Wild Wild West Review
by James Brundage (brundage AT alltel DOT net)July 3rd, 1999
Wild Wild West
Starring Will Smith, Kevin Kline, Selma Hayek, and Kenneth Brannaugh
Directed by Barry Sonnenfield
Written by Brent Maddock, Jeffery Price, Peter S. Seaman, and S.S. Wilson
As reviewed by James Brundage
I'm back. I've been over at the other end of the country for about two and a half weeks, going through the desert and California for no reason in particular but unfortunately, in my whirlwind vacation of the country, I have had no time to view a movie in theatres… until today. Today, I came back. Today, I watched Wild Wild West, Austin Powers 2, and my first episode of "Sex and the City" in two and a half weeks. I'm back.
Unfortunately, both of these movies disappointed me. With Austin Powers 2, it was the buzz others had given it that made it a disappointment. With Wild Wild West, it feels as if it is a matter of faith. I have faith, as silly as it sounds, in Will Smith as a person able to pick hits. I have faith in Kenneth Brannaugh as a person able to pick intelligent roles. I have faith in Selma Hayek for being able to pick fun roles. I have faith in Kevin Kline as an actor normally (except for In & Out) to pick good movies. Most of all, however, I have faith in Barry Sonnenfield, who has been on my good side four movies in a row. Ever since The Adams Family, he has had me laughing and loving his movies. I feel very betrayed by all five of these people's latest endeavor, Wild Wild West.
I'll admit that I haven't watched the TV series at all, but, you know what, neither has the target audience. Anyway, the TV series featured Jim West as white and the movie is so dotted with racial humor that a major resemblance wouldn't really be possible. The fact remains that I did not enjoy the movie, did not find it to be an intelligent film or even a very fun film. Barry Sonnenfield, for the past four movies, has turned out films that are wildly funny, fast-paced, and highly intelligent. Sure, we're all tempted to say Men in Black didn't have a brain because it was a summer film and because it was based on a comic book… but it did. Yet, when Barry and Will teamed up again for a go in the Wild Wild West, it turned out to be a foray into the realm of complete disappointment.
The plot, which four script doctors who probably haven't seen the TV series either concocted, involves a evil Dr. Loveless (Brannaugh), a legless psychopath out to conquer the world (of course) and the two secret agents (Jim West and Atremis Gordon, played by Will Smith and Kevin Kline, respectively) that stop him and save the girl (Selma Hayek).
First off, the girl has absolutely zilch to do with the plot and is only stuck in the film as a love interest. I can both forgive this and figure out why it happened (one of the five executive producers told the writers that they needed a love interest for Will Smith). Second off, the film tries to be an action movie instead of being a comedy. Barry Sonnfield may be good at pace, but he's no good at action. He can keep us interested by the fact that we watch a character crack great jokes while solving a mystery or figuring his way out of a problem, but he's no good at actually having an action sequence take place. Every time there is one in the film, it seems stolen from somewhere else (i.e. the part where he goes under the train reminding us all of Speed). Third, the comedy seems highly contrived in this film. While it is not, as called by some preemptive bad-mouthers, Men in Black Hats, Wild Wild West doesn't have the same original sense of humor that Men in Black and Get Shorty did. The sense of humor in this film is much too contrived for that. It drags its feet, sticks a good line in here or there, and then is done for.
This, of course, describes all of why the film in and of itself is bad. Earlier, when I came out of the film, I figured it was just OK, but, in retrospect, I can only justify it as bad. The only great part of seeing this film was seeing the full-length Eyes Wide Shut trailer in front of it.
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