Quartile rating: 6.5/10 · 1 rating
Frank Corvin, ‘Hawk’ Hawkins, Jerry O'Neill and ‘Tank’ Sullivan were hotdog members of Project Daedalus, the US Air Force's test program for space travel, but their hopes were dashed in 1958 with the formation of NASA and the use of trained chimps. They blackmail their way into orbit when Russia's mysterious ‘Ikon’ communications satellite's orbit begins to degrade and threatens to crash to Earth.
Space Cowboys is a likable but modest ensemble piece elevated by its charismatic cast of aging legends (Eastwood, Jones, Garner, Sutherland). The premise — old test pilots finally getting their shot at space — is charming and reasonably original in execution, though it follows a fairly conventional 'reluctant heroes' arc. The cinematography is competent studio fare without distinctive visual ambition. The ending takes a sentimental but somewhat melodramatic turn that strains credibility and feels more manipulative than earned, pulling the film down from its breezy first two acts. Novelty is moderate — the elderly-astronaut angle gives it a distinctive hook that keeps it from feeling entirely generic, but the thriller mechanics are routine.