Will Smith's flick flounders
By Ruth Williams
Summer Forty-Niner
Funny men Will Smith
(Jim West) and Kevin Kline (Artemus Gordon) team up in Director Barry Sonnenfield’s
remake of the ‘60s television series, the “Wild Wild West.”
The year is 1869
-- just six years after the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation and
America is still vulnerable in terms of relations between the North and
South. A bitter Confederate soldier, Arliss Loveless (Kenneth Branagh),
is plotting to disunite the United States.
Hence the talents
of the gun-toting, fist-fighting Jim West are combined with the nonviolent
master-of-disguise Artemus Gordon to bring Loveless to justice and rescue
the country -- not to mention President Grant.
“Wild Wild West”
is a blend of science fiction meets the Western. The antique mechanical
gadgets are somewhat reminiscent of the movie “20,000 Leagues Under the
Sea.”
Although the film
is packed with action, issues of race seem to permeate the movie.
The Jim West seems to make numerous references to his color -- as does
his white counterparts.
Smith tries to deliver
a solid performance as a lady’s man. However, his overall performance
is a spin-off of his “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” character.
Kevin Kline is funny
at times but remains in Smith’s shadow throughout the film.
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