MovieChat Forums > Space Cowboys (2000) Discussion > Who Gives A Flying F..... Its Still A Fu...

Who Gives A Flying F..... Its Still A Fun Movie

posted 20 years ago by deafman
37 replies | jump to latest

Having just watched this movie for about the 4th time (nothing else worth even watching) - and with a few beers in hand - I still enjoy the movie for what it is.

It's not a factual movie or a documentry or drama! It's just a fun movie with a bit of tension thrown in. Sure its got factual holes in it - but what movie hasnt?

For peeps to take this movie serieously - ya have got to be joking & get a life.

Movies were and are made to be enjoyed and it's upto the story teller (director/writer etc) to play with your emotions in the best possible way - whether its heavy drama or suspence or comedy or light hearted humour and escapism. This movie falls in the latter catagory.... and does a good job at it.

I read that Connery and Nicholson where to be cast - although I respect and love their work - the teaming of Eastwood, Lee Jones, Garner and Sutherland is just about perfect. With all 4 still kicking - I'd go to say that I'd enjoy another movie with all 4 actors - it worked well enough to really enjoy 4 of my 25+ favorite actors together (and man there is real experince in there! - here is thought - all have played in westerns - try an out dated western with these 4 old farts - been done I know but not with these 4 together).

Plus there are so many very light hearted scenes - doctors surgery for one. 4 naked old fart actors playing 4 old fart flyers - Sutherland - did he stand to attention or..... but the whole thing about the movie is - all 4 did not play any other part - '4 old guys as 4 old guys' and in a way they where playing themselves - you can see it... and they made no show of trying to act younger... (not like some others at the mo....)

Bottom line is I like this movie for what it is - light hearted humour and escapism. In a time where we are bombarded with reality TV, heavy drama's and over the top comedy - it's just nice to sit back and have a good giggle :)

Bugga the faults - sit back and enjoy.

Cheers and pass me another beer :P

J.
~ in a demonic voice: "I must find a more suitable host body." ~

[–] fcuk0387 20 years ago

I agree with you 100%.

[–] luxielisbon 20 years ago

exactly, I am so sick of coming to this site and reading about some nerd whining about how the MOVIE is inaccurate and whatnot. If I wanted to see real life I wouln't have turned on the flippin tv.

[–] Col_John_Matrix 19 years ago

It was nice to see a Hollywood film where the 4 main actors are all old men. Besides, the 4 main characters have more talent and character than 90% of today's young Hollywood actors.

The film is hardly a classic but under Clint's guidance he made a potential cheesy hokey concept into a nice charming little film. Good stuff.

I eat green berets for breakfast. And right now I'm very hungry!

[–] c-huddleston 19 years ago

Good stuff? The Right Stuff!!!

[–] trevorwomble 18 years ago

Yep i agree. Its probably the most watchable film Clint has been in since 'In the Line of Fire' back in 1993. Nice to see the veterans not taking the story too seriously or overusing profanities. Donald sutherland was a hoot too. However, did anyone else feel that Tommy lee Jones seemed a bit too young (if you do the maths he must be a good 10-15 years younger than the others)?. Still, a good popcorn movie.

[–] johnatuna 17 years ago

I am in total agreement, these people who nit-pick the movies are probably the people that are hated by their family and the people who know them because they are know-it-alls. Most know-it-alls are full of crap! If you are looking for reality in a movie, you are definitely looking in the wrong place.

[–] LordManhammer 9 years ago

If I'm going to "sit back and enjoy," as the OP puts it, I look for enough reality to feel that the action is taking place in my own universe. If it seems that the action could actually happen, then it's really compelling. I didn't major in Astronaut Studies, so for a movie like this, the bar is pretty low for me.

The problem is when plot holes make me stop, pause, and replay scene after scene because I'm confused about what is happening and why. If the action doesn't make sense, it's hard to enjoy and follow along.

__ __ __
"Gentlemen, you can't fight in here! This is the War Room!"--Pres. Merkin Muffley

[–] joeysgranmoo 19 years ago

I totally agree! My hubby and I just watched it again on TBS and it is a really neat movie! It has everyting you would want- action, romance, humor, and 4 great actors.
I wish they WOULD all make another movie together.

[–] Lonehawk1 19 years ago

I hate to jump on the "I agree" wagon; but I just have to. I wanted to rent this movie so many times and just never got around to it. I just saw it on TV finally, and now, I'm thinking of buying the DVD to have in my collection. What a great movie. Much better than I expected.

I am a big fan of Clint Eastwood (not that i don't like the other actors, just he's my favorite of them) and every time I see another movie with him in it, my respect for him just keeps skyrocketting. (pardon the pun) : P

Great movie, great acting, great special effects even, great action/suspense and great laughs. This movie just proves, "you're never too old...." and "You're only as old as ya feel!"

8/10 in my book.

