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Will Smith turns 54 today, so we’re reflected on the career of a man whose legacy become one of the most complicated in Hollywood at an instant when he slapped Chris Rock on stage during the Academy Awards.
Do the Oscar-winner’s recent actions diminish the impact his great movies had on a legion of fans who helped make him one of the biggest stars in history? His films have grossed nearly $10 billion worldwide and garnered him critical acclaim.
So considering how our perspective on his career may have changed in recent months, we reflect on the work we’ve loved since his emergence in the early 1990s. See our picks for his 10 best films, ranked in order, below:
10) Hancock (2008)
Mostly a misfire, Peter Berg’s subversive spin on the superhero genre looks ahead of its time now in the age of irreverent takes like “The Boys” and “The Suicide Squad.” While the final act’s big twist kinda whiffs and devolves into yet another CG action mess, Smith delivers on the concept of a man gifted with super abilities who doesn’t really care to use them for much good until pressed into action. Some fun sequences (prison fight, bank robbery, etc.) showcase the actor’s star power and realize the concept’s potential.
9) I, Robot (2004)
Thirteen years from now (21 when it released), a technophobic cop (Smith) investigates a crime that may have been perpetrated by a robot, which leads to a larger threat to humanity. Named after Isaac Asimov’s 1950 short-story collection and directed by Alex Proyas (“The Crow,” “Dark City”), this taut sci-fi thriller sees a highly skeptical Smith spring into satisfying-enough action, propelled by eerie voicework from Alan Tudyk.
8) King Richard (2021)
Perhaps sullied by Smith’s notorious Oscar mishap, this straightforward sports biopic accomplishes precisely what it wanted to, to celebrate the legacies of Venus and Serena Williams by focusing on the family who helped them find their path to greatness. Smith lays it on pretty thick throughout, but as usual, you can’t help but abide by his charm and screen presence. And while it might feel as familiar as other sports origin films, it manages to defy convention enough and give its star the showcase he needed to finally put that elusive Oscar within his grasp.
7) Ali (2001)
Michael Mann’s sprawling and intimate biopic chronicles 10 pivotal years in the life of legendary boxer Muhammad Ali (Smith) featuring his heavyweight title win over Sonny Liston, conversion to Islam, criticism of the Vietnam War, and the famous Rumble in the Jungle fight against George Foreman in 1974. Smith earned his first Oscar nomination, oozing as much charisma needed to match that of the celebrated fighter’s. It can move a little slowly and may cover too much ground to come into full focus on the American icon, but Mann’s directorial flourish and Smith’s total commitment make this an essential for the star’s fans.
6) Bad Boys (1995)
The arrival of a plucky kid who liked to blow things up on the big screen, one Michael Bay, paired Smith with Martin Lawrence as detectives tasked with protecting a murder witness while investigating a case of stolen heroin from the evidence storage room from their police precinct. Yes, things blow up real good, but Smith and Lawrence’s chemistry propelled this buddy cop action comedy for fans who would enjoy two sequels, with many insisting the second installment is even better. We prefer the original.
5) I Am Legend (2007)
Years after a plague kills most of humanity and transforms the rest into monsters, the sole survivor in New York City struggles valiantly to find a cure. Loosely based on the 1954 novel of the same name by Richard Matheson, this post-apocalyptic tale remains a major favorite among Smith’s biggest fans. The biggest highlight: Smith and his German Shepherd traversing an empty New York City — well, empty until the sun sets and the Darkseekers come out to play. At times heavy-handed, but also a creepy and ambitious thriller that played best on the big screen.
4) Independence Day (1996)
When Smith took over the Fourth of July. Roland Emmerich’s alien invasion epic blew the doors off of the summer movie season, thanks to amazing special effects and explosive set pieces. The cast did not require big stars to support the spectacle, but it made one in Smith as the hot-shot fighter pilot who teams with Jeff Goldblum to take down the mothership. Smith combined the requisite charm we already knew and loved from “Fresh Prince” and paired it with action star potential we didn’t realize he had until he piloted an F/A-18 on the way to massive box office success. Thus, a mega-star was born. Welcome to Earth!
3) Men in Black (1997)
Now basically an A-lister, fans eagerly awaited Smith’s next big screen move, here making a great team with Tommy Lee Jones as super-duper secret agents who monitor extraterrestrial interactions on Earth. Smith’s comedic chops anchor Barry Sonnenfeld’s clever sci-fi comedy that would spawn lesser sequels. But it was just further proof that Smith’s career was in hyper-drive.
2) Enemy of the State (1998)
Tony Scott’s criminally underrated thriller starring Smith as an unsuspecting lawyer who becomes targeted by a corrupt politician and his N.S.A. goons when he accidentally receives key evidence to a politically motivated crime. Full of the paranoia and intrigue people loved about ‘70s flicks like “Three Days of the Condor” and “The Parallax View,” it features an all-star cast led by Smith, Gene Hackman, Lisa Bonet, Gabriel Byrne, Jack Black, Jason Lee and Regina King. Full of crackling dialogue and suspense, it remains one of the best and under-appreciated films of the 1990s.
1) The Pursuit of Happyness (2006)
A struggling salesman takes custody of his son as he’s poised to begin a life-changing professional career in this biographical drama based on the life of Chris Gardner. Smith stars opposite his young son Jaden, which might explain why the stakes feel so high, reflected in every beat of Smith’s career-best performance, which earned him another Oscar nomination. Difficult to watch at times, as a desperate father resorts to measures any parent would to protect his or her child, but the payoff is worth all the pain they (and you) endure throughout. Powerful and moving, the kind of experience that reminds how good these silly moving pictures can make us feel.
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