It’s the Wild Wild West … of Grammar

I’ve posted previously about how we started watching television with the subtitles on during Dennis the Vizsla’s later years, when he got in the habit of barking and carrying on in the evening because he thought we should all go to bed. Sometimes these subtitles can be amusing, making a comedic scene funnier; sometimes they can sort of puncture the drama a little.

Then there’s this:

That’s a scene from the film Wild Wild West, the film that Will Smith famously turned down The Matrix to make, which is frequently cited as one of the worst role-selection decisions in recent memory. But on the other hand, it did save Will Smith from appearing in any of The Matrix sequels*, so there’s that.

Anyway, we recently watched Wild Wild West on Netflix** and found it to be a mostly unfortunate adaptation*** of the classic television show of (almost) the same name**** that not even a hefty dose of steampunk could save.

Given the film’s overall half-baked slapdashery, I suppose it’s not surprising that no one bothered to proofread the subtitles. But that’s okay, hang on, we’ve got somebody here who can explain it to them:

Thanks Ross. Good job. You can stop talking now.

Still, mediocre as Wild Wild West was, it’s nowhere near as awful as some other movies I could mention. And lest it seem that I’m saying nothing good came out of Will Smith’s involvement in the film, the theme song is kind of catchy:

Maybe they would have done better releasing the video to theaters and just sending the movie straight to DVD …

* Will Smith’s wife was not so fortunate.
** I could try to pass it off as desperation entertainment during the coronavirus-induced shutdown of the United States, but the truth is, we watched it before that happened.
*** For a much better successor to The Wild Wild West television show, see The Adventures of Brisco County, Jr. Which you probably can’t.
**** As I understand it, The Wild Wild West was one of my mom’s favorite shows back in the day. Hey, mom, don’t watch this movie version. You will be sorely disappointed.