Cowboys and Aliens! Check out these new featurettes from Pacific Rim and The Lone Ranger!

What, did I bring back some bad memories with that headline?

While some folks are predicting a similar box office flop for THE LONE RANGER as the ill-fated COWBOYS AND ALIENS, I think there’s much more optimism for Guillermo Del Toro‘s PACIFIC RIM. Personally, I’ll be seeing both, and while I may be one of the few that’s excited for Gore Verbinski‘s take on the legendary western hero, I still think it has a fighting chance of winning folks over. PACIFIC RIM seems a little more reliable, but you never know ’til you see the show.

Today, we have two new featurettes for each film, respectively. First up is another look at the Jaegers of PACIFIC RIM in a Mech Warriors featurette that goes into the design and function of the “walking buildings” in the sci-fi blockbuster. It’s always interesting to hear Del Toro talk about his creative choices as he’s so invested in them and articulates his intentions exceptionally, as is the case here.

Suit up:

The second featurette takes you to “Cowboy School” for THE LONE RANGER, where stars Armie Hammer and Ruth Wilson learn how to shoot, lasso, and ride like genuine cowboys (and girls). It’s not life-changing or anything, but cool to see the actors actually preparing for what they’ll be imitating onscreen. Always nice to know that they did more than just show up to the set and read some lines.

Saddle up:

THE LONE RANGER rides into theaters on July 3, 2013, while PACIFIC RIM rocks and socks into theaters on July 12, 2013.