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- Wild Wild West Could’ve Been a Good Film
- Will Smith Is Not a Fan of Wild Wild West
As a film enthusiast with decades of movie-watching under my belt, I must say that the wild ride that is the tale of “Wild Wild West” and “The Iron Giant” has been an intriguing contrast. The former, much like a mechanical spider out of control, left audiences scratching their heads in disbelief, while the latter, as robust and endearing as its titular character, has become a beloved classic.
If there’s a truly misguided late ’90s blockbuster, it’s not Godzilla, which was blatantly more inspired by Jurassic Park than the Big G. It’d be Wild Wild West, with an ultra-hammy antagonist performance by Kenneth Branagh, zero chemistry between the leads, and attempts at condemning racism that come across as, well, racist. And that’s when the movie isn’t being blatantly sexist.
Additionally, there’s the colossal mechanical arachnid that producer Jon Peters had been persistently trying to include in a film for years, even considering it for a Superman movie. Eventually, it seems as though the rights to an established intellectual property were acquired at a low cost solely to incorporate this oversized metal spider into the storyline somehow. This is just one of the numerous perplexing and misguided choices that led to the creation of this $170 million flop. These questionable decisions not only impacted the film’s production but also Warner Bros.’ promotional strategy. The most egregious error? Effectively neglecting to promote critically acclaimed film The Iron Giant adequately during its theatrical release.
Wild Wild West Could’ve Been a Good Film
On one side, the movie “Wild Wild West” had promising prospects. This was largely because of the reunion of leading actor Smith and director Barry Sonnenfeld, who had achieved both critical and financial success just two years earlier with “Men in Black.” In fairness, “Wild Wild West” might be slightly more engaging and memorable than their subsequent collaboration, “Men in Black II.” Consequently, it’s not surprising that Warner Bros. thought, heading into the summer movie season, that it would be a box office hit.
Contrary to expectations, the film didn’t do well financially. With a box office revenue of $222.1 million against a production budget of $170 million, it clearly wasn’t a success. The most buzz it created was around rumors that many movie tickets were actually for South Park: Bigger, Longer & Uncut, as people might have been sneaking in to watch that instead.
Despite the significant investment, the studio ended up spending even more on promoting “Wild Wild West,” which unfortunately turned it into an even bigger box office flop than it would have been otherwise. Sadly, this extra marketing budget came at the expense of promoting “The Iron Giant” as well, leading to two financial disappointments for Warner Bros. during that summer movie season. However, with a box office take of $31.3 million compared to $50 million, “The Iron Giant’s” failure hurt less significantly.
For them, the positive aspect was that “The Matrix” had come out in March, meaning they had one significant box office success of 1999 already under their belt. Additionally, “Eyes Wide Shut” and “Deep Blue Sea”, both released in July, were profitable ventures as well. Moreover, although the high-budgeted “Wild Wild West” did not succeed, it was somewhat comforting to know that “Chill Factor”, starring Skeet Ulrich from “Scream” and Cuba Gooding Jr., performed even worse for Warner Bros. in September.
Will Smith Is Not a Fan of Wild Wild West
It’s clear now that Sonnenfeld’s film marketing should have been adjusted when the initial buzz began to sound so negative. This is even more apparent in comparison to the robust early buzz surrounding The Iron Giant. However, time has proven kind to The Iron Giant, as it remains relevant and has an impressive reputation that aligns with its quality. On the other hand, The Wild Wild West has largely become a joke, a missed opportunity, and is often overlooked.
It can be said without hesitation that Will Smith has referred to the film he starred in as the most disappointing of his career. Taking on the character of James West was a questionable choice, especially when compared to the opportunity he missed out on by turning down the role of Neo in The Matrix. However, despite the movie’s failure, Smith’s career persisted, and it is challenging to envision anyone other than Keanu Reeves as The One. So, all things considered, the story had a somewhat satisfactory ending.
To put it simply, Sonnenfeld hasn’t quite managed to match the success he enjoyed during the ’90s (such as with The Addams Family, Addams Family Values, Get Shorty, MiB) since Wild Wild West was released. Despite directing the two Men in Black sequels, their performance wasn’t on par with the original film. Meanwhile, producer Jon Peters has been largely absent from the industry following a 2011 sexual harassment allegation, making Wild Wild West his sole movie featuring a giant metal spider.
The cast has fared much better. Even with some controversy courtesy of the 2022 Oscars ceremony, Will Smith remains one of the biggest stars on the planet. Kevin Kline has continued to work steadily, including in the bonafide box office smash Beauty and the Beast (2017). Luckily, many have forgotten that Kenneth Branagh was even in the film, thanks to his sterling work both in front of and behind the camera. Salma Hayek has gone on to star in successful films that make better use of her. And Ted Levine, undoubtedly the best part of Wild Wild West, went on to have roles in everything from Monk to The Fast and the Furious and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom. Wild Wild West is streaming on Philo. The Iron Giant is available to rent on Prime Video, Apple TV, and Google Play.
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2024-10-12 21:01