[AerostarMonk]

I think Lucas works best with others. All of the best films with Lucas' name attached were in tandem with others. One of the best scenes in the prequel trilogy was the Obi-Wan and Anakin battle. That scene was storyboarded by the Beard himself, Steven Spielberg. Not saying that Lucas is horrible like so many others say, I actually like the prequels. It's just that he works best with others. But I think he hit it on the head when he said that most fans don't want to admit that the films were always intended for children. He gets a lot of guff, but the world he created is absolutely incredible. You should hear him explain how he came up with the podracers. I applaud anyone who never let adulthood get in the way of imagination.

One of my picks for unsung movies is one that is despised by many, and I actually can see why. That movie is Wild Wild West starring Will Smith, Kevin Kline, Kenneth Branagh and Salma Hayek. First of all, it really alienated fans of the original tv series, because in truth other than titles and character names it had absolutely nothing to do with the series. Second, summer burnout, it couldn't hold its own with the blockbusters of that year, The Matrix, and The Phantom Menace. Third, I understand that it's there but I'll never quite understand why, the utter hatred of Will Smith by many moviegoers. Just read anything about a movie that has just cast Smith and you'll see some of the most hateful things uttered about a movie star.

However, I still loved this movie. The production design, the score, the story, all of it. I must admit even I was a bit peeved by the way it strayed from the show, but after reading a few websites that actually went away. If you suscribe to a Wold Newton type universe the entire movie actually takes on a complexity that is quite interesting. Not only are there two James Wests and Artemus Gordons, but both Miguelito and Arliss Loveless are direct descendants of Ada Lovelace herself. Will Smith's Jim West is the son of the famous John Henry, and Kline's Gordon was an actor who was originally just a decoy for the real one who went on to become much more. But even if you don't apply this you still have a fun movie. Branagh's Loveless is just one of the greatest screen villains I've ever witnessed. A cultured and educated Confederate vet who has no qualms about undermining the entire US government simply to get revenge for the surrender at Appomattox, and with his current condition you can tell why he's more than just a bit bitter about the whole ordeal. His steam-powered inventions are glorious mixes of steampunk and malicious whimsy, such as the 80 foot tall Tarantula that rampages through the Utah desert, or the land ironclad the decimates everything in its path.

One of the best turns in the movie was Ted Levine's Bloodbath McGrath, a man who simply wanted the Confederacy back but had no idea what it would cost him. In his last moments you can even see that it wasn't really the Confederacy he wanted back but his name cleared and honor restored.

I cannot say enough about Elmer Berenstein's score. Acclaimed for such Western scores as The Magnificent Seven, Berenstein mixes the modern sensibility of the film and the nostalgic themes of the Wild West itself. Plus, he even sneaks in the original tv theme a couple of times.

In recent years, the director Barry Sonnenfeld has had some very hard times. After the lukewarm reception to both MIB II and Big Trouble, and the almost unredeemable RV, Sonnenfeld has really stumbled lately. He's no longer the Hollywood Golden Boy who lensed Raising Arizona or brought us the incredibly entertaining Addams Family film series. However, I hope he's able to bounce back. With movies like Addams Family, Men In Black, Get Shorty, Big Trouble and Wild Wild West on his resume, I think it would be a shame to lose such a talent.

Yes, this is probably the biggest defense for Wild Wild West you'll find on the entire internet because this movie gets no respect.