAL humor.
Rating: 
Summary: Waste of valuable time
Review: It is obvious people are rating this movie based on the calibre of actors in it.That is why I watched it in the first place, especially because of my man Tommy Lee.Unfortunately it was a waste of time and I slept off on it.It is just another predictable space movie, nothing more.Shows a loss of ideas and lack of creativity.Nothing exceptional.It is deja vu.Why did they give it that title anyway?
Rating:
Summary: Cowboys and Camaraderie and Courage
Review: This film has a great premise and starts out brilliantly and only falters just a bit in the third act. Clint Eastwood, James Garner, Donald Sutherland and Tommy Lee Jones are very good. However, Tommy Lee Jones looks about 15 years too young to be from the same era as the other three. Yet, I felt Jones came off the best and his character truly comes to an endearing end, which makes up for a lot in this film. All considered the camaraderie these four actors have really comes across and saves the day making the film really enjoyable.
Rating:
Summary: Middle Aged Men Kick Butt!
Review: Great movie all around. Could have fell flat on its respective face, but the personalities of Eastwood, Jones, and Sutherland add "all the right stuff" to make you want to stand up and cheer outloud! A bit slow at times, but well worth the effort. Nice going guys...you prove age is no deterrant to success! Cheers!
Rating:
Summary: 4 Masters at Work
Review: Admit it...we all wanted to go into space when we were kids. We all spent time dreaming of being astronauts and exploring the outer reaches of the galaxy. As time passed, some of us actually succeeded in that dream while most grew up and went on to pursue more realistic dreams. What would you do if you were given that chance now, long after you had given the dream up?
Clint Eastwood's newest production, Space Cowboys, explores that question with hysterical results. Eastwood, Tommy Lee Jones, Donald Sutherland, and James Garner were the best team in the Air Force in the late 50s. Jones was the top-notch pilot; Garner was the navigator, Sutherland the engineer, and Eastwood the team leader. Right as it looks as if they are going to get their chance, they are passed over in favor of NASA's newest pilot...a monkey.
The team breaks up and time marches on. Eastwood has long since retired from his job as a technical designer for NASA when his old company gives him an unusual request. They need his help with a Russian Satellite, which has somehow incorporated some of the designs from his SkyLab schematics, which is loosing orbit and will come crashing to earth within the month. Since this is a super communications satellite the Russians are afraid that without it the entire country will be broken down. NASA designers explain that even though he was ahead of his time then, the current crop of scientists and engineers have advanced beyond what he had invented and nobody at NASA could fix the system now.
Eastwood sees this as his final chance and blackmails his old nemesis into sending him and the original team up into space to do the repairs themselves. The rest of the movie shows Eastwood and his teammates trying to get back into some semblance of shape, learning the intricacies of the Space Shuttle, and training for space walks. Eventually the team does end up in space and begins their attempts to fix the satellite.
The plot is slightly silly but works well. At the beginning it is established that all four were second to none and have all kept in some type of similar field. They manage to show that the guys aren't immediately able to do everything needed but as time goes their skills begin to come back. The weakest part of the movie occurs near the very end. This seems to have been one of those where they are going great guns with storyline and then hit a block while trying to figure out the ending.
The stars make this movie. Garner, Eastwood, Sutherland, and Jones live up to the careers that all have achieved. The movie features four old pros getting together and hitting the mark each time. Eastwood plays his team leader as the serious no-nonsense character we are familiar with. Garner is stumbling along as a Preacher with a small flock who takes back the life he had lost. Sutherland is a womanizing roller coaster engineer and Jones flies a stunt plane for tourists. The training sequences would not have worked as well with other actors but these guys leave you laughing with their escapades. It is a toss up as to whether Jones or Sutherland is the funniest character. Both do their best to steal the movie and each one frequently comes close to succeeding.
Rating: 
Summary: Can You Say Armageddon?
Review: I have to admit, this DVD was better than I anticipated. But, that's not saying too much. I think there's a reason the cover resembles Armageddon. No, it isnt quite the same as Armageddon; however, it is similar. Except, a poor attempt at humor. I expect better from Clint Eastwood. Although, it's what i would epect from James Garner. Is it a bad movie? No. Is it a great movie? Not even close. What Space Cowboys is, is a below average movie, with a few laughs. It is enjoyable to a certain extent. However, that is about it. If there's nothing better on TV, and you're tired of the endless infomercials, that you've seen 30,000 times to many, then, I would recommend this movie. Maybe Im just cynical, and very critical. Afterall, some people enjoyed the movie. I just cant see why.
Rating:
Summary: ABOUT TIME
Review: This film proves from the very beginning that the veterans of movie making can kick [butt], just as much as any of the younger actors. This movie has everything from great acting, superb special effects, to good script writing and really funny humour, with action and suspense. BUT..... all of these are in equal measure, which god knows!! is very rare to find these days. This is a perfect popcorn film, so enjoy as many times as you can. Hey Clint, you are the man! Please don't ever stop making movies!!!!!!!!
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