Review of Wild Wild West (1999) by Timm S — 31 Dec 2013

I'm a sucker for some good steam-punk. Wild Wild West feeds that fantasy, but only in the way you consider McDonald's a nutritious dinner. That's a little extreme. The movie's effects are decent, and the steampunk-style imaginings of several of the inventions are kinda cool (the giant walking spider, though...eh, not a fan), but it makes you wonder how such genius minds as Artemus Gordon and Dr. Loveless got lost in the annals of history.

So, the steampunk is okay, about on par with the comedy and action. I think Wild Wild West is funnier than the critics would have you believe. That's mostly on the strength of the personalities of Will Smith & Kevin Kline, as well as Barry Sonnenfeld's eccentric vision behind the camera. It's not hilarious, but there are some funny moments; just enough to where I don't hate the movie.

I think this movie's biggest problem is that late '90s Hollywood cynicism: throw big enough crap at them and they'll watch it. Wild Wild West looks like it was only made to capitalize on Men in Black's momentum. There was little other purpose than to see Will Smith in cowboy gear, instead of a black suit, kicking ass and cracking wise. I will say he does it well. It's what I like about Will Smith movies. He looked good as a cowboy, even while his acting was so-so and the script was weak. He gave almost exactly what I paid to see; nothing more and only a little less.

I always like Kevin Kline. He just has an awesome voice and presence. I can't dislike him in anything. And in this, I liked his earnest, almost naive, nerdy character. I liked him better than Jim West. Salma Hayek was...well, Salma Hayek: cute, intriguing but never offers more than the archetype her character was. Kenneth Brannagh, though, is a surprise. I'm always perplexed how he went from accomplished, highly-acclaimed Shakespearean films to mainstream stuff like this. I will say, he had a lot of energy and pinache as Dr. Loveless, but it seemed such a bizarre role, almost ill-suited for him. Like he tried too hard or something.

I don't think Wild Wild West is such a terrible movie. It's not one I have to own or watch if it's on, but if I do watch it I'll find something to enjoy here and there.