The fun old TV series becomes a tired series of special-effects scenes. Will Smith tries, but is miscast and utterly unbelievable. (And I'm sorry, but having an African-American as a "top government agent" four years after the end of the Civil War simply cannot be made believable, despite valiant attempts to try.) Kevin Kline, a fine actor, does what he can as Artemus Gordon, but seems to be recapitulating his "In and Out" persona (Ross Martin was never that prissy.) Kenneth Branagh, as the villain, plays it so far over the top you can't even see the top from where he his. Salma Hayek is undeniably lovely, but is wasted (she's basically an afterthought). Special effects are good, plot is stupid, script is awful. As a fan of the old series, I was very disappointed.
648 Reviews
Lame bloated blockbuster
Buddy-5130 April 2000
`Wild Wild West' joins an increasingly long list of big bloated blockbusters, movies made for no possible reason beyond grabbing a quick summer buck yet which, ironically, by their very cynical and slapdash nature, utterly fail to connect with even the least demanding of audiences. The result is a multi-multi-million dollar debacle that leaves studios searching for answers and audiences shell-shocked into seeking out their entertainment along the more audacious pathway of off-Hollywood, independent filmmaking the single positive outcome of these dull, empty enterprises.
`Wild Wild West,' like so many films before it, looks to the relics of television's bygone era for inspiration as sad a comment as any on the dismal state of current movie creativity. As one not familiar with the original series, I cannot say what justice, or lack of justice, this homage does to its source. What is evident, judging from the results on screen, is that `Wild Wild West' is, as with most current blockbusters, top-heavy with special effects and as weak in the nether limbs as its legless villain. Straight Westerns being hopelessly out of fashion, especially for a special effects-driven summertime extravaganza, the filmmakers obviously felt that what was needed was a tongue-in-cheek approach to the material, resulting in a bizarre, but completely unfunny amalgam of fantasy and science-fiction gilded onto a Western format. The disparate styles simply fight against each other, leaving no one in the audience - neither Western nor science-fiction fans - satisfied.
The alleged plot involves the attempts by James West (Will Smith) and Artemis Gordon (Kevin Kline) to foil an evil Confederate inventor's plan to kidnap all the world's most brilliant scientists and, ultimately, terrorize the Union and President Grant into submission. This he attempts to do by creating a giant mechanized spider which is, obviously, a last ditch, desperate attempt on the part of the filmmakers to fulfill the seemingly insatiable demands of the modern audience to be dazzled by impressive special effects, no matter how inappropriate they appear in context. Here, though, the miscalculation is fatal because even the audience is wise enough to know when it is being had. Kline and Smith never achieve a palpable rapport despite the usual abundance of lame wise cracks and sarcastic asides designed to make them `hip' and `trendy' two qualities incongruous to the setting, which again shows the lack of real commitment to the spirit of the project. There is exactly one clever moment in the film an astonishingly creative homage to the old RCA logo that hints at what might have been had the moviemakers been willing to really let loose their anarchic imaginations and aimed for something truly sophisticated rather than simply pasting together a series of confused, poorly written blackout sketches.
Incidentally, even some of the expensive special effects come across as surprisingly crude, especially many of the shots utilizing rear-screen projection. Hence, this film strikes out even in the one ballpark in which it might have stood a chance of emerging victorious.
`Wild Wild West,' like so many films before it, looks to the relics of television's bygone era for inspiration as sad a comment as any on the dismal state of current movie creativity. As one not familiar with the original series, I cannot say what justice, or lack of justice, this homage does to its source. What is evident, judging from the results on screen, is that `Wild Wild West' is, as with most current blockbusters, top-heavy with special effects and as weak in the nether limbs as its legless villain. Straight Westerns being hopelessly out of fashion, especially for a special effects-driven summertime extravaganza, the filmmakers obviously felt that what was needed was a tongue-in-cheek approach to the material, resulting in a bizarre, but completely unfunny amalgam of fantasy and science-fiction gilded onto a Western format. The disparate styles simply fight against each other, leaving no one in the audience - neither Western nor science-fiction fans - satisfied.
The alleged plot involves the attempts by James West (Will Smith) and Artemis Gordon (Kevin Kline) to foil an evil Confederate inventor's plan to kidnap all the world's most brilliant scientists and, ultimately, terrorize the Union and President Grant into submission. This he attempts to do by creating a giant mechanized spider which is, obviously, a last ditch, desperate attempt on the part of the filmmakers to fulfill the seemingly insatiable demands of the modern audience to be dazzled by impressive special effects, no matter how inappropriate they appear in context. Here, though, the miscalculation is fatal because even the audience is wise enough to know when it is being had. Kline and Smith never achieve a palpable rapport despite the usual abundance of lame wise cracks and sarcastic asides designed to make them `hip' and `trendy' two qualities incongruous to the setting, which again shows the lack of real commitment to the spirit of the project. There is exactly one clever moment in the film an astonishingly creative homage to the old RCA logo that hints at what might have been had the moviemakers been willing to really let loose their anarchic imaginations and aimed for something truly sophisticated rather than simply pasting together a series of confused, poorly written blackout sketches.
Incidentally, even some of the expensive special effects come across as surprisingly crude, especially many of the shots utilizing rear-screen projection. Hence, this film strikes out even in the one ballpark in which it might have stood a chance of emerging victorious.
Don't the people making these movies LIKE the original shows?
schmigrex13 July 2008
I won't add more insults -- others here have done that well enough. This movie is godawful. But I will point out two areas that seem to be staples of bad movie remakes of beloved old TV shows. First, how about getting someone to write/direct that actually liked and understood the original? That person would understand that the West-Gordon relationship was the core. In a sense, West and Gordon complimented each other to make a slick, functional crime-fighting machine: West handled the action and romance, and Gordon took care of the thinking, deception, and humor (disguises). This was a well-used TV convention -- think the Kirk-Spock-McCoy triad in Star Trek, or the great contrasty chemistry between Bill Cosby and Robert Culp in I Spy. Add a lovable villain to the mix (not an offensive atrocity like the film-Loveless) and you've got a crazy, tongue-in-cheek action classic. The filmmakers here seemingly did not know or care about the fundamentals of the original show. Not that this is necessarily a problem, but then why bother resurrecting the premise in the first place? Why not just make Will Smith a different wild west troubleshooter? The Mission Impossible franchise has the same problem.
