Here's the deal. A 15-year-old Soviet communications satellite, the IKON, has suffered a system glitch and is about to come crashing into the atmosphere. NASA Director Bob Gerson (James Cromwell, at his sleazily political best) agrees to launch a shuttle mission to fix the critter. The problem is, only one man really knows the ins and outs of the obsolete equipment--Dr. Frank Corvin (Eastwood), the guy who designed it in the first place.
There is no love lost between Gerson and Corvin. Frank blames Gerson for preventing him and his buddies, the Project Daedalus crew, from making it into space in the early years of the space race. He's not about to just roll over and teach some wet-nosed kid how to fix the satellite. He will, however, go do it himself--and his buddies will have to go with him.
Gerson agrees, but he has no intention of allowing the geezer group to fly the mission no matter if they meet the physical requirements or not. The power of the media, however, soon renders his doublecross academic--the public expects Corvin and crew and that's what happens. Flight Director Eugene Davis (William Devane) does insist that two of the younger generation go along as back-up, and it isn't really his fault of one of them turns out to be an anal-retentive who nearly launches World War III. Of course, halfway through the movie you just know that's more than a com-sat up there, but by then you're having too much fun to care.
Space Cowboys isn't going to pave any interstates for empowering the elderly, although it definitely does a middle-aged heart good to see these guys outsmart all those multi-degreed twenty-something hotshots with their clipboards and their superior smirks. What it does do is offer two hours of first class entertainment, powered by four veteran performers who make what they do look so easy they simply take over the screen an drag you along for the ride.
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