WILD WILD WEST
I doubt it.
Race relations aside, the decision on the part of director
Barry Sonnenfeld to hire Will Smith to star in the latest TV-show-inspired
film, Wild Wild West, was not a bad one. He's got tons of charm
and a good sense of timing, and, frankly, the whole script is
so far-fetched that the issue of Smith's race is the least unlikely
thing in the movie. The presence of Kevin Kline doesn't hurt anything
either, and Kenneth Branagh is completely over the top as the
villain. Whether the film bears any resemblance to the original
TV show starring Robert Conrad, however, is debatable.
In a generally preposterous story penned by Brent Maddock,
Jeffrey Price, Peter S. Seaman, and S.S. Wilson, Jim West (Smith)
and Artemus Gordon (Kline) are hired by the president (also Kline)
to search out the evil mastermind, Arliss Lovelace (Branagh).
Angry from the outcome of the war (especially since he lost half
his body in that outcome), Lovelace has kidnapped all the greatest
scientists of the time, and is using them to help him build lots
of ingenious inventions so he can carry out his evil plans. His
many toys include a precursor to the modern tank, a huge, walking
spider, and a multi-purpose automatic wheelchair. With the aid
of his pal, Confederate General "Blood Bath" McGrath
(Ted Levine), and a small army of leftover rebel soldiers who
can't give up the fight, he seeks to kidnap the president and
take control of the country.
West and Gordon are both good at what they do, but the trouble
is, they don't like each other very much. West, a gunslinging
cowboy, prefers to shoot first and ask questions later. Gordon,
an avid inventor, is more inclined to use gadgets and disguises
to accomplish his task. Always trying to rise above the need for
physical conflict, he wants to think his way out of trouble. To
make matters worse, the guys must compete for the affections of
Rita Escobar (Salma Hayek), the attractive daughter of one of
the scientists, who insists on coming along to help. But even
with their conflict of styles and the distraction of Rita, they
are forced to overcome their differences. Eventually they learn
to depend on each other, using both forms of investigation to
succeed.
Talents like Smith, Kline, and Branagh are a tremendous asset to a film like this. They take a mediocre script and make it an enjoyable movie. With as many plot holes and contrivances as it has, Wild Wild West is not going to win any awards, but the sheer fun generated by the characterizations will provide enough entertainment value for the average moviegoer. ****
Copyright 1999 by John R. McEwen and The Republican