Second, why all the emphasis on showing the principals getting to know each other? I know -- because it eats up 30% of the script, and creates conflict. But the conflict should be between West and the villain. Jim and Artie should just BE. The TV show didn't bother explaining how West met and knew Gordon, any more than Barney Miller, Mission Impossible, or 24 found it necessary to have all the main characters meet and learn to work together. They were a team with a job to do. Audiences understand this concept; having a trumped-up plot about how the heroes meet and overcome their differences is a hackneyed device that only exposes the script weaknesses present. See the film version of Dragnet (a better film, though) for another example of this unfortunate trend.
Finally, a comment on the "race" issue. Inserting content that justifies Smith-West's skin color is no more necessary than explaining Henry V's skin color when Laurence Fishburne or Andre Braugher play him on stage. Indeed, ignoring Smith's race in a movie like this one would help us all look past such issues. If a blond actor had portrayed West, nobody would have suggested a plot that explains his Norwegian background! He just would have been West, and that would be that. But color-blind casting requires courage, and could conceivably cut into the film's bottom line. So, not in this spineless script.
I seldom get mad at movies I don't like. Even The Avengers didn't anger me, though it was possibly even worse than this one. This one ticked me off REAL good. Buy the original series on DVD instead, and see how it's done right.
Second, why all the emphasis on showing the principals getting to know each other? I know -- because it eats up 30% of the script, and creates conflict. But the conflict should be between West and the villain. Jim and Artie should just BE. The TV show didn't bother explaining how West met and knew Gordon, any more than Barney Miller, Mission Impossible, or 24 found it necessary to have all the main characters meet and learn to work together. They were a team with a job to do. Audiences understand this concept; having a trumped-up plot about how the heroes meet and overcome their differences is a hackneyed device that only exposes the script weaknesses present. See the film version of Dragnet (a better film, though) for another example of this unfortunate trend.
Finally, a comment on the "race" issue. Inserting content that justifies Smith-West's skin color is no more necessary than explaining Henry V's skin color when Laurence Fishburne or Andre Braugher play him on stage. Indeed, ignoring Smith's race in a movie like this one would help us all look past such issues. If a blond actor had portrayed West, nobody would have suggested a plot that explains his Norwegian background! He just would have been West, and that would be that. But color-blind casting requires courage, and could conceivably cut into the film's bottom line. So, not in this spineless script.
I seldom get mad at movies I don't like. Even The Avengers didn't anger me, though it was possibly even worse than this one. This one ticked me off REAL good. Buy the original series on DVD instead, and see how it's done right.
I don't understand the hate for this film!
ollie_killick1 September 2018
Fizzling Saddles ...
majikstl7 June 2005
Buried in this god-awful disaster of a movie is a germ of an inkling of an iota of a great idea. It is not the idea of making a big blockbuster out of the great old 1960s TV show "The Wild Wild West," an idea which can, at best, be described as tiresomely uninspired. Nor is there brilliance in transforming the image of the lead character just so that they could build the role around star-of-the-moment Will Smith. But out of that horribly perverse example of Hollywood commercial packaging there is an intriguing premise, which naturally seems to have slipped past all involved without a second glance. What if the best, brightest and most intrepid government agent working in post-Civil War America was, indeed, a black man? Realistically, how would an African-American, functioning in a repressive, racist society, where even the most liberal thinker would see him as a second-class citizen, indeed, a second class human being, be able to not only outsmart the bad guys, but to impress even the skeptical good guys? It is an intriguing idea because, on the one hand, such an agent would not be suspected of being a threat and, on the other hand, he would have to overcome so many more barriers than a white man would ever face. He would be both invisible and yet stand out like the proverbial sore thumb just about anywhere he went. He'd be constantly fighting two battles. Such a film could be thrilling and funny, yet something rare: original.
"The Wild Wild West" TV show itself was all those things: it was highly derivative of both the traditional western and the then-fresh James Bond-style spy movie -- with more than a little bit of Batman-style comic book campiness kicked in -- yet it was ingenious in the way it melded those mythic genres into a one-of-a-kind series. There was never anything quite like "The Wild Wild West" and never anything since -- including this disastrous 1997 movie.
Everything about WILD WILD WEST, the movie, is just plain bad: tacky special effects; clumsy direction; an embarrassing screenplay; plus a fine, bewildered cast wasted in totally unworkable roles. But as bad as everything else is, the base rot of WWW goes directly to its reworked premise. No matter how open minded one might be, or how much one prides oneself on being socially color blind, there is just no way to honestly accept replacing Robert Conrad, TV's James West, with Will Smith. The time and the place dictate that James West be a white male -- unless, the filmmakers acknowledge and embrace the incongruity and use it for a real purpose.
Yet, the filmmakers want it both ways: the audience is expected to be able to ignore Smith's skin color, while at the same time the entire plot is based on his confrontation with a white racist trying to reestablish Confederate power and seize control of the U.S. government. How can you respect or believe in a film or filmmakers that get all preachy about the evils of racism while all along dealing with the issue with absolutely no respect for historical honesty? It is not clear if having Smith play James West as a cocky, street smart, John Shaft-style character was intended to be a joke, social commentary or just absurd politically correct pandering to black audiences, but it is clear that it does not work. The most outrageously unbelievable thing about WILD WILD WEST is not the wildly improbable sci-fi inventions but that the Smith character actually makes it to the end of the film without being lynched. It's not that the anachronism of a cocksure 20th century black man confronting 19th century bigotry isn't workable, because that very time-warp racial comedy had already been done with much greater success in the Mel Brooks classic, BLAZING SADDLES. Unlike WWW, Brooks and company realized the sheer idiocy of the premise, yet used that to mock both the black and the white stereotypes with equal glee.
Where BLAZING SADDLES is an honest farce, WILD WILD WEST is dishonest and cowardly. All involved probably thought they were being pretty daring by flaunting convention and hiring Smith, but they did not hire Will Smith the African American, they hired Will Smith the action hero movie star. They built WILD WILD WEST around Smith's race, but only to exploit his contemporary Hollywood image, even to the point of letting him create and perform a totally inappropriate (and totally bad) rap song at the end. You can sense the film exploiting both Smith's star image and his race, while not wishing to risk challenging either. The film tries to reinvent "The Wild Wild West" TV show, but the changes are literally skin deep. To really explore and compare racism in America by blending the attitudes of two different American centuries would have been too wild wild of an idea for these timid timid filmmakers.
