I'd have preferred that the film just took for granted West and Artemus as partners. Also, de-emphasize Artemus as a gadgeteer/geek, and mainly have him as a master of disguise. Re-emphasize West's romantic flirtations. Bypass the elaborate plot of Loveless and go for a straight-ahead bad-cowboys showdown, without giant robot spiders.
"With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility"
Stan Lee, 1962
I think a lot of people would have preferred a scenario, along the lines as you've outlined.
Take the Salma Hayek character for instance.
She literally has nothing much to do in the film apart from stand around the sidelines a bit and show off her cute, little butt once. M. Emmet Walsh's Coleman character is much the same, apart from us not seeing his butt (thankfully).
They become very much peripheral sidelights, while instead we have to suffer Branagh way, way, over the top and loads of Smith and Kline squabbling.
Very ordinary IMO.🐭