Director Report Card: Barry Sonnenfeld (1999)

6. Wild Wild West

In the sixties, the Western – the stalwart genre of American TV – was loosing ground to James Bond's televised off-spring. Writer Michael Garrison came up with the novel solution of combining the two ideas. “The Wild Wild West” essentially stuck “The Man from U.N.C.L.E.” into the days of cowboys and Indians. By including era appropriate high-tech gadgets, the show accidentally brought steampunk to the masses. The series ran for four years, became a cult favorite, and replayed in re-runs often. In the nineties, movie studios sought to cash-in on audience's built-in fondness for old TV shows by adapting them to film. Someone had the idea to retrofit “The Wild Wild West” into a vehicle for Mel Gibson, with the “Lethal Weapon” team of Richard Donner and Shane Black reuniting behind the camera. When Gibson and Donner decided to adapt a different old western show instead, “Wild Wild West” was handed over to Barry Sonnenfeld and Will Smith. Sonnenfeld's “Addams Family” films were some of the best entries of the TV-to-film fad and “Men in Black” was a blockbuster, so the decision made sense at the time. The resulting film, however, was widely loathed and a box office disappointment. But here's the moment where you, the reader, loose all respect for me: I kind of like this movie. 

The year is 1869, President Grant is in the Oval Office, and America is still recovering from the wounds of the Civil War. Army Captain James West is on the trail of former Confederate General McGrath, who perpetuated a massacre on a village of freed slaves. McGrath is seemingly kidnapping top ranking American scientists for mysterious reasons. While investigating, West runs into U.S. marshal, inventor, and master of disguise Artemis Gordon. Grant forces the two combustible men to work together. They soon learn that McGrath is simply working for Dr. Arlis Loveless, a former Confederate who lost half his body in the war... And has replaced it with steam-power mechanics. Loveless has hatched a mad plot to take over America and only these two men, with the help of the supposed daughter of one of the missing scientists, can stop him.

“Wild Wild West” came out a mere two years after “Men in Black,” suggesting production began on the film the minute it was clear Sonnenfeld and Smith's first collaboration was a hit. This was clearly on everyone's mind as “Wild Wild West” is an obvious attempt to replicate “Men in Black's” success. Like that film, it takes the very familiar buddy cop set-up and applies a sci-fi coat of paint to it. Yet “Wild Wild West” is even more indebted to formula than Sonnenfeld's last stab at the genre. Jim West and Artemis Gordon bicker far more than Jay and Kay did, fitting the traditional roles of by-the-book expert and loose cannon rebel more closely. Their banter is more belligerent and their growth from enemies to friends more obvious. We even have the scene of their boss – the president, in this case – insisting they become partners, hoping their competing tendencies will mellow each other out. If “Men in Black” put a clever spin on the familiar premise, “Wild Wild West” is in dutiful servitude to it.

The adherence to buddy cop formula includes one of the unspoken rules of the subgenre: Barely contained homoeroticism. “Wild Wild West” is, in fact, all too aware of the gay subtext. West and Gordon are introduced while the latter is in drag. This leads to a later conversation, about the merits of Gordon's fake breasts design, causing a hilariously contrived discussion when heard out-of-context. Later, a scene involving magnetic collars concludes with West's face level with Gordon's belt buckle. Before the film's end, West gets in drag too. Honestly, it's almost delightful and kind of subversive how much “Wild Wild West” front-lines the queer element of this genre. (Even if it means the female characters are a causality of the overriding machismo, reduced to eye candy in fetish-y lingerie, schemers, prostitutes, or evil hench-women.)

This is not the only way “Wild Wild West” is either extremely dumb or surprisingly subversive. The use of a black protagonist in a western was not unheard of in 1999, thanks to a mini-wave of blaxploitation westerns in the seventies. Yet a 170 million dollar blockbuster in the late nineties addressing themes like racism and the legacy of slavery was practically unheard of. West is clearly traumatized by the violence and horrors he's endured. As he beats down Loveless, he's striking back at the entire history of black oppression in America. Yet don't give “Wild Wild West” too much credit for being “Django Unchained” before “Django Unchained” was a thing. It's handling of racial issues is clumsy, at best, as West and Loveless get into a childish name-calling contest every time they face each other. Whether this is a bold take-down of America's racist history or a clueless popcorn flick tastelessly fumbling over a sensitive topic is a matter of opinion. 

While its debatable how far ahead of the curve “Wild Wild West” was on creating a black hero, it was definitely ahead of the curve when it comes to steampunk. Twenty years later, steampunk officially got so big that it's played out now but “Wild Wild West” was one of the first major films to utilize the concept. It is, I think undeniably, the coolest thing about the film. Scenes were Gordon sups up his bone-shaker bicycle with a steam engine or the introduction of Loveless, in his steam-powered wheelchair, are very indicative of the style. While the behind-the-scenes reasons why it's in the movie have long since become a source of Hollywood legend, I'm going to admit this too: I actually really like the giant steam-powered spider. It's an amazing visual, beautifully brought to life via a combination of practical props, stop-motion, and CGI that still looks pretty good. Despite many reviewers referring to the giant spider's presence as nonsensical, it's actually what the entire movie is building up to. Loveless even builds himself a pair of hydraulic spider legs for himself. 

