SPACE COWBOYS

CAPSULE REVIEW –– Though I respect Clint Eastwood, I can't say that he's one of my favorite actors. The tough guy role has worn thin over the years. He has tremendous range, as seen in BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY, but always falls back on the gruff, angry man routine, like his character here. I guess that's why people pay to see his movies. It's taken me awhile to see this film because it just didn't seem to have anything new to say. Except that our senior citizens can still make valuable contributions to society, which wasn't really explored in an admirable light. What was, is a myriad of banal, silly jokes about being and getting old. The main story, which is about a foursome of retired Air Force pilots, who were denied their chance to become astronauts, are recruited by their old boss/nemesis to fix a Russian satellite before it plummets to Earth. The reasons why the governments want it to stay up are a mystery that isn't original enough for us to care about solving. Despite funny and honest performances by Eastwood, Jones, Sutherland, Garner and Harden, the plot is lighter than air, holding absolutely no surprises. I found the ride entertaining, but not enough to really care about the outcome. There's just too much of a "been there, done that" feeling to the proceedings. Not the most exciting or memorable trip beyond the stars.