"The Wild Wild West" TV show itself was all those things: it was highly derivative of both the traditional western and the then-fresh James Bond-style spy movie -- with more than a little bit of Batman-style comic book campiness kicked in -- yet it was ingenious in the way it melded those mythic genres into a one-of-a-kind series. There was never anything quite like "The Wild Wild West" and never anything since -- including this disastrous 1997 movie.
Everything about WILD WILD WEST, the movie, is just plain bad: tacky special effects; clumsy direction; an embarrassing screenplay; plus a fine, bewildered cast wasted in totally unworkable roles. But as bad as everything else is, the base rot of WWW goes directly to its reworked premise. No matter how open minded one might be, or how much one prides oneself on being socially color blind, there is just no way to honestly accept replacing Robert Conrad, TV's James West, with Will Smith. The time and the place dictate that James West be a white male -- unless, the filmmakers acknowledge and embrace the incongruity and use it for a real purpose.
Yet, the filmmakers want it both ways: the audience is expected to be able to ignore Smith's skin color, while at the same time the entire plot is based on his confrontation with a white racist trying to reestablish Confederate power and seize control of the U.S. government. How can you respect or believe in a film or filmmakers that get all preachy about the evils of racism while all along dealing with the issue with absolutely no respect for historical honesty? It is not clear if having Smith play James West as a cocky, street smart, John Shaft-style character was intended to be a joke, social commentary or just absurd politically correct pandering to black audiences, but it is clear that it does not work. The most outrageously unbelievable thing about WILD WILD WEST is not the wildly improbable sci-fi inventions but that the Smith character actually makes it to the end of the film without being lynched. It's not that the anachronism of a cocksure 20th century black man confronting 19th century bigotry isn't workable, because that very time-warp racial comedy had already been done with much greater success in the Mel Brooks classic, BLAZING SADDLES. Unlike WWW, Brooks and company realized the sheer idiocy of the premise, yet used that to mock both the black and the white stereotypes with equal glee.
Where BLAZING SADDLES is an honest farce, WILD WILD WEST is dishonest and cowardly. All involved probably thought they were being pretty daring by flaunting convention and hiring Smith, but they did not hire Will Smith the African American, they hired Will Smith the action hero movie star. They built WILD WILD WEST around Smith's race, but only to exploit his contemporary Hollywood image, even to the point of letting him create and perform a totally inappropriate (and totally bad) rap song at the end. You can sense the film exploiting both Smith's star image and his race, while not wishing to risk challenging either. The film tries to reinvent "The Wild Wild West" TV show, but the changes are literally skin deep. To really explore and compare racism in America by blending the attitudes of two different American centuries would have been too wild wild of an idea for these timid timid filmmakers.
Worst Hollywood blockbuster of all time
Leofwine_draca16 May 2016
WILD WILD WEST truly is a stinker of a film. Words cannot adequately express just how inane and endlessly trite this stupid, effects-filled movie is; ostensibly it's the big screen adaptation of a '60s cult TV show, but in reality it brings out the very worst of the Hollywood blockbuster sensibility.
The main problem with this film is that it goes for the action comedy template, particularly heavy on the buddy buddy humour. Will Smith was riding high after MEN IN BLACK, but he's really bad here, and I mean really bad. As for Kevin Kline, you can barely believe that this was the same guy from A FISH CALLED WANDA; you actually feel sorry for him. The humour is all of the toilet variety, with a particular focus on oddly misogynistic cross-dressing jokes which quickly become old and rather disgusting. It's one of the unfunniest so-called comedies ever to make it to the screen.
Kenneth Branagh gives the worst performance of his career as the hammy disabled villain, and much of the extensive budget was given over to a huge CGI mechnical spider which hasn't aged very well at all. As for the actresses, including Bai Ling and Salma Hayek, they're literally treated as pieces of meat. Barry Sonnenfeld has directed some junk in his time but even he must be ashamed of this one. It's hard to believe that between them the writers of this thing were responsible for the likes of PREDATOR, TREMORS, and WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT.
Incidentally, WILD WILD WEST holds a special significance for me as the only film I've ever walked out of at the cinema. I believe in staying to watch a film to the end, no matter how bad - after all, you've paid to be there - but this was so appallingly awful that I felt I had no choice but to leave halfway through. Having recently watched the thing again right through to the end, I'm glad I made that choice.
The main problem with this film is that it goes for the action comedy template, particularly heavy on the buddy buddy humour. Will Smith was riding high after MEN IN BLACK, but he's really bad here, and I mean really bad. As for Kevin Kline, you can barely believe that this was the same guy from A FISH CALLED WANDA; you actually feel sorry for him. The humour is all of the toilet variety, with a particular focus on oddly misogynistic cross-dressing jokes which quickly become old and rather disgusting. It's one of the unfunniest so-called comedies ever to make it to the screen.
Kenneth Branagh gives the worst performance of his career as the hammy disabled villain, and much of the extensive budget was given over to a huge CGI mechnical spider which hasn't aged very well at all. As for the actresses, including Bai Ling and Salma Hayek, they're literally treated as pieces of meat. Barry Sonnenfeld has directed some junk in his time but even he must be ashamed of this one. It's hard to believe that between them the writers of this thing were responsible for the likes of PREDATOR, TREMORS, and WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT.
Incidentally, WILD WILD WEST holds a special significance for me as the only film I've ever walked out of at the cinema. I believe in staying to watch a film to the end, no matter how bad - after all, you've paid to be there - but this was so appallingly awful that I felt I had no choice but to leave halfway through. Having recently watched the thing again right through to the end, I'm glad I made that choice.
Just don't take it seriously
Jonkun22712 April 2004
Wow, there are a lot of bad votes for this movie here. I thought it was great. It's a Will Smith / Barry Sonnenfeld movie. You can't take it seriously. The humor is perfectly subtle and dry at times, and over the top at others. The storyline is only there to give opportunities for the jokes.
If you want a serious western, try The Magnificent Seven (or the original, 7 Samurai), Hombre, or some other classic. If you want a light-hearted evening, rent this. Probably don't buy it, but rent it.
