You definitely get cowboys and aliens in the science-fiction/Western mash-up “Cowboys & Aliens.” You just don’t get much else.

Despite a promising nighttime alien attack in the opening act, the movie stumbles into the dullest cliches of both genres. Harrison Ford, at least, brings his towering charisma to the proceedings.
Daniel Craig stars as a grizzled amnesiac who wakes up in the middle of the desert with a futuristic weapon locked to his wrist. When he punches his way into a small town, he learns that he’s a wanted man, linked to a robbery of the town’s bullish cow herder, Dolarhyde (Ford). A quiet little lady (Olivia Wilde) also takes an interest in the amnesiac, but you don’t want to know how stupid her storyline becomes around the film’s halfway point.

Then BAM! “Demons” from the sky attack and kidnap some of the earnest townfolk, forcing the group to put aside their differences and chase after their assailants. A kid and an adorable dog, of course, tag along for the hunt.

Beyond the initial attack, “Cowboys & Aliens” offers little suspense or surprise. The aliens are bug-eyed and one-note, and the plot cheats by giving them convenient and implausible vulnerabilities. At least their space ships are cool, especially in a fun sequence where they pluck people off their horses mid-charge.

Too much time is wasted with the amnesiac’s backstory, especially since Craig shows little interest in any of the action here. Ford has always been a more natural performer in gruff roles like this. His personality trickles through in small moments, making his backstory much more interesting than whatever supposedly happened to Craig’s character before the movie begins.

Once the premise of Old West cowboys vs. futuristic aliens begins to wane (which is quickly), the movie grows tiresome. Director Jon Favreau (“Iron Man”) also wastes the talents of Sam Rockwell in a thin supporting role as the town barkeep, an odd choice considering Rockwell is one of the highlights of Favreau’s own “Iron Man 2.”

The lengthy final battle is dull and predictable, as the aliens demonstrate little menace or intelligence. “Cowboys & Aliens” peaks in an action sequence where you don’t even see the aliens. Executive producer Steven Spielberg should know all about this “less is more” approach. Then again, he also produced “Transformers.”

“Cowboys & Aliens” is thankfully more fun than “Transformers,” but only really because Han Solo wears a cowboy hat.
Grade: C+