There’s a lot you can say about Will Smith, but unfortunately at this point one thing you can say is that his action star status might actually be in jeopardy since Gemini Man is most definitely not making it on this list. He’s done so much throughout his career that it’s been seen that he can do much, much more than action, and has proven it numerous times by taking on comedic and dramatic roles that have shown just how deep his talent runs. Given that he’s one of the more popular names you’ll ever hear in show business it’s easy to believe that he might be just fine and his legacy will continue long after he’s retired, but at the moment it definitely seems that he needs another boost to really make sure that people will continue to believe in him since his action movies have been kind of lacking lately. Hopefully Bad Boys 3 will be a return to the big time that will see his reputation get back to where it once was.
Here are the five best movies from his career.
5. Ali
The reviews for Ali weren’t all that great since a lot of people seem to feel that this movie should have stuck more to the life of the champion as a positive thing and focused less on the negatives that he endured during his run as a top-level boxer. There were obviously a few things in here that weren’t historically accurate, but given that it was a movie and not a documentary on Ali’s life it makes sense that things would change just a bit. The idea that anyone would think to change up a couple of moments here and there and embellish in ways that the critics didn’t like is hardly a reason to put this one in the dumps.
4. Hitch
Being a ‘date doctor’ can’t be easy since not only do you have to find a set of principles and stick to them, there’s no possible way that the same principles are going to work in every situation, as was seen in the movie. Still, it’s fun to watch a person that’s supposedly an expert on relationships muck it up during his own date since these are things that he’s supposed to know how to do. There is no seriously perfect way to date or to look for love, though there are some ways that are better than others depending on the individuals that are involved. But watching this movie it’s fun to think that there are certain tells that people have that you can read if you try.
3. Pursuit of Happyness
Keep in mind that this movie says it’s inspired by the true story of Chris Gardner, it’s not necessarily taking every moment out of his life and making it seem as though it’s entirely truthful. That being said the movie was a powerful one in that it showed a great deal of desperation and managed to convey every emotion you could possibly feel about the many characters as it goes through a wide array of situations that Chris has to find his way out of in order to take care of his son and himself. If one can imagine the utter hopelessness that’s capped off by a triumph of this magnitude then you can possible understand true happiness.
2. Six Degrees of Separation
Leonard Klady of Variety wrote an article many years ago on the brilliance of this story and it holds true today since it takes a lot of nerve to walk into someone’s life and not only charm your way into their trust, but to also gain so much regard that they willingly give just about anything to you simply because you are that convincing and can actually stroke their ego. The story is great except that it almost makes a person feel guilty for feeling anything for the con artist or the family that takes him in since in the end it’s discovered that his life has had a profound meaning on many people that they happen to know, and yet it’s in a manner that you can’t help but disagree with in a very fundamental way.
1. Bad Boys
I kind of had to put this first since Mike Lowry is bit confrontational and overeager when it comes to his job but he’s also one of the best characters that Smith has ever taken on since he’s the macho, gun-toting detective that knows how to get the bad guys, the ladies, and enjoys looking good while doing all of it. Mike is a little too trigger-happy at times, but he’s also the guy you want at your back when the stuff is about to go down. The Bad Boys movies have been great thus far, so hopefully the third one will be a nice cap to the story.
He’s come a long way from the Fresh Prince of Bel Air.
