Movie:
Space Cowboys, released theatrically in 2000, is the twenty-second directorial effort of Clint Eastwood, who also stars in the film as Frank Corvin. The star-studded cast also includes: Tommy Lee Jones (William "Hawk" Hawkins), Donald Sutherland (Jerry O'Neill), James Gardner (Tank Sullivan), James Cromwell (Bob Gerson), Marcia Gay Harden (Sara Holland), William Devane (Eugene Davis), and Loren Dean (Ethan Glance).

In 1958, the men of Team Daedalus (Frank, Hawk, Jerry, and Tank) were ready for their trip into space; however, they were denied their opportunity for glory. Forty years later, a Soviet communications satellite's guidance system fails, and the Russians approach NASA for help. If the satellite's guidance system isn't fixed, it will fall out of orbit in a month's time and throw Russia into turmoil. NASA agrees to help, but their engineers can't figure out the design, as it's quite dated. They soon discover, however, that its quite similar to technology that Frank Corvin designed for NASA. Bob Gerson, NASA's administrator, approaches Frank, who's still bitter at having been passed over, for help. Frank agrees to go into space and fix it – but only if his original team accompanies him. Gerson reluctantly agrees, and Team Daedalus then trains for the mission and goes into space.

With all that terrific talent, how could Space Cowboys be bad? I'm pleased to say that it isn't; in fact, I found it to be quite an enjoyable film. Sure, the film does have its faults. Its clichéd, some of the writing could've used a bit of work, it has a few slow places, and there's hardly any character development. But the acting is excellent and the film has many thrilling moments and humorous parts. I'm sure the film will be hit or miss for some people, but I really enjoyed it.

Picture:
Space Cowboys is presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen. The transfer is basically flawless, for the exception of a few specks that appear a few times during the course of the film. Colors are vibrant, flesh tones are natural, and blacks are rich and detailed. Contrast is likewise excellent. Edge enhancement throughout the film is also minimal.

Sound:
Space Cowboys is presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 in English and Dolby Surround 2.0 in French. Surrounds are used effectively and quite often during the film; several scenes were exceptionally impressive with the surrounds. Dialogue during the film is crisp and clean with no distortion that I detected. The score also sounds great. Subtitles are also available in French and English.

Extras:
Extras include four featurettes, filmographies for nine of the principal actors, the film's trailer, and several DVD-Rom features, including a "Space Shuttle Challenge" game. The four featurettes are: "Up Close with the Editor," "Tonight on Leno," "Effects," and "Back at the Ranch." "Up Close with the Editor" spotlights Joel Cox's efforts to blend CGI, live action and miniatures seamlessly into the film. "Tonight on Leno" is the full ten minutes worth of footage shot for inclusion in the film. "Effects" features interviews with Visual Effects Supervisor Michael Owen, who explains how the effects in the film were accomplished. "Back at the Ranch" features interviews with the cast and crew, and gives them a chance to share their experiences during the making of the film.

Summary:
While Space Cowboys won't appeal to everyone, I certainly recommend it for those interested in light-hearted space adventure or for fans of the actors. Warner's DVD has an excellent transfer, terrific sound, and a handful of decent extras. Recommended!