History Film / CowboysAndAliens

* AlienAutopsy: Species inverted.

* AlienInvasion

* AnnoyingArrows: Arrows do little more than distract the aliens.
** That said, so do bullets.
* AntiHero: Lonergan and Dolarhyde.
* ArmCannon[=/=]HandBlast: The device attached to Lonergan's arm packs a ''hell'' of a punch.
* AsskickingEqualsAuthority: A source of friction between Dolarhyde and the Apaches. They don't accept him as a great warrior because they expect this trope; if he were, he would already have a big band of followers behind him.

* TheCavalry: [[spoiler:Lonergan's old gang]].
* ChekhovsGun:
** Emmett's knife.
** The scorching effect of the aliens' gold-mining device.
** The dynamite
** The fact that the town is a mining town.
* ChekhovsSkill: Doc learning how to shoot.

* CriminalAmnesiac

** Doc has his moments

* {{Fanservice}}: Olivia Wilde has a scene of her naked around a campfire in front of EVERYONE. Although [[ToplessnessFromTheBack nothing but her back]] (from the waist up) is shown.

* FireForgedFriends: Dolarhyde and Lonergan.

* GoodShepherd: Meacham.

* BottomlessMagazines: While shooting up the town Percy fires ''fourteen'' shots from his handgun. After the first six it might be that his father's worker (who is there to "take care" of Percy) hands him a fresh gun, but then he gets off another eight with no reloading.

* BottomlessMagazines: While shooting up the town Percy fires ''fourteen'' shots from his handgun with no visible reloading.

* BottomlessMagazine: While shooting up the town Percy fires ''fourteen'' shots from his handgun with no visible reloading.

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: ...and we never see that hand again.

* WhatADrag: Colonel Woodrow Dolarhyde (wrongly) punishes a hand for killing his cattle by letting him be dragged behind a horse.

* AwesomeMcCoolname: Colonel Woodrow Dolarhyde. Jake Lonergan sounds only slightly less badass.

* NiceHat: Par of the course for a western. And yes, we also remember those movies where Creator/HarrisonFord also wears a hat, thank you.

* TheGoodShepherd: Meacham.

* HumansAreWarriors: Cowboys and Indians manage to overcome their cultural differences and find a common language - that of a good battle. They're NotSoDifferent after all.

* NotSoDifferent:
** In a good sense, cowboys and Indians. Both share a [[HumansAreWarriors passion for a good fight]], had loved ones abducted by aliens, and want to defend the land they consider theirs.
** In a bad sense, cowboys and aliens. Both [[spoiler:lust for gold]], and are more than willing to destroy the natives that stand in their way. When Lonergan learns that the aliens [[spoiler:are PlanetLooters]], he very visibly [[HeelRealization hangs his head down in shame]].
** In a neutral sense, Dolarhyde and Jake. Although they hate each other's guts (at first), they are both less-than-entirely-moral men with a DarkAndTroubledPast who rediscover the brighter side of their souls.

* ImmuneToBullets: The aliens' exoskeletons shrug off regular period hanguns like they're nothing, [[RealityEnsues though they still are reasonably affected by the impact.]] Shotguns actually seem to wound them slightly, but their main problem is still the kinetic energy of ''those'' bullets--Jake uses this to great effect in the climax.

A 2011 film directed by Creator/JonFavreau, produced by Creator/StevenSpielberg and Creator/RonHoward, and starring Creator/HarrisonFord, Creator/OliviaWilde, Creator/DanielCraig, Creator/SamRockwell, Creator/ClancyBrown, and Creator/KeithCarradine, set in TheWildWest. It is based on [[Comicbook/CowboysAndAliens a 2006 graphic novel]], which even started as a movie pitch but DevelopmentHell made the comic be released first.

* RedemptionEqualsDeath: Despite having the option to flee to Mexico, Lonergan's old gang opt to stand and fight despite overwhelming odds, and are almost all killed while distracting the aliens in the climatic battle. The few that survive however are treated as heroes in the town.

* BadassGrandpa: The sheriff (an actual grandpa!) and Dolarhyde.

A 2011 film directed by Creator/JonFavreau, produced by Creator/StevenSpielberg and Creator/RonHoward, and starring Creator/HarrisonFord, Creator/OliviaWilde, Creator/DanielCraig, Creator/SamRockwell, Creator/ClancyBrown, and Creator/KeithCarradine, set in TheWildWest. It is based on a 2006 graphic novel, which even started as a movie pitch but DevelopmentHell made the comic be released first.

A 2011 film directed by Creator/JonFavreau, produced by Creator/StevenSpielberg and Creator/RonHoward, and starring Creator/HarrisonFord, Creator/OliviaWilde, and Creator/DanielCraig, set in TheWildWest. It is based on a 2006 graphic novel, which even started as a movie pitch but DevelopmentHell made the comic be released first.