For some reason it says that my review has to be more than 10 lines, so I'm throwing this in to make it work. Really a review for a movie like this doesn't need to be this long, but I guess I'll just comply.
If you want a serious western, try The Magnificent Seven (or the original, 7 Samurai), Hombre, or some other classic. If you want a light-hearted evening, rent this. Probably don't buy it, but rent it.
For some reason it says that my review has to be more than 10 lines, so I'm throwing this in to make it work. Really a review for a movie like this doesn't need to be this long, but I guess I'll just comply.
Will Wild West
view_and_review14 December 2020
Although anachronistic and down right silly at times, I liked it. It was funny and entertaining.
U. S. Army captain Jim West (Will Smith) and U. S. Marshal Artemus Gordon (Kevin Kline) are both after someone kidnapping scientists. They are thrust together as partners at the behest of the POTUS Ulysses S. Grant (also Kevin Kline). Their investigating puts them on the trail of an ambitious, polysyllabic, spurned confederate named Dr. Arliss Loveless (Kenneth Branagh). Dr. Loveless has a grand scheme to take the United States by force.
This was action comedy with a lot of retro and steam punk gadgetry. Instead of the cutting edge spy tools you'd see in 007 or "Mission: Impossible", Gordon and West were using the more rudimentary form of stuff we'd see today. "Wild Wild West" gets a lot of criticism, but I liked it. Sue me.
U. S. Army captain Jim West (Will Smith) and U. S. Marshal Artemus Gordon (Kevin Kline) are both after someone kidnapping scientists. They are thrust together as partners at the behest of the POTUS Ulysses S. Grant (also Kevin Kline). Their investigating puts them on the trail of an ambitious, polysyllabic, spurned confederate named Dr. Arliss Loveless (Kenneth Branagh). Dr. Loveless has a grand scheme to take the United States by force.
This was action comedy with a lot of retro and steam punk gadgetry. Instead of the cutting edge spy tools you'd see in 007 or "Mission: Impossible", Gordon and West were using the more rudimentary form of stuff we'd see today. "Wild Wild West" gets a lot of criticism, but I liked it. Sue me.
Wild, Wild and Way Wrong West
Bogmeister22 July 2005
Remake of the '60s TV series about a couple of intrepid secret agents in the 19th century who work directly for the President (Grant, in this case). Now, the thing is - and I'll say this up front - to me, agent Jim West IS Robert Conrad ...and always will be. I mean, Conrad is THE MAN, all right? Now, modern filmmakers, being the doofy flakes that they are, probably thought: is there any reason why James West cannot be ...Will Smith? Well, I could have told them why: because for all these years he's been Conrad! And Conrad certainly brought a unique sensibility to the role: the way he carried himself makes it difficult to imagine ANYONE else as West, let alone an actor specializing in easygoing comedy. Will Smith's comic timing worked well in "Independence Day" and great in "Men in Black", but is totally inappropriate for this part. They might as well have given him a different name, maybe as a replacement for the real Jim West. Of course, modern filmmakers, being the doofuses that they are, also thought, is there any reason we cannot include a giant spider in this movie, but the other Smith (Kevin) has already explained enough on that subject. Will Smith's chemistry with partner Gordon (Kline) is OK, but seems strained at points. English actor Branagh plays villain Loveless with a thick Southern accent to the point of self-mockery. Hayek is there as eye-candy, but I'm struck by how short she is, almost little-person size. The FX are good, as should be for such a huge budget (last I heard, about $180 million!). And there's nothing really that bad about the plot. But there's no sense of real danger - and therefore, no real tension. Here's where Smith's limitations show: all the kidding around make for a pointless story. I guess it's supposed to be plain fun. Hey, just for fun, let's get the real Jim West to beat up the Director.
It just isn't good
EdRooney8 July 1999
It's that time of year. The time when Hollywood trots out it's worst of the summer. You know the drill. There's a "Godzilla" every year, somebody has to be it. "Wild Wild West" clenches the title hands down this summer, and we still have eight weeks to go!
The Will Smith phenomenon has now entered it's third phase: overwhelming ego project. Teaming with his "Men In Black" director Barry Sonnenfeld, Smith has finally teetered over the edge and released an outright mess. A film that will hang in the halls of all time bad event flicks. Should we blame Smith? I think so. "Men In Black" and "Independence Day" were gigantic hits, they even call the 4th of July "Big Willie Weekend" due to these successes. I submit that these films were hits due to the films themselves, the writing, acting, directing, and not just because of Smith. "West" is finally the film that rests on Smith's comedic shoulders alone. The truth shines through clearly. Not everything Will Smith does is funny.
Based in the television show running from 1965-1970, the simple plot tells the tale of a Civil War era federal marshal James West (Smith), who must team up with a weapons expert (Kevin Kline, at his most painfully unfunny) to thwart the evil plans of the villain, and legless, Arliss Loveless (Kenneth Branagh). Along for the ride is a giant mechanical tarantula, President Grant, and the stunning, gorgeous, lovely, and just plain old hot Salma Hayek. The plot is just a simple excuse to push the characters through endless scenes that give birth to no laughs at all. Scenes that make the audience gringe with fear, as if something wrong is with them. Fear not my good people, these are professionals up on screen, and they blew it.
The screenplay, credited to FOUR writers, has the damnedest time to make any of the jokes funny. You would not believe just how far the cast goes to make this limp material work. It's embarrassing to watch, and even more embarrassing for the actors. There is not one funny moment in the film, not even a courtesy laugh for the attempt. Dead silence. I also disapprove of the attempt to squeeze racial jokes into the mix. Yes, Will Smith is African-American, but do we need to call attention to it every five minutes? The movie would've been better served had it left the race issue alone and just played up the potential fun of the concept.
Will Smith is simply miscast as the hero. He's an amiable actor who's proven himself with stronger material. This film clearly shows just how paper thin the Smith charm can be. While Kevin Kline tries but fails as well, it's really Hayek's role that's a mystery. She's barely in the film, and when her character is explained, you come to realize that she's not apart of the story at all. Hayek has always been a fun performer with winning personality. All this movie asks of her is to be the butt (literally) of a few jokes and keep the cleavage coming. A shameful waste of talent.
