ENTERTAINMENT

Movie Review: Space Cowboys
By: Andrew McG., Holy Trinity Elementary, Torbay, NF

The movie Space Cowboys is about four men who were rejected by the space program and the new NASA program in favour of a monkey that they sent up to be the first American in space. Now years later one of Frank Corvin's (played by Clint Eastwood) designs for a guidance system has ended up in a Russian communication satellite that was launched during the cold war. The reason for this is explained near the end of the movie.

Now the Satellite is crashing down to earth and the United States is trying to help keep it up. There's one problem! The technology is so old no one at NASA can decipher it. So NASA turns to Frank Corvin except he doesn't want to help because the person trying to keep up the satellite is the same guy who picked the monkey over him and the others. He decides to help only if NASA sends him and his old team up in space to fix the satellite. NASA didn't want to agree especially Bob Gerson( James Cromwell, Snow falling on Cedar ,the Green Mile, he's the one who sent up the monkey) because they think they're too old and out of shape. After NASA agrees he tries to round up his old team consisting of Hawk Hawkins, (Tommy Lee Jones) Jerry O'Neill, (Donald Sutherland) and Tank Sulliven (James Garner).

The director is Clint Eastwood (True Crime, Absolute Power and Escape from Alcatraz) who also starred as Frank Corvin. The special effects are good. It looks like you're actually in outer space. The earth looks real in the distance and the spaceship is believable.

Clint Eastwood , Tommy Lee Jones (Double Jeopardy, Rules of Engagement), Donald Sutherland (Without Limits, Instinct ), and James Garner (Twilight and My Fellow Americans) definitely fit their roles and they do a tremendous job portraying these characters.

Eastwood , Jones, Garner and Sutherland must have liked doing this because even when they were punching each other in the face they were smiling. They were going as fast in the simulator as possible – their faces were somewhat out of shape -- having bets as to who would pass out first, and they were still having fun. It's funny seeing the guys coming into NASA trying to hide the black eyes they got from fighting from the night before.

Space Cowboys is a good movie for all ages. I give it three and a half stars out of five. I recommend that you rent this in your spare time. This movie is great for all ages. Rent it ASAP.