The '90s saw a lot of good westerns (
City Slickers, Dances with Wolves, Far and Away, Legends of the Fall, and my dad would say
Quigley Down Under). The following movie isn't one of them:
I can't say that
Wild Wild West (one star total) is the worst movie I've seen recently because a few months ago I had the displeasure of mostly fast-forwarding through
Gentleman Broncos (2009). I can say, however, that
Wild Wild West (1999) is the worst movie I've ever avoided the temptation to skim in fast-forward. The entire production seems to be have been made with nothing more than the theatrical trailer in mind. Every line of dialogue serves no narrative purpose other than to become a possible blurb. The bad guys are all dirty and unshaven or have physical deformities because, you know - they're the bad guys. The sexual innuendo is even less subtle than the good guys' disguises, which are transparent, lest any audience member be made to feel stupid. The whole movie caters to the
lowest common denominators of comedy - name puns, race and redneck jokes, Will Smith getting frustrating and yelling. The only thing that could've made it more moronically accessible would've been a laugh track, like in a TV sitcom. Then lo and behold, I discover that this movie is actually a remake of an old TV sitcom! Turns out the '60s show was some kind of James Bond spoof with a western setting, but this remake is no
Austin Powers (1997) in the Old West. Nor did director Barry Sonnenfeld repeat the success he'd had previously with a movie remake of TV's
The Addams Family (1991; an improvement over the original, in my opinion). If you're looking for a good example of the "weird west" subgenre (horror or sci-fi with a western setting), try
Back to the Future Part III (1990). If you're looking for a bad example that's still good, cheesy fun, try
Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985). But no matter what you're looking for, do not watch
Wild Wild West, not even to say you've watched the worst western of its kind.
I can't say that Wild Wild West (one star total) is the worst movie I've seen recently because a few months ago I had the displeasure of mostly fast-forwarding through Gentleman Broncos (2009). I can say, however, that Wild Wild West (1999) is the worst movie I've ever avoided the temptation to skim in fast-forward. The entire production seems to be have been made with nothing more than the theatrical trailer in mind. Every line of dialogue serves no narrative purpose other than to become a possible blurb. The bad guys are all dirty and unshaven or have physical deformities because, you know - they're the bad guys. The sexual innuendo is even less subtle than the good guys' disguises, which are transparent, lest any audience member be made to feel stupid. The whole movie caters to the lowest common denominators of comedy - name puns, race and redneck jokes, Will Smith getting frustrating and yelling. The only thing that could've made it more moronically accessible would've been a laugh track, like in a TV sitcom. Then lo and behold, I discover that this movie is actually a remake of an old TV sitcom! Turns out the '60s show was some kind of James Bond spoof with a western setting, but this remake is no Austin Powers (1997) in the Old West. Nor did director Barry Sonnenfeld repeat the success he'd had previously with a movie remake of TV's The Addams Family (1991; an improvement over the original, in my opinion). If you're looking for a good example of the "weird west" subgenre (horror or sci-fi with a western setting), try Back to the Future Part III (1990). If you're looking for a bad example that's still good, cheesy fun, try Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome (1985). But no matter what you're looking for, do not watch Wild Wild West, not even to say you've watched the worst western of its kind.
No comments:
Post a Comment