Product Details

• Actors: Will Smith, Kevin Kline, Kenneth Branagh, Salma Hayek, M. Emmet Walsh
• Directors: Barry Sonnenfeld
• Writers: Brent Maddock, Jeffrey Price, Jim Thomas, John Thomas, Peter S. Seaman
• Producers: Barry Josephson
• Format: Anamorphic, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Widescreen, NTSC
• Language: English (Dolby Digital 5.1)
• Subtitles: English
• Region: Region 1 (U.S. and Canada only. Read more about DVD formats.)
  
• Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
• Number of discs: 1
• Rated: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
• Studio: Warner Home Video
• DVD Release Date: November 30, 1999
• Run Time: 106 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (244 customer reviews)
• ASIN: B00001ZWTT
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #56,248 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)
• Learn more about "Wild Wild West" on IMDb

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

One of the box-office smashes of the summer of 1999, this film by director Barry Sonnenfeld (Men in Black, Get Shorty) was raked by critics but embraced by audiences. Based on the 1960s TV adventure show that starred Robert Conrad, this film reimagined Secret Service agent James West as Will Smith, adding Oscar-winner Kevin Kline as his sidekick, agent-inventor Artemus Gordon. President Ulysses S. Grant puts West and Gordon on the trail of malign genius (and former Confederate soldier) Dr. Arliss Loveless (Kenneth Branagh) in a story about racism, partnership, and world domination. The special effects are lavish, even garish, but not all that special; they're not enough to elevate a mundane and familiar plot. Even Branagh, playing a man who only exists from the waist up--literally--can't find the juice in this lumbering affair. Still, the fast-talking team of Smith and Kline is a nimble one. Smith's affable charm and Kline's subversive wit win many points, though not nearly enough. --Marshall Fine

Product Description

Wild, wild laughs, adventure and special-effects wizardry abound when megastar Will Smith reteams with the director of "Men in Black." Smith is agent James West, leading sidekick Artemus Gordon (Kevin Kline) and a sexy adventuress (Salma Hayek) on a perilous assignment: stop Dr. Arliss Loveless (Kenneth Branagh) and his contraption-driven plot to establish a Disunited States of America.

DVD Features:
Audio Commentary:Director commentary
DVD ROM Features:The Steel Assassin interactive game; Artemus Gordon's Mind-Protection Theater reveals a trainload of behind-the-scenes clips; genre essays; web events and chat room access; sampler trailers
DVD ROM exclusive web site
Documentaries:Full arsenal of behind-the-scenes documentaries
Filmographies
Interactive Menus
Music Video:Wild Wild West - Will Smith Ballamos - Enrique Iglesias
Outtakes
Photo gallery:Stills gallery
Scene Access
Theatrical Trailer

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

69 of 84 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Wild Wild Disappointment November 16, 1999

By A Customer

Format:DVD

I was really excited about seeing this one. Will Smith never fails to give a blockbuster, Kevin Kline is witty and Kenneth Branaugh is one of my favorite actors. Even Salma Hayek proved herself in "Hunchback of Notre Dame" (NOT THE DISNEY VERSION - this one is the beautiful, yet depressing one made for cable). However, West really didn't know where to go - it's beginning was the worst part. I couldn't understand a thing at all. Then the movie lifted up, but not enough to make it excellent. The biggest letdown was Will Smith. Gone is the Fresh Prince we once knew. Smith is toally dead in his performance; he is not funny at all and spends his time talking about women's breasts and butts. It got really tired after a while. Kevin Kline turned in a good show, but not enough to save the picture. Kenneth Branaugh was reduced to a small pathetic "villian" character. And Salma? What the hell was she doing in this movie. MAJOR LETDOWN, but still not so bad. It has its moments, so give it a try but don't buy it. It's not really worth it.

24 of 28 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Who's West Was It? December 2, 2004

By Lonnie E. Holder HALL OF FAMETOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:DVD

In the mid-60s there was a show called "Wild Wild West" that starred Robert Conrad as James "Jim" West, a western version of James Bond, and Ross Martin as his brainy sidekick Artemus Gordon. This show was creative and intelligent and yet full of action. The movie "Wild Wild West" starring Will Smith and Kevin Kline has nothing to do with that television show, unfortunately.