Director Sonnenfeld has also been at the helm of better pictures ("Get Shorty"), but for some reason I have yet to see a truly great film directed by him. There always seems to be a spark missing from the action, like a better, funnier film was in there somewhere but he can't find it. Relying in great amounts on special effects and the considerable use of easy-to-spot green screen shots, the typical Sonnenfeld camera work is either buried under all the mayhem or just not inventive when the attempt is actually made. This is a very top-heavy production with little chance to breathe. But Sonnenfeld made this choice, he must be held accountable for it.
The movie has been through many edits, and this shows with wildly out of tune continuity and many unexplained plot twists. Also grating on the brain is Elmer Bernstein's annoying and featherweight musical score. While we have Warner Brothers shamefully trotting out it's "We pray it's as big as the 'Men In Black'" Will Smith rap tune, Bernstein provides a flat score that serves no purpose to enliven the film. The cinematography is also without color, and the catering probably sucked too.
"Wild Wild West" is the product of zero imagination. A lifeless summer film that seems to stick out even more in this unusually good movie season. I am always wary of comic westerns, and this film seals that envelope. If this is what 160 million buys you? I'll take the 3 million "South Park" any day.------------ 0
The Will Smith phenomenon has now entered it's third phase: overwhelming ego project. Teaming with his "Men In Black" director Barry Sonnenfeld, Smith has finally teetered over the edge and released an outright mess. A film that will hang in the halls of all time bad event flicks. Should we blame Smith? I think so. "Men In Black" and "Independence Day" were gigantic hits, they even call the 4th of July "Big Willie Weekend" due to these successes. I submit that these films were hits due to the films themselves, the writing, acting, directing, and not just because of Smith. "West" is finally the film that rests on Smith's comedic shoulders alone. The truth shines through clearly. Not everything Will Smith does is funny.
Based in the television show running from 1965-1970, the simple plot tells the tale of a Civil War era federal marshal James West (Smith), who must team up with a weapons expert (Kevin Kline, at his most painfully unfunny) to thwart the evil plans of the villain, and legless, Arliss Loveless (Kenneth Branagh). Along for the ride is a giant mechanical tarantula, President Grant, and the stunning, gorgeous, lovely, and just plain old hot Salma Hayek. The plot is just a simple excuse to push the characters through endless scenes that give birth to no laughs at all. Scenes that make the audience gringe with fear, as if something wrong is with them. Fear not my good people, these are professionals up on screen, and they blew it.
The screenplay, credited to FOUR writers, has the damnedest time to make any of the jokes funny. You would not believe just how far the cast goes to make this limp material work. It's embarrassing to watch, and even more embarrassing for the actors. There is not one funny moment in the film, not even a courtesy laugh for the attempt. Dead silence. I also disapprove of the attempt to squeeze racial jokes into the mix. Yes, Will Smith is African-American, but do we need to call attention to it every five minutes? The movie would've been better served had it left the race issue alone and just played up the potential fun of the concept.
Will Smith is simply miscast as the hero. He's an amiable actor who's proven himself with stronger material. This film clearly shows just how paper thin the Smith charm can be. While Kevin Kline tries but fails as well, it's really Hayek's role that's a mystery. She's barely in the film, and when her character is explained, you come to realize that she's not apart of the story at all. Hayek has always been a fun performer with winning personality. All this movie asks of her is to be the butt (literally) of a few jokes and keep the cleavage coming. A shameful waste of talent.
Director Sonnenfeld has also been at the helm of better pictures ("Get Shorty"), but for some reason I have yet to see a truly great film directed by him. There always seems to be a spark missing from the action, like a better, funnier film was in there somewhere but he can't find it. Relying in great amounts on special effects and the considerable use of easy-to-spot green screen shots, the typical Sonnenfeld camera work is either buried under all the mayhem or just not inventive when the attempt is actually made. This is a very top-heavy production with little chance to breathe. But Sonnenfeld made this choice, he must be held accountable for it.
The movie has been through many edits, and this shows with wildly out of tune continuity and many unexplained plot twists. Also grating on the brain is Elmer Bernstein's annoying and featherweight musical score. While we have Warner Brothers shamefully trotting out it's "We pray it's as big as the 'Men In Black'" Will Smith rap tune, Bernstein provides a flat score that serves no purpose to enliven the film. The cinematography is also without color, and the catering probably sucked too.
"Wild Wild West" is the product of zero imagination. A lifeless summer film that seems to stick out even more in this unusually good movie season. I am always wary of comic westerns, and this film seals that envelope. If this is what 160 million buys you? I'll take the 3 million "South Park" any day.------------ 0
Hideously Awful
Byers20 April 2000
As a fan of the original TV show, I was really rooting for "Wild Wild West" to succeed. Imagine my disappointment then, when it turned out to be a complete failure, a dud of a movie, a huge disaster; in a word, it just plane sucked. There were so many mistakes and errors made by the so-called "filmmakers" that I'm not even sure where to start. First, casting Will Smith. Unless your willing to completely disregard the history of the late nineteenth century and make race a complete non-factor (which is not what the writers chose to do) there is no way to sell a black James West. Hell, the giant mechanical spider was more realistic than a black army officer in the post Civil War army. Don't get me wrong, I love Will Smith, but because he is black this role was just not right for him. Second, the writing. Four people are credited with the screenplay, and God only knows how many others "polished" the script along the way. Yet, with all this talent involved, the end result is hideous. It reminds me of the old maxim that a thousand monkeys randomly typing on typewriters would produce Shakespeare sooner or later; well in this case, they had a lot of writers carefully and selectively typing on typewriters, and they didn't get within a parsec of Shakespeare. The story and characters were all wrong (they needed to look at the original show, which got it right), the dialogue is truly pathetic (I got real sick of West and Gordon saying "We have to save OUR president" "That monster is after OUR president") and NONE of the jokes work. The absolute lowest point was when the writers tried to milk humor from a lynching; perhaps in their next effort, the writers will find the humor in the gas chambers of Auschwitz, or the killing fields of Bosnia. The musical score was also a complete failure; it was flat, unimaginative, boring and unengaging. The music should have been building suspense, providing a rousing theme, etc. Except, about all it provided was a headache and all it roused was my ire. "Wild Wild West" is the posterchild for the hallow, overhyped Hollywood movie that is supposed to be a guaranteed blockbuster (see also "Judge Dredd" and "The Avengers"), and it truly deserves the heaps of scorn and criticism which have been dumped on it. I can only pray that Smith's next project can restore his now tarnished reputation, and that Barry Sonnenfeld never makes another movie again as long as he lives.
