Copyright 2000 www.cosmopolis.ch Louis Gerber All rights
reserved.
Wild Wild West
Director: Barry Sonnenfeld
Actors: Will Smith, Kevin Kline,
Kenneth Branagh, Salma Hayek Get
it on DVD from Amazon.com
copyright: Warner Bros. (Will Smith and Kevin Kline)
Barry Sonnenfeld and Will Smith already worked together in
the entertaining science fiction comey Men in Black. Their second
film Wild Wild West is innovative in the sens that it almost
creates a new genre, the science fiction Western. Years ago, Westworld
starring Yul Brynner was a film in a similar genre. But back then,
digitals effects did not exist.
Wild Wild West is about the year
1869 in which the American President Ulysses S. Grant (Kevin Kline) gives
a secret governmental job to the very different agents (as the photograph
on the left shows) James West (Will Smith) and Artemus
Gordon (again: Kevin Kline). They have to investigate the mysterious
kidnappings of Americas leading scientists.
Dr. Arliss Loveless (Kenneth Branagh) had sent a message to
the American President asking him to step down within a week and to
transfer all the power to him. Loveless had forced the scientists to build
him a gigantic high-tech tarantula made of steel. He tries now to conquer
the world with this and other machines.
Sonnenfelds new film lacks the irresistable rhythm of Men in Black
and, above all, it lacks the dialogues and scenes that make a comedy a
success - such as seen in A Fish Called Wanda with Kevin Kline. It
is a pitty because Kevin Kline and Kenneth Branagh are great actors. Will
Smith has not yet convinced on the big screen. It is one thing to be the Fresh
Prince of Bel Air and another to be a movie star.
copyright: Warner Bros. (Kevin Kline)
copyright: Warner Bros. (Will Smith and Kevin Kline)
Despite a lot of funny details, ideas, gadgets and special
effects, the film as a whole does not entertain. But the idea of this new
genre may well have a future. The digital age is about to change
filmmaking. Not that the old genres will disappear, but new ones will be
created and exist side by side with the old ones. Unfortunately, the plot
and the dialogues in Wild Wild West do not live up to the quality
of gadgets and special effects and Salma Hayek has only a decorative
function. Get
it on DVD from Amazon.com
