We're no strangers to watching movies that sound exactly like other movies, but it's pretty rare that we get to watch them on the same weekend. Chances are you've already heard about 'Cowboys & Aliens,' where, yes, cowboys fight off aliens with hi-tech wristbands and fistfuls of dynamite. But there's also 'Attack the Block,' in which a group of teenage punks in London fight off an alien invasion in their backyard with whatever they can get their hands on.
We've seen them both, we've reviewed them both, and with everyone escaping the heat by heading to the movie theater tomorrow, we thought we'd make the choice easy for you by comparing the two new releases and giving you the lowdown on which genre-mashing alien-invasion movie you should be hitting up this weekend. They've both got their merits and they both have their moments, so go right ahead and check out our breakdown to see who reigns supreme when it comes to killing aliens.
THE BREAKDOWN:
1. Best Aliens
The galactic invaders in 'Cowboys & Aliens' look like the love children of the aliens from 'Independence Day' and the Locust from 'Gears of War.' The aliens in 'Attack the Block,' on the other hand, look like mutant gorillas with fur darker than asphalt and a set of Lite-Brite chompers to go along. Granted, both parties know a thing or two about the best way to kill humans, but we've never seen aliens like the ones in 'Attack the Block' before, and we just can't say the same for big blue men in 'Cowboys & Aliens.'
WINNER: 'Attack the Block'
2. Best Weapons
Daniel Craig gets a mind-controlled alien blaster attached to his wrist that he uses to turn invaders into soup; the kids in 'Attack the Block' get some fireworks and a ninja sword. That's it. As surprisingly effective as the fireworks and ninja sword are, they're not exactly taking down UFOs with that combo.
WINNER: 'Cowboys & Aliens'
3. Best Cast
One's got James Bond, Han Solo and the gorgeous Olivia Wilde playing cowboys and cowgirls; the other's got Nick Frost and a bunch of people you've probably never heard of playing drug dealers and thugs. You'd think 'Cowboys & Aliens' would have this in the bag, especially considering that a good deal of the 'Attack the Block' cast had never acted before, but since the all-Hollywood A-listers get nothing to work with and we couldn't have cared less whether their characters lived or died, the British newcomers blow them out of the water. They're some of the best performances we've seen all year.
WINNER: 'Attack the Block'
4. Most Fun
It's entertaining to a degree and we chuckled once or twice, but by the last half-hour of the disappointingly familiar and surprisingly clichéd 'Cowboys & Aliens,' we just wanted it to be over already. As for 'Attack the Block,' that thing had us howling with laughter one minute, cowering in our seats the next, and ultimately had us so won over that we had to fight the urge to pull a Tom Cruise and start jumping around in our seats. Better action, bigger laughs, far more creative, and some of the most fun we've had watching a movie all year.
WINNER: 'Attack the Block'
5. Best Movie
We really wanted 'Cowboys & Aliens' to be awesome and it absolutely had the potential, but despite the great premise, we couldn't believe what a dud it ended up being from top to bottom. 'Attack the Block,' meanwhile, won't be playing in as many theaters, but if you have the chance to see it, do yourself a favor and spend your hard-earned money on it instead. It's the total package, we're absolutely in love with it, and it's just a really good movie that's as much of a thrill ride as it is well-made.
WINNER: 'Attack the Block'
The proof is in the pudding with these two, and as much as we enjoyed Daniel Craig's arm blaster, 'Attack the Block' is without a doubt the movie to see this weekend. No, 'Cowboys & Aliens' isn't the worst movie we've seen all year, but if you're tired of being disappointed by Hollywood and not being able to see great movies just because they don't have a big budget to work with, do the right thing and support 'Attack the Block.' Unfortunately it's only playing in eight theaters across the nation tomorrow, but if you're even remotely close to any of the theaters listed below, make the trip and see this great movie.
AUSTIN
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema - Link
1120 S Lamar Blvd
Austin, TX 78704
CHICAGO
AMC River East 21 - Link
322 E Illinois St
Chicago, IL 60611
LOS ANGELES
Arclight Hollywood - Link
6360 W Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90028
NEW YORK
AMC Empire 25 - Link
234 West 42nd Street
New York, NY 10036
Regal Union Square Stadium 14 - Link
850 Broadway
(between 13th St & 14th St)
New York, NY 10003
SAN FRANCISCO
AMC Loews Metreon 16 - Link
101 4th Street
San Francisco, CA 94103
SEATTLE
Meridian 16 Cinemas - Link
1501 7th Ave
Seattle, WA 98101
TORONTO - Link
AMC 24 Yonge & Dundas
10 Dundas St E
Toronto, ON M5B 2G4
Which alien-invasion movie are you planning on seeing this weekend?
Photos courtesy of Warner Bros. and Sony.