As soon as I had read the smallest of details about this film it was set in my mind that it would be a classic. The mouth watering proposition of having two cinema legends of Indiana Jones and James Bond fill the screen was almost too good. I closed my ears to the critics highly vocal over the clash of genres of Western and Sci-Fi, tried to forget the wasted evening of watching Jonah Hex and filled my head with thoughts of past Spielberg / Ford masterpieces and Casino Royale. There was no way this summer blockbuster would fall short.

The two leads live up to all expectations. Daniel Craig is the stoic loner Jake Lonergan, with no memory and a metal alien wrist band. Calm and unsurprisingly Bond-like, he quickly dispatches three would be bounty hunters in our first introduction to him. Harrison Ford revels in the villainous cattle boss and ex military Colonel Dolarhyde, who rules the small mining town of Absolution with an iron fist.

Director Jon Favreau must be given huge credit for keeping this film tightly wound across the two genres without descending into over the top clichés, even when we get sight of the Giger-esque alien invaders. Even with a running time of almost two hours there are no slow areas, just a fist clenching thriller that delivers old fashioned Spielberg (produced) action.

This film delivered on every level. It was everything it promised to be and more, and its not very often you can say that with films you have been looking forward to. Don’t believe the bad reviews, buy your ticket and rediscover what a great blockbuster should be.