If time flies when your having fun; how does it get around when you're bored? :P

[–] dr foo 19 years ago

> If time flies when your having fun; how does it get around when you're bored? :P

It takes the Greyhound bus through Houston and gets stuck in the afternoon rush hour traffic. In August. With a crying baby in the seat behind it.

Anyway, to reply to the topic, this is one of those movies where you're just glad to enjoy the characters all doing what they're doing. The kind of movie, if you find in while flipping through the channels you're always happy to run into it.

[–] deafman 19 years ago

Nice to see a few peeps agreeing with me :)

~ in a demonic voice: "I must find a more suitable host body." ~

[–] do-bye 19 years ago

That's it.

[–] Fefi 19 years ago

Yes. Great, great, great, enjoyable movie. Incredible actors together.
100 % agree with you. I saw it 3 or 4 times since 2000.
Fly me to the moon, and let me play among the stars...

[–] mhasheider 18 years ago

I'd watch "Space Cowboys" over the turkey known as "Armaegeddon" on any given day of the week.

[–] ijonesiii 19 years ago

Thank you for your post. For what this movie is supposed to be, I think it works very well on several levels. This is not a documentary and should not be viewed as such. It's entertainment, pure and simple, and can and should be enoyed as such. I've noticed a lot of posters had trouble with the casting but I thought Eastwood, Garner, Sutherland, and Jones were wonderful together along with a top-notch supporting cast led by Marcia Gay Harden, William Devane, Blair Brown, and the fabulous James Cromwell. One of the best popcorn movies ever made.

[–] Tekawitha 18 years ago

....i can't imagine a better cast for this! i've never seen any of these guys doing something where they had so much fun! and it was nice to see William Devane again- haven't seen him since he did the dad in "Testement",back in the '80s....liked him then, and still do!

[–] Isaac5855 18 years ago

I totally agree with you that the cast of this film really seemed to be enjoying themselves. I also was pleased to see the return of William Devane to the big screen. Loved him on KNOTS LANDING and yes, TESTAMENT was a great film as well.

[–] NewHemingway 18 years ago

I just liked to see Clint and Donald in a movie together again. They had such good chemistry in Kellys Heroes it was kind of nice to see them interact again on screen again.

[–] Tekawitha 18 years ago

<G> i get laughs from it every time-though i would love an edited version that i could watch with my kids! to me, its the fun of the four old frends back together,crabby as always after 40 years, but still loving every minute together. its like "Grumpy Old Men Go To Space Camp"!

~*~~*~

"Ooh!Pass the popcorn! This is gonna be good!"

[–] Isaac5855 18 years ago

"Grumpy Old Men Go to Space Camp" LOL!!! I like that.

[–] dude_mr 18 years ago

There are a lot of movies that are factually inaccurate yet still enjoyable...space cowboys is not one of them. All those inane cliches, such as clint eastwood's heroically tough and righteous character going up against the evil, conniving james cromwell character; and the lame dialogue, like at the end when clint eastwood's character turns around in shock and asks, "what the hell are you guys doing?" when he realizes that his two pals are not going to leave, to which james garner replies "i don't wanna leave," to which donald sutherland chimes in with an enthusiastic "we're a team!"; combined with heavy-handed moments of cheesiness that make a sad attempt to wrench emotion out of the viewer, like when tommy lee jones's character decides that he's going to take the nukes to the moon himself, all make for a shallow, boring, pathetic mess of a movie...regardless of factual errors.

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] dude_mr 18 years ago

ya i could tell there were lots of moments in there that were supposed to charm and make people laugh a little, but i didn't really find any of it convincing

[–] 18 years ago

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[–] im_veritas_photo 18 years ago

The fun that could have been gets swamped by the infinite number of loopholes and implausibilities. The movie _was_ fun the first time around, but I'll never watch it again. To me, the test of a really good movie is the capability of being good many times over; this one fails that test pretty thoroughly...

[–] c-huddleston 18 years ago

I dunno. Some people found Rain Man too intense to watch again (especially those with autistic children) but nevertheless found it to be a wonderful movie.

[–] Isaac5855 18 years ago

Well, you are certainly entitled to your opinion, but everything that you hated about this movie are exactly the things that I liked about it. Yes, it was contrived and a kind of corny, but with such a charismatic cast, I just ate it up and enjoyed this movie thoroughly.

[–] franzkabuki 10 years ago

"I would love an edited version that I could watch with my kids".

What's there to edit? There's no nudity if that should for some reason be a bother (although they do come within an inch), no really sexual situations and I don't recall hearing any "F words", either. Outside movies specifically made for kids, how much cleaner can you get?

"facts are stupid things" - Ronald Reagan

[–] veneziablau 18 years ago

I agree with you as well. I like watching legends like this do their thing on screen.

[–] anti_fiction 18 years ago

It was a nice movie. I especially like the part when Tommy Lee Jones was on the moon and the Sinatra song was playing.