A pathetic mess of a film
Ysman5 July 1999
This is by far the worst film of the summer and it is only July. I cannot imagine there being a bigger waste of talent and money being put on film in the next few months. All of the humor is trite and painfully forced. Kenneth Branaugh was great for what he had to work with and Kline has wasted his comic efforts recently with this and In and Out. Will Smith mugs his way through this debacle and basically reprises his Men In Black/ID4/Fresh Prince acting ability which was great when he had something funny to say. Salma Hayek is going to have to do more than show her butt to become a star. But even the greatest acting in the world couldn't have saved this mess. Hey if you like terrible story line, insulting unfunny racist and demeaning jokes and the poorest resolution to a film in years, Wild Wild West is the movie for you.
Waste of Time
Franky4 July 1999
Just another example of Hollywood excess gone for naught. This film is so bad that anyone who pays to see it should have their head examined. I'm sorry but sometimes hollywood execs should spend 100 million dollars on five smaller movies than one extravagent piece of garbage.
Kevin Kline, who is one of my favorite actors, did not seem to care in this film. Did he just phone it in? As for the rest of the acting, well, Mr. Kline was the best.
There were so many problems with the film I cannot even list them here. The first of many was that the plot just never interested you. Then, the special effects didn't work either.
Oh well, I'm sure Will Smith will make a comeback and this will not effect his bankability.
Kevin Kline, who is one of my favorite actors, did not seem to care in this film. Did he just phone it in? As for the rest of the acting, well, Mr. Kline was the best.
There were so many problems with the film I cannot even list them here. The first of many was that the plot just never interested you. Then, the special effects didn't work either.
Oh well, I'm sure Will Smith will make a comeback and this will not effect his bankability.
It's a blockbuster parody, what do ya expect?
Wuchakk17 June 2014
"Wild Wild West" has to be one of the most notorious films ever made. Released in 1999, it's a blockbuster parody of the late-60's TV series with Will Smith in the starring role, which should tip everyone off that the film's not meant to be taken seriously (not that the TV series could be taken all that seriously either, just more serious than this movie).
Kevin Kline plays James West's reluctant partner and he's a wiz with gizmos. Many complain about the "lack of chemistry" of the two stars, but I think it's a bunch of Barbra Streisand (BS). What these people don't get is that these characters are NOT SUPPOSED to like each other. As far as I'm concerned, Smith & Kline make an entertaining team and are perfectly suitable for this movie.
Kenneth Branagh and Ted Levine are also on hand as villains, but it's sassy, petite Salma Hayek who wins the prize for best supporting actor. This is only the second film I've seen her in and she just shines. Salma appears in some attractive outfits, including one with white fishnet stockings, and she's just a beauty to behold.
BOTTOM LINE: I don't get what the whiners are complaining about with this movie, unless they were uber-fans of the TV series and were expecting a serious film adaption. "Wild Wild West" is an energetic goofy blockbuster spoof with all the requisite trappings, like 1999's "The Mummy" and 2004's "Van Helsing." I call these types of films "big dumb fun" movies because they're not meant to be taken too seriously; they're "Summer blockbusters" and solely exist to entertain & amuse the viewer. Knowing this will help you appreciate "Wild Wild West." So turn off your brain and enjoy the ride.
The film runs 106 minutes and was shot in California, New Mexico, Utah, Arizona and Idaho.
GRADE: B
Kevin Kline plays James West's reluctant partner and he's a wiz with gizmos. Many complain about the "lack of chemistry" of the two stars, but I think it's a bunch of Barbra Streisand (BS). What these people don't get is that these characters are NOT SUPPOSED to like each other. As far as I'm concerned, Smith & Kline make an entertaining team and are perfectly suitable for this movie.
Kenneth Branagh and Ted Levine are also on hand as villains, but it's sassy, petite Salma Hayek who wins the prize for best supporting actor. This is only the second film I've seen her in and she just shines. Salma appears in some attractive outfits, including one with white fishnet stockings, and she's just a beauty to behold.
BOTTOM LINE: I don't get what the whiners are complaining about with this movie, unless they were uber-fans of the TV series and were expecting a serious film adaption. "Wild Wild West" is an energetic goofy blockbuster spoof with all the requisite trappings, like 1999's "The Mummy" and 2004's "Van Helsing." I call these types of films "big dumb fun" movies because they're not meant to be taken too seriously; they're "Summer blockbusters" and solely exist to entertain & amuse the viewer. Knowing this will help you appreciate "Wild Wild West." So turn off your brain and enjoy the ride.
The film runs 106 minutes and was shot in California, New Mexico, Utah, Arizona and Idaho.
GRADE: B
Smith's Smug Attitude Too Much For Me
ccthemovieman-115 March 2006
Here's a typical Will Smith movie which means lightweight action, him proclaiming he is Mr. Macho throughout the film, a dumb story.....but an entertaining film in a number of spots and fun to watch ONCE. That about sums up a lot of his films, one or two of which are a little better and a couple are far worse. Overall, this is pretty good....but there is only so much I can take of smug people (can you say, Chevy Chase?).
You can thank the special effects team for bailing out Smth's arrogant butt and making this movie fun to watch here and there. There were some very entertaining gadgets in here, especially the robots. The movie makes little sense, has no credibility and is a just a vehicle for mindless entertainment, which is fine at times. There is a place for that, for those who need a break from too-serious films.
This also is an excellent vehicle for the DVD format because the visuals are razor-sharp and colorful and the surround sound effective.
This is a combination sci-fi/western/comedy rolled into one and is almost a cartoon in nature. The villain, played by Kenneth Branagh, is so ludicrous that he's almost comical. Kevin Kline, as Smith's partner, is a likable guy and Hayek is there for her usual purpose: show off her ample boobs.
It's entertaining but I liked the old television show of this much better, the one featuring Robert Conrad and Ross Martin.
You can thank the special effects team for bailing out Smth's arrogant butt and making this movie fun to watch here and there. There were some very entertaining gadgets in here, especially the robots. The movie makes little sense, has no credibility and is a just a vehicle for mindless entertainment, which is fine at times. There is a place for that, for those who need a break from too-serious films.
