Clint Eastwood’s ‘Space Cowboys’ Is Better Than Its Rotten Tomatoes Score

Among Clint Eastwood‘s most polarizing and underrated directorial efforts, Space Cowboys ranks high. Partially dismissed as a geriatric farce, the beautifully-acted thriller finds Eastwood and an aging team of retired astronauts thrust back into heroic action when a Russian satellite threatens to pierce Earth’s atmosphere. Equal parts a white-knuckle thriller, cozy hangout buddy movie, and a meditation on getting older, Space Cowboys deserves a better reputation than its divisive reception suggests.

With a sublime cast that includes Eastwood, Tommy Lee Jones, Donald Sutherland, and James Garner, Space Cowboys overcomes its gimmicky setup to once again prove what a terrific filmmaker Eastwood is. Although the dividing line can usually be traced to demographics, Space Cowboys is far more amusing and well-crafted than its disparate Rotten Tomatoes ratings would suggest.

What Is Clint Eastwood’s ‘Space Cowboys’ About?

Warner Bros.

Released on August 4, 2000, Space Cowboys is a technological thriller that begins in 1958 before moving to the present day. The story concerns Frank Corvin (Eastwood), a U.S. Air Force pilot and astronaut-in-training responsible for designing a satellite guidance system. When Frank and his three pilot pals attempt and fail to break the sound and altitude barrier, the USAF is stripped of its authority to handle space missions and is replaced by the newly minted NASA.

Frank’s three friends include William “Hawk” Hawkins (Lee Jones), Jerry O’Neill (Sutherland), and navigator-turned-pastor Tank Sullivan (Garner). In the year 2000, 42 years after being replaced by NASA, Frank is contacted by the agency when a Russian nuclear satellite goes off course and veers toward Earth’s atmosphere. Since Frank had designed the guidance system, NASA assigned him to fly into space and fix the problem himself. Reluctant due to his advancing age, Frank only agrees so long as his old colleagues can join him.

With a clear, consequential space mission outlined, the polarizing space Western functions as a tense ticking-clock techno-thriller that also finds time to become a cozy, hangout movie full of grandpa jokes. Peppered throughout are amusing meditations on aging and reflection on the past. When combined, the film overcomes its easily mockable title and premise to present a masterclass in top-tier acting. Unfortunately, given the target demographics, Space Cowboys was, to some extent, divided by the audience’s age gap.

‘Space Cowboys’ Divisive Reception, Explained

Clint Eastwood, Tommy Lee Jones, James Garner and Donald Sutherland in Space Cowboys

Space Cowboys proved a commercial success upon its summer 2000 release. The film grossed double its budget, earning $129 million on an estimated $60 to $65 million (via Box Office Mojo). Critics, who tend to be older on average, appreciated Eastwood’s deft direction, the dazzling special FX, and the cast’s incomparable chemistry.

In 2025, Space Cowboys holds a 78% Certified Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 73 Metascore, indicating overwhelming support. Yet, with a far lower 53% audience score, it’s clear the movie appealed more to professional reviewers than to casual (likely younger) moviegoers. RT’s Critics’ Consensus states:

“While the plot is overly clichéd, the superb acting by the stars (especially the tense interactions between Clint Eastwood and Tommy Lee Jones) and the spectacular special effects make this a movie worth seeing.”

Although the chasm between its reception among critics and non-critics isn’t as wide on IMDb (6.5), the underrated Space Cowboys remains better than its audience score suggests. The story may be derivative, and the action sequences may not live up to the crowd-pleasing FX of Armageddon, released two years earlier (73% audience score vs. 42% critics score). Still, the sheer interplay among the four all-time great actors and the chemistry they share is truly out of this world.

In a classic case of execution trumping originality, Space Cowboys compensates for its familiar story with Eastwood’s assured direction, top-tier performances, and impressive visual and sound effects. In addition to earning a Saturn Award nomination for Best Science Fiction Film and Best Actor and Director for Eastwood, Space Cowboys earned an Oscar nod for Best Sound Editing. In France, Les Cahiers du cinéma named Space Cowboys the ninth best movie of 2000. 25 years later, the film holds up just as well.

Why ‘Space Cowboys’ Deserves Another Shot in 2025

Clint Eastwood, Donald Sutherland and James Garner in Space Cowboys

Although it may not reinvent the space-mission wheel in a significant way, Space Cowboys deserves a reappraisal in 2025. First off, the great Donald Sutherland and James Garner are no longer with us, and they deliver outstanding performances that should be witnessed at least once. Secondly, with 25 years having passed, younger viewers who dismissed the movie in 2000 will undoubtedly have a greater appreciation for its message about aging and persevering past one’s so-called prime.

The effortless onscreen rapport, ease, and cozy comfort among the four leading actors, many of whom had previously worked together, will remind viewers of the power of performance. So often these days, an FX-driven movie that prioritizes eye-popping spectacle usually does so at the cost of excellent acting. If most of the budget is devoted to technology, then it becomes harder to pay for A-list actors, much less four veteran, Oscar-caliber talents like Eastwood, Jones, Sutherland, and Garner. Yet, the beauty of Space Cowboys is that it does not sacrifice its dazzling marvels for superior acting; it marries both and makes room for both to shine.

In a remarkable technological feat, some space-walk shots feature completely computer-generated spacesuits, with the actors’ faces projected onto their helmets in post-production. Yet, compared to today’s overreliant use of CGI that looks so unrealistically cartoonish, Space Cowboys remains as plausible as ever. Combined with the practical Mission Control set, constructed from real NASA blueprints, Space Cowboys feels more grounded and authentic than most modern-day sci-fi movies set in the cosmos.

At the heart of Space Cowboys is the universal truth that everyone gets older and everyone dies. With time, age, maturity, and experience, those who could not connect with the movie the first time around are sure to find value in what Space Cowboys has to say about the enduring friendship that lasts 50 years. Space Cowboys is available to buy or rent on Apple TV and Prime Video.