Movie Defense Force: Wild Wild West

[Vzzdak]

Bit of trivia.

The box office returns for Wild Wild West were probably inflated (in the U.S.) because it had a PG-13 rating, for which kids could buy a ticket and instead go see South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut (R rating).

This trivia comes from commentary tracks for South Park, perhaps around season 3-4, where they were talking about how exausting it was to complete the South Park film, whilst also maintain production on the regular series. I don't think they were saying they'd been doing both simultaneously, but rather that they'd moved from one project to the next without a break.

 

[Vzzdak]

This [a href="http://moria.co.nz/sciencefiction/wild-wild-west-film-1999.htm"]film review[/a] puts Wild Wild West in perspective, explaining its relevance to the original series upon which it was based.

 

[ninjaRiv]

One of my Media teachers in college said this did so poorly because it had too many genres going on. Which, I can kind of agree with. The average Joe doesn't want to have too much fun.

 

[Andrew_C]

When a film starts with a man shouting "giant spider," you've gotta give it a chance.

Why is that, exactly?

Some stuff about the "rule of cool."

Except that there's nothing cool about it, so how does the "rule of cool" apply to such exceptionally dorky material?

You, Sir have no romance in your soul. How can you not be stirred by cries of "Giant Spider!", how can Steampunk - well Steampunk everything basically - not melt your icy heart?

 

[Canadamus Prime]

There's hate for this movie? I haven't seen the whole thing, but it didn't look to bad to me. Certainly not Wil Smith's worst movie.

 

[daxterx2005]

Again, another movie I love and don't feel requires defending.

 

[Metalrocks]

dint know either that it was seen as a bad movie. sure its not the greatest movie but as mentioned in the vid, its entertaining. i sure enjoyed it when i saw it a long time ago. have to get it on dvd one day. like to see it again.

 

[Jetsetneo]

Yeah I loved this movie as a kid, I guess I never heard of all the critical 'hate'.

Also this review was so worth hearing Jim say 'wiki...wiki...wiki... wild. wild. west.'

 

[jmarquiso]

My only problem with the film, is that the casting of Will Smith necessitated - for some reason - some sort of explanation of how a African American man could be a secret US Marshall. Now - while somehow they expected we could accept all this miraculous steam punk tech, we still had to have a ton of exposition explaining Will Smith's presence. There was no reason to. We're already seeing the movie and understand completely that he's the lead - already. We've come to the theatre already willing to suspend *that* disbelief. So there was no reason to explain it (to me). And I'm one of the people here usually sensitive to racial issues (and yet that scene between Smith and Branagh was actually one of my favorites largely due to its audacity).

As a side note - as stated in Critical Intel - the Pinkertons used women and African American servants as agents back then. Great - much more plausible - angle!

I still want to see that Underground Railroad movie.

I also highly recommend the original TV show.

 

[Abomination]

Agree 95%. I enjoyed the movie. I enjoyed how it didn't take itself seriously. I even enjoyed the racist and cripple jokes being traded back and forth.

I've seen it about 4 times in total and laughed every single time.

 

[Infernai]

I know,right? But Smith turned down the role of Neo for this. )

WAIT! Wait...wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait Wait!

Will Smith could have been Neo? You're saying history missed an opportunity to have Will Smith play a bullet stopping, flying trenchcoat kung-fu master AND the opportunity to see him in a DBZ styled flying brawl? I'm sad now.

....If you don't understand why I'm in disbelief and disappointed this never happened, then i want you to go back through alot of the major fight scenes and cool scenes and instead imagine how Will Smith would have acted during those sequences. And if the thought of a Kung-Fu performing Will Smith doesn't bring a smile to your face, then i don't know what will.

 

[Cheeco88]

Waterworld, and now Wild Wild West. Two of my favorite, 90s movies. I love you, Jim Sterling.

 

[Casual Shinji]

It's this movie's constant and embarrassing failed attempts at humor that makes me loath it. See also Men in Black 2, where I had serious trouble keeping my lunch down by how utterly putird the jokes were.

It's not the giant metal spider or any of the steampunk gizmos, it's the characters reaching Transformers levels of annoyance that make Wild Wild West so fucking... shit.

It also ripped off a stunt from Maverick, a much better Wild West action comedy.

You mean like:

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"
"We need to increase turret velocity, I'm hearing too much time between screams..."
"You go to hell sir!"
"You first sir."

"Well what are you going to go as?"
"Myself"
"A negro lawman in a room full of former slave owners? You'll win first prize."

[attacked by a knife wielding engineer]
"That's it. No more mister knife guy."

You forgot those hilarious transvestite bits. Because man dressed as woman is instant comedy gold.

Also, "Breath of fresh ass", "Let's just get some shut ass".... HA HA! Barry Sonnenfeld, you whimsical master you.

 

[piinyouri]

The only real complaint I feel can be thrown at this film is how overplayed it got on tv after it's release.

That aside.....did this really need a white knight defending it?
As others have said, who are these super serious people who hate fun movies?

 

[Strazdas]

A suggestion: Do HUdson Hawk. Bruce willish himself said hed rather die than act in it had he was given the choice now, its generally loathed film as a failure but its one of the best comedies in existence of human history. it definatelly deserves a place here.

 

[Arakasi]

I really do enjoy this movie, and I have never heard of anyone else who liked it, well defended Jim.

Also, thread would not be complete without Eric Cartman's rendition of Wild Wild West:

 

[Jodan]

totaly just went and watched this the moment after watching your defence of it.
and yes i agree that move was incrediably fun.

 

[GameChanger]

I know,right? But Smith turned down the role of Neo for this. )

WAIT! Wait...wait wait wait wait wait wait wait wait Wait!

Will Smith could have been Neo? You're saying history missed an opportunity to have Will Smith play a bullet stopping, flying trenchcoat kung-fu master AND the opportunity to see him in a DBZ styled flying brawl? I'm sad now.

....If you don't understand why I'm in disbelief and disappointed this never happened, then i want you to go back through alot of the major fight scenes and cool scenes and instead imagine how Will Smith would have acted during those sequences. And if the thought of a Kung-Fu performing Will Smith doesn't bring a smile to your face, then i don't know what will.

Let's make this even worse, one way or another.

Morpheus could have had Sean Connery's face.

 

[Tumedus]

Well, for me, your defense fails for one simple reason, you claim it's funny. I didn't find anything amusing about the film and most people I talk to agree. The movie sucks, not just because it's stupid, but because it's stupid and boring.

"Funny" is clearly a subjective standard so there is no point in arguing it, but for that same reason, its also a pretty flimsy defense, at least on its own. I guess you thought it was funny. Most people didn't. And when you consider that you had two of the most popular funny men of the time in it, that is a huge disappointment.

 

[Sojoez]

Jim should defend Postal. That too was a dumb action movie with stupid dialog. But it made fun of itself and it was fun to watch. Just because it was made by Uwe Boll doesn't mean it was horrible by default. (Unless its game related)

Problem being, Postal WAS game related...

Welp... That kinda slipped me there. My point is that this is not a serious attempt. Where as, Bloodrayne, Alone in the Dark, and others were. If you know what I mean.