I tried really hard, for the sake of something unexpected and shocking, to not include this as the top entry on the Sucked Hardest list. You can't blame Kline for joining this movie based on the people involved, with the ever-respected Kenneth Branagh and the up-and-coming Will Smith as stars and the seemingly-capable Barry Sonnenfeld behind the camera. I'm not sure if there's some kind of record for respected actors and filmmakers collaborating on what turns out to be absolutely awful, but I am sure that Wild Wild West is absolutely awful. As U.S. Marshal Artemus Gordon, Kline runs the gamut from cross-dressing to being one-upped by Will Smith's swaggering Jim West at every turn. The pair play the only agents able to stop Kenneth Branagh's power-hungry Dr. Loveless from effectively dividing the United States into fractured territories using magnets and robot spiders. There are a few bad performances on this list earned by Kline through a seeming lack of interest, especially his detached, throwaway roles in French Kiss and Soapdish. The case with Wild Wild West is a much more painful one, because here he really tries. By god, does he try. It's excruciating to see the former Oscar and BAFTA winner caked in pale makeup and toddling around in a dress with a large bottom. It's even more painful how feeble is connection to the rest of the movie is, despite his clear effort. He meshes not at all with Will Smith, which was a doomed match from the start, and his ease with lines both dramatic and comedic seems to have evaporated. To properly describe Wild Wild West one need only list synonyms for "drivel", "vapid", and "exhausting". Kevin Kline is, in my opinion, a great actor, and because of that we've come to expect (and deserve) so much better.