Compared to the absurd and sometimes dry humor well utilized in “Men in Black,” the comedy in “Wild Wild West” is much more aggressively goofy. Some sequences feel painfully wacky. Such as when Jim West first arrives on Gordon's gadget-laden train, the comedy getting too CGI heavy and too cartoonish. This is hardly the only time the wacky gadgets are utilized for overly broad comedy. Later, Will Smith springs into the air via a rubbery noose. The sequence that predates that moment, in which Smith desperately explains to a crowd of Southern gentleman why he drummed on a white lady's big titties, is more awkward than funny. The movie is certainly not above stupid, easy gags, such as when Smith kicks a cyborg henchmen in his jangling metallic balls. 

The dumb-ass humor is not the only thing about “Wild Wild West” that could accurately be criticized for being dumb. The script isn't exactly as sturdy as it could be. West and Gordon depend on blind luck too many times. The first scene has Smith getting on the trail of the bad guys because they happen to show up right under the water tower he's having sex in. Later, Gordon is led to the train tracks Loveless is using via a ultra-powerful magnet that randomly pulls him towards it. Later, West sneaks right into Loveless' lair by dressing in drag, a scheme that works out for him far too well. Probably the most random decision in the script is a moment where a giant henchman West is fighting just... Literally drops dead for no discernible reason at all. The writers – which included S.S. Wilson and Brent Maddock of “Tremors” fame, who claim their script was completely rewritten – clearly got themselves into a corner they couldn't escape there. 

The times when “Wild Wild West's” stupidity works is when it allows Will Smith and Kevin Kline to play off each other. The scene of the two feeling each other's fake boobs or trading ass puns while sleeping across from each other generate the biggest laughs. Kline's performance is one of extreme hamminess, going through the whole movie as a foppish dandy. Smith's performance, meanwhile, lacks much of the smart-ass energy that made Agent J likable. In fact, he largely plays Jim West as a macho asshole who whips his gun out at the smallest provocation. Yet, somehow, these two balance each other out more often than not. Kline screaming West's name to the heavens, their light banter while flying through the air, or Smith swinging a small knife around are stupid jokes... But they made me laugh, so I guess they work.

No matter the quality of the script, Sonnenfeld's films usually have fantastic supporting cast. This is also true of “Wild Wild West.” Kenneth Branagh affects an entertainingly ridiculous Southern accent as Loveless. He clearly enjoys hamming it up as a verbose supervillain prone to cartoonishly evil statements. Ted Levine plays a very Ted Levine-like part, as a hideous and sleazy Confederate soldier who sweats and grunts through his whole role. M. Emmet Walsh's ability to milk reaction shots for maximum humor is well-utilized as the train's engineer. (Punningly named “Coleman.”) Salma Hayek was clearly cast largely as eye candy, as she spends most of the movie is minimal clothing, but she tries her best to make the character a little more. It's clear that Rita is adapt at manipulating the spellbound men around her.

If nothing else positive can be said about “Wild Wild West,” let it be known that this is obviously a Barry Sonnenfeld movie. From early on, he utilizes a lot of his trademark moving camera. Such as when West is sliding along an improvised zip line. Or during the very first scene, when the camera takes the perspective of a flying buzz saw. When those saws return later in the film, it provides lots of similarly fluid camerawork. Sonnenfeld can't help but throw in a number of visual puns. Such as when a tank unloading on an army of men leaves giant bulls-eye pattern on the ground. Or when a puppy is introduced into a scene specifically to recreate the famous “His Master's Voice” painting. 

“Wild Wild West” was one of the most expensive movies ever made up to this point and that money is clearly on-screen. The sets, costumes, production design, and effects are all excellent. That extends to the music. Elmer Bernstein, a veteran of several iconic westerns, provides a properly rollicking score. He combines traditionally western-sounding themes with a more modern sound, reflecting the movie's content. In another naked attempt to recreate “Men in Black's” success, Will Smith also rapped a sample-heavy hip-hop theme song for the movie. Much like the “Men in Black” song, the “Wild Wild West” song is also extremely stupid and ridiculously catchy. (Though I'm completely incapable of hearing it without thinking of Neil Cicierega's hilarious evisceration.) 

From early on, the execs at Warner Brothers realized they had a bomb on their hands with this one. After limp test-screenings, a number of extremely costly reshoots were done but they did little to improve its outlook. By all reports, the entire cast hated making the movie and Will Smith has publicly apologized for it on several occasions. (He famously turned down “The Matrix” to star in this, which must sting.) By the time the movie arrived in theaters, the buzz was toxic. Critics were savage, audiences largely stayed away, and the movie swept the Razzies. The movie seems to broadcast its contempt to the audience, as one of the final shots is of a rock formation in the shape of a middle finger. It's only because of the international market, more immune to dumb-ass action flicks, that the film kept from being a nuclear-scale bomb. No re-evaluations have arrived and the movie continues to be a cinematic punching bag to this day. I guess you can just chalk it up to being a guilty pleasure on my behalf, though I hope I've made the case for this one being a little better than it's reputation suggests. Fuck it, I'm going to give this movie a positive score. If “Wild Wild West” is trash, look at me, I like trash. [Grade: B]