Welcome back to my blog. Here’s my recommendation of a movie to check out today and hope you punch your “Ticket to the Movies!” OK, let’s go with a completely grand stinkbomb called “Wild Wild West.” It’s the movie version with Will Smith of the iconic Western TV series of the 1960s with Robert Conrad – except that filmmakers dropped the “The” from the title and any creativity or watchability on the big screen.
“Wild Wild West” reeks so bad that a hazmat team might have been called out to some theaters at its premiere. I’m not saying there isn’t decent homage to the original tee-vee show, but everything is just totally sleazy in the tactical as well as strategic sense.
With “Wild Wild West,” you get Smith as the master of espionage “James ‘Jim’ West.” He’s a ladies man, too, and has a difficult time dealing with his erstwhile sidekick “Artemus Gordon,” played by Kevin Kline. “Artemus” is a brilliant, ahead-of-his time scientist and actually plays well off Smith. Unfortunately, whatever chemistry, which could have been developed better between the two, is nowhere to be found.
The only moderately interesting thing outside the casting of a cool black guy in place of what was a cool white guy from the ’60s, is that “Wild Wild West” is a “steampunk” film. What’s “steampunk?” Well, that’s a film where steam-powered machines rule the day. It’s interesting to see the blend since the movie is set in the post-Civil War (latter) 1800s. Even the bad guy’s wheelchair is steam-powered in what would have been the first motorized wheelchair!
Still, “Wild Wild West” does nothing but fall flat and the audience’s face is lost. The plot is basically mind-numbing as Smith and Kline look to stop an arch-villain and never plays out well. The actors appear as if they’re just going through the motions and it even has the stereotype female character (played by the usually wonderful Salma Hayek in a role I’m sure that isn’t on her resume today).
So, I say punch your “Ticket to the Movies!” and watch “Wild Wild West.” It is available on a limited number of subscription services and is available to rent or buy on other streaming services. You will thank me later for “Wild Wild West.”
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