This also is an excellent vehicle for the DVD format because the visuals are razor-sharp and colorful and the surround sound effective.
This is a combination sci-fi/western/comedy rolled into one and is almost a cartoon in nature. The villain, played by Kenneth Branagh, is so ludicrous that he's almost comical. Kevin Kline, as Smith's partner, is a likable guy and Hayek is there for her usual purpose: show off her ample boobs.
It's entertaining but I liked the old television show of this much better, the one featuring Robert Conrad and Ross Martin.
Why does everyone hate it?
pollyjackson20 March 2022
It's not that bad! It has its fun moments and the pairing of the two main stars works. I remember when it was released along with the soundtrack. I liked it then and I still like it now. People need to chill and not take themselves so seriously.
the worst movie I have ever seen
acerimmer200524 June 2005
If you are going to make a movie based on a much loved TV show have some respect for the show,this movie has none.
It takes a show that on the whole was not that bad and turns it into a really bad joke.
Will Smith as James West?! James West is supposed to be a western James Bond is there an Actor that looks less like a western James Bond then Will Smith.
He was only cast because of his name power at the time and it show he is not ever trying in this movie,he just keeps yelling his lines at the screen.
The rest of the cast is so awful i don't even want to talk about them. The thing that makes it worse is that they have all done good work in the past that is good but here they don't even seem to be trying.
Then there is the direction. Has there ever been a more incompetent director than Berry Summerfield?
The "Plot" is just awful.
Doctor Loveless(who in the TV show was a great character with Richard Keel as a henchman)is now a guy in a wheelchair who wants to use a gaint robot spider(That there is no way he could build in the 1860s)to kidnap the President and take over the west. Never mind that the ONE spider can only be in ONE place at once and that all you would have to do to stop it would be shoot it with a buch of cannons and that the vice president would take over for him and Grant would not be able to surrender to him,this is a Will Smith Movie.
Don't even get me started on the cross dressing scene.
Every piece of "plot" just leads to a mindless scene that is only there so that Warner Brothers can show you that they know what CGI is.
In short this is the worst movie I have ever seen,and it makes the Awful Men in Black 2 look like a classic.
I can't believe this made more money than the Classic South park movie on it opening weekend.
It takes a show that on the whole was not that bad and turns it into a really bad joke.
Will Smith as James West?! James West is supposed to be a western James Bond is there an Actor that looks less like a western James Bond then Will Smith.
He was only cast because of his name power at the time and it show he is not ever trying in this movie,he just keeps yelling his lines at the screen.
The rest of the cast is so awful i don't even want to talk about them. The thing that makes it worse is that they have all done good work in the past that is good but here they don't even seem to be trying.
Then there is the direction. Has there ever been a more incompetent director than Berry Summerfield?
The "Plot" is just awful.
Doctor Loveless(who in the TV show was a great character with Richard Keel as a henchman)is now a guy in a wheelchair who wants to use a gaint robot spider(That there is no way he could build in the 1860s)to kidnap the President and take over the west. Never mind that the ONE spider can only be in ONE place at once and that all you would have to do to stop it would be shoot it with a buch of cannons and that the vice president would take over for him and Grant would not be able to surrender to him,this is a Will Smith Movie.
Don't even get me started on the cross dressing scene.
Every piece of "plot" just leads to a mindless scene that is only there so that Warner Brothers can show you that they know what CGI is.
In short this is the worst movie I have ever seen,and it makes the Awful Men in Black 2 look like a classic.
I can't believe this made more money than the Classic South park movie on it opening weekend.
Very Entertaining
geneel10 August 2005
This movie is one of my favorites. I have my own copy of this movie. I have watched it several times and it is a very entertaining action/comedy/fantasy. I thoroughly enjoyed it. If you have not seen it, I recommend seeing it. Don't watch the broadcast version because they edit out some of the scenes and details that make this movie great and flow.
This movie version adds it's own style and favor to the concept originated in the TV series and can stand on its own merit. The story and dialog is clever, well written and flows well.
The chemistry between Will Smith , Kevin Cline, and Kenneth Branaugh was good. In fact the entire casting was well selected and the interaction worked. I liked the fake Victorian hi tech gadgets such as the steam powered wheelchair used by Dr. Loveless, the internal combustion powered bicycle, the custom train coach with all of it's gadgets, the bicycle flying machine, the tank, Dr. Loveless'weapon of mass destruction, Artemis Gordon's spur powered grinding machine and his numerous other inventions and disguises, to name a few. Costumes, makeup, and sets were excellent.
This movie version adds it's own style and favor to the concept originated in the TV series and can stand on its own merit. The story and dialog is clever, well written and flows well.
The chemistry between Will Smith , Kevin Cline, and Kenneth Branaugh was good. In fact the entire casting was well selected and the interaction worked. I liked the fake Victorian hi tech gadgets such as the steam powered wheelchair used by Dr. Loveless, the internal combustion powered bicycle, the custom train coach with all of it's gadgets, the bicycle flying machine, the tank, Dr. Loveless'weapon of mass destruction, Artemis Gordon's spur powered grinding machine and his numerous other inventions and disguises, to name a few. Costumes, makeup, and sets were excellent.
Fantastic is something that it is not
FilmFanInTheHouse22 December 2008
Wild Wild West (1999, Dir. Barry Sonnenfeld)
When a body is found and the killer is identified as General 'Bloodbath' McGrath (Levine), Capt. James West (Smith) is sent to find him. Thanks to U.S. Marshal Artemus Gordon (Kline), who was also on the case, McGrath manages to escape. Discovering that the legless Dr. Arliss Loveless (Branagh) is the real villain behind everything, West and Gordon must work together to track Loveless down.
With Will Smith in the lead role, you would think that WWW would end up as a fantastic film. It is entertaining, but fantastic is something that it is not. Everything is there to make it a good movie, and you even have four great stars in it, but unfortunately, there are not enough jokes, to make it what you was expecting.
And they say you scientists are supposed to be smart. - General 'Bloodbath' McGrath (Ted Levine)
When a body is found and the killer is identified as General 'Bloodbath' McGrath (Levine), Capt. James West (Smith) is sent to find him. Thanks to U.S. Marshal Artemus Gordon (Kline), who was also on the case, McGrath manages to escape. Discovering that the legless Dr. Arliss Loveless (Branagh) is the real villain behind everything, West and Gordon must work together to track Loveless down.