Will Smith is another Jim West and Kevin Kline is another Artemus Gordon in an alternate universe that never existed. In this universe the Wright brothers apparently were asleep as Artemus and Jim were tooling around a giant steam-powered iron spider that is unlikely to exist in any imaginable reality. Indeed, the only point of any vague historical accuracy is that there was a President Grant and there was a meeting of the railroads. After that, this movie is "The Twilight Zone" in the west.

In this fantasy movie Kenneth Branagh plays Dr. Loveless. Once again, forget the wonderful Michael Dunn as the original Dr. Loveless. Branagh has none of the charm and wit of the original. Dr. Loveless has decided to create his own empire based on the ability of his giant spider to trounce anyone who gets in his way. However, he seemed to have neglected to consider that an open cockpit is a sure way to eventually be shot. Along the way we see a number of other equally improbable devices that make for interesting special effects but continual disappointment with the movie.

I have yet to mention that not only is this west some bizarre fantasy version of the original west, but this version of Jim West has a continual string of one-liners that would have allowed him to do stand-up, but not in the alternate reality of this movie where no one seemed to understand his jokes, often including the audience.... Kevin Kline also had a number of humorous lines, though his were more ironic and involved, and typically based on technology that exists only in the alternate reality of this world.

This movie does have its moments. If you like comedy and know little about the original "Wild Wild West," you may find the comedy overwhelms the total destruction of history and scientific feasibility; or perhaps you like stories of alternate realities. The special effects are wonderful. I admit that when I could overcome my disappointment that there was no attempt to remain within the vision of the original show I was fascinated by the gadgets. However, gadgetry alone does not overcome the unbelievable story.

Oh, and as if all the other flaws in the movie were not enough to disappoint a viewer, the DVD includes Will Smith doing a hip-hop song. Hip-hop in the west? Perhaps I watched this movie from the wrong perspective. Maybe if I had taken it for a farce, like "Monty Python and the Holy Grail," I would have liked the movie better. Then again, probably not. Read more ›

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Jab your eyes out! July 9, 2004

By Just Vin

Format:DVD

Paint a mustache on the Mona Lisa! It's a shame and sad that this movie was made cause it will never have the opportunity to be made right. The TV James West was the perfect wild west secret agent with the gadgets and brawls. Robert Conrad created a wonderful character only to be mocked in this vomitus, stick to the bottom of your shoe movie. Save your money on this and buy some of the real TV episodes. Find "The Night of the Falcon" with Robert Duvall as the foil to James West - perfect example of how this should have been made.

Just Vin

12 of 14 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Movie Making Hit An All Time Low January 24, 2001

By A Customer

Format:VHS Tape

I actually saw this movie in the theater. My friend and I almost walked out. The manager who had been working at that theater for 3 years explained that he has never seen such customer dissatisfaction over a single movie. The movie starts out bad and ends even worse (which is a miracle in itself). I found myself sighing throughout the entire flick. The movie concept was a good idea; however, it was done VERY, VERY badly. I would rather stare at goldfish in a bowl for two hours than to be forced to watch this again.

17 of 21 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars MORE LIKE WILD, WILD, WASTE December 6, 1999

By Woody

Format:VHS Tape

Wild, Wild, West is undoubtedly one of the year's worst films. One of the factors that makes the movie so frustrating to watch is the fact that it is based on one of the most inventive and original shows I have had the pleasure of seeing. Inventiveness and originality are lacking in this mess of a movie where the script is horrible, the one-liners stale and the performances wooden(except Kenneth Branagh, whom you feel sorry for trying so hard to be evil).

Will Smith is stripped of the charisma that is his best selling point. Kevin Kline, a talented actor is reduced to playing second banana to an uninteresting hero and I have a hard time remembering Salma Hayek is in the movie.

I didn't really expect it to be "good", but I at least expected it to entertain me, instead of providing rest I didn't need. What a waste!

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars the way not to do a movie about a t.v. show February 16, 2006

By movie hound john

Format:DVD

first they cast a black man as an undercover agent in the wild west where he would never be able to help as they would never let him in most places. remember this was before political correctiness or civil rights. then they turn one of the best villins on t.v. into a racist man missing most of his body. then they add state of the art f/x and think they have a great movie. it's pure trash and gets one star because you can't give no stars. a waste and you should see the t.v. show if you want to see this concept really work well. just not good at all, a mess.