After John Glenn ventured into space as an elder statesman, it was just a matter of time before we would get a "Geezers in Space" flick. It didn't take long, and it's not surprising that Clint Eastwood is delivering the goods. After all, he has directed and starred in a number films that pay homage to older people ever since Unforgiven in 1992, the most embarrassing being when he played a ladies' man in Absolute Power. At least we can be thankful that Clint didn't cast himself as the "irresistible" womanizer in his latest vehicle.

This is a no brainer film. You won't be pondering the nature of Man's existence or contemplating the fine line between Truth and illusion with Eastwood's film. If you're like me, you'll just be thinking about what you're going to do with the rest of the evening. It's enjoyable enough--better than watching an invisible rapist-killer movie, but it's so predictable and formulaic that it's soon forgotten, much like the Gerber's baby food that most of us grew up on.

The premise is convoluted, but easy enough to follow. The film begins with a black and white opening sequence that begins with a pair of test pilots shooting through the clouds much like Chuck Yeager in The Right Stuff. Clint has enough sense to realize that there's not enough make-up in Hollywood to cover up 50 years of aging, so younger 1958 versions of Frank Corvin and Hawk Hawkins are played by Toby Stevens and Eli Craig respectively. Corvin is the dynamic leader of the Air Force Team Daedalus flight crew while Hawkins is the risky daredevil of the team. Team Daedalus is preparing to become the first astronauts until politics or the manipulations of Bob Gerson (Billie Worley) transfers the program to NASA.

Over forty years passes and the film transforms into color with Corvin (now the aged Eastwood) happily in retirement. Fate, or a manipulative movie script, has intervened and Corvin is now required to solve a problem for NASA and Gerson (now played by James Cromwell). It turns out that a Russian satellite named Ikon is descending rapidly towards Earth and will crash in about a month unless Corvin can help with its obsolete technology. All others who had the knowledge are dead, and there are a number of jokes that remind us of this.

This provides Corvin with blackmail material to force Gerson to send Corvin and Team Daedalus into space. One of the funnier lines occurs here as Gerson complains, "I can't fill up a space shuttle with geriatrics!" Frank replies,"The clock's ticking, Bob, and I'm only getting older."

That sets up the most enjoyable portion of the movie, where Team Daedalus gets together and attempt to get into shape. Tommy Lee Jones is hardly a geezer and looks about 20 years younger than the others, but he plays his daredevil role quite naturally. Jones also gets the girl while Jerry O'Neill (Donald Sutherland) continually tries to get any girl who comes within a yard of him. Corvin doesn't have to work too hard to get mediocre preacher Tank Sullivan (James Garner) to join the project. He reminds him that the experience will "give you material for three or four more sermons."

Eastwood attempts to set up some suspenseful moments, but anyone who's seen a number of films will foresee the outcome well before the denouement. A few of these elements:

1. This film is about the geezers going into space, so of course they'll get their shot instead of the younger understudies.
2. A younger astronauts thinks he knows everything, so naturally he will be put in his place.
3. Complications to unfold in space. After all, it would be—a routine trip would be really boring.
4. One of the team is diagnosed with cancer, setting the potential for a heroic scene.

So the film isn't as suspenseful as its hype claims . If you want suspense, then forget everything you've ever seen in the movies or read in books. Don't expect any great special effects or fancy editing either. This is not The Right Stuff in a plethora of ways.The editing won't knock your socks off, but shows competence by not interfering with the story. The best parts lie with the geriatric jokes interspersed throughout the story.

Space Cowboys tells a traditional Hollywood story without risks. That means there will be a feel good final scene that is designed to make the audience talk well of the film after viewing even though you won't remember much of the details.