With Will Smith in the lead role, you would think that WWW would end up as a fantastic film. It is entertaining, but fantastic is something that it is not. Everything is there to make it a good movie, and you even have four great stars in it, but unfortunately, there are not enough jokes, to make it what you was expecting.
And they say you scientists are supposed to be smart. - General 'Bloodbath' McGrath (Ted Levine)
insulting to intelligent beings everywhere
robot-cat15 February 2004
First off, I'm a huge fan of the TV series, and this film had none of its wit or charm.
The script was terrible from start to finish. The whole racist angle was quite misplaced. I'd be willing to bet that at least half of racist terminology used by Branagh was historically inaccurate, but that's neither here nor there, it was simply unnecessary.
Sonnenfeld had the opportunity and certainly the talent(both his own and that of his cast) to make a classic western/spy/action/comedy, instead he just made a $170 million pile of poop.
On a positive note, I liked the giant spider machine and the wheelchair F/X.
2/10 or 1/2*(out of 4)
The script was terrible from start to finish. The whole racist angle was quite misplaced. I'd be willing to bet that at least half of racist terminology used by Branagh was historically inaccurate, but that's neither here nor there, it was simply unnecessary.
Sonnenfeld had the opportunity and certainly the talent(both his own and that of his cast) to make a classic western/spy/action/comedy, instead he just made a $170 million pile of poop.
On a positive note, I liked the giant spider machine and the wheelchair F/X.
2/10 or 1/2*(out of 4)
What a sad waste...
Chris Beilby20 February 2002
Back in the 60s, The Wild, Wild West, staring Robert Conrad and Russ Martin was one of the best shows of it's time, a interesting mixture of Science Fiction, Fantasy, Gadget Spy films, and light hearted satire. A favorite of mine, I've long enjoyed the show. So naturally, I was looking forward to the big screen adaption, even though it did star Will Smith (Sorry, Will, but you're no Robert Conrad.)
The movie had all the ingredients needed to make a good film: An excellent cast (Kevin Klein, Ken Branaugh, Selma Hayek, even Smith,) an excellent, proven director in Barry Sonnefeld, and a proven genre... Rather, it had all the ingredients that it needed except one... It had the worst script possible.
I've always been wary of any project that was written by committee, and this film is one project that proves why. The excellent cast, crew, and effects of this film were wasted on one of the worst screenplays I've ever seen. The clever (if pulp inspired) stories of the original series are replaced by tepid attempts at comedy which even Smith, who normally is very funny, can't pull off. Kenneth Branaugh succeeds at nothing other than managing to eat the scenery, unable to do anything else, since his lines are so bad. Klein is saddled with the role of Smith's straight man, something that he's just too damn funny to be. As for the effects, like I said, they were spectacular, but the problem is that they seem to be the 'be all and end all' of the movie, instead of working for the story (such as there was in this case.) The simple fact is that they overpower the film.
I guess, if you are a die hard Will Smith fan who has never seen the original series, you might like this one. But for fans of the old series, avoid it, and watch reruns, or else one of the two other shows in the genre, 'Legend' or 'The Adventures of Brisco County Junior.'
The movie had all the ingredients needed to make a good film: An excellent cast (Kevin Klein, Ken Branaugh, Selma Hayek, even Smith,) an excellent, proven director in Barry Sonnefeld, and a proven genre... Rather, it had all the ingredients that it needed except one... It had the worst script possible.
I've always been wary of any project that was written by committee, and this film is one project that proves why. The excellent cast, crew, and effects of this film were wasted on one of the worst screenplays I've ever seen. The clever (if pulp inspired) stories of the original series are replaced by tepid attempts at comedy which even Smith, who normally is very funny, can't pull off. Kenneth Branaugh succeeds at nothing other than managing to eat the scenery, unable to do anything else, since his lines are so bad. Klein is saddled with the role of Smith's straight man, something that he's just too damn funny to be. As for the effects, like I said, they were spectacular, but the problem is that they seem to be the 'be all and end all' of the movie, instead of working for the story (such as there was in this case.) The simple fact is that they overpower the film.
I guess, if you are a die hard Will Smith fan who has never seen the original series, you might like this one. But for fans of the old series, avoid it, and watch reruns, or else one of the two other shows in the genre, 'Legend' or 'The Adventures of Brisco County Junior.'
Among the worst of the year
Quinoa198430 April 2000
What was Barry Sonnenfeld thinking when he decided to make this? Well, he though Will Smith would propell him to his second Independence day block-buster. WRONG. Not every film can be as good as Men in Black. This film is just bad. I don't even reccomend it to kids. The story is so ridiculous I don't want to even go into it now. True, the talent in this film is great, but they are undermined by a 80-ft tarantula. And does Will Smith have to do a song for every damn movie he's in. I usually like films with Kevin Kline, but Uggh. D- (not F, I liked the Salma Hayek character).
What a waste
SKG-21 July 1999
I never saw the original TV show, so I can't compare, and I'm willing to concede a comic-Western-meets-James Bond-type show could work, but I know this much; this movie doesn't work. The story drags on too long, the so-called gags are lame, some fine comedic actors are left twisting in the wind(only Branagh held my interest for awhile, and I even got tired of him), and it's hard to believe Barry Sonnenfeld, who made the ADDAMS FAMILY movies and MEN IN BLACK so entertaining(not to mention GET SHORTY) could make a stinker like this. Some nice photography by Michael Ballhaus, but that's it.
What else is there really left to say?
matte72326 July 2000
You know after I finished watching this movie I thought to myself that this script had to have been written by 8 year olds! I can just imagine a group of second grade boys sitting around saying.... "Hey I got a great idea for a movie! Lets get that cool guy from Fresh Prince to play in a western and have some guy make cool gadgets and have alot of big machines like an 80ft spider blow up stuff and lets have some hot girl there so we can look at her breasts and show her butt for a second AWESOME!" I mean come on! This is total crap. Don't take my word for it though, just check out the horrible rating it received and read the other comments. I would comment on all the things I found wrong with this film but I dont want to sound like a broken record. I feel my fellow IMDB users have pretty much covered all the bases.
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