Find out Will Smith’s greatest and stupidest science-fiction movie roles. This week Will Smith’s Gemini Man opens. It’s Smith’s 66th movie role. Over the years the actor has gone from a musician and a rapper to a blockbuster star.
Let’s take a moment to look back at his biggest genre successes and flops.
11. Will Smith as Cypher Raige in After Earth (2013)
This sci-fi movie is about a famous military commander Cypher Raige and his son Kitai Raige (Jaden Smith) crash-land on a post-apocalyptic Earth inhabited by killer monsters. The movie stars Will Smith but is more about his son. He has very little to do other than look pensive and growl at the camera.
Smith is known for his charisma and humor. None of these are on display and it suffers. It’s almost like he’s a parody of the stereotypical grizzled war-hero but without the laughs. Worst. Will. Smith Movie. Ever.
10. Will Smith as Henry Brogan / Junior in Gemini Man (2019)
Will Smith stars in this action film where he’s hunted by a younger version of himself. Smith gets to use his sense of humor in this dula-role. Like the scene where he says “I don’t want to kill you” and his double says “Mind if I kill you?” There are some scenes of raw emotion but overall the movie feels like fluff.
While most Will Smith movies are light-hearted this attempt at a darker acting role feels out-of-place and forced. Not his worst performance but far from his best.
9. Will Smith as James West in Wild, Wild, West (1999)
Wild, Wild, West plays as a comedy but has some very dark things going on. When it’s funny it tries a little too hard. When it’s not funny it’s a little too dark. People making racist jokes and seeing tanks mow down innocent people tend to damper the humor in a movie.
Smith tries to balance the two but he just can’t pull it off making his performance unintentionally funny throughout. Smith plays a black man from the hood in a traditional western and the tone is jarring. Even Will Smith admits he only took the role to “win and be the biggest movie star”. You can tell he’s just coasting. Truly awful
8. Will Smith as Floyd Lawson / Deadshot in Suicide Squad (2016)
Will Smith played a superhero before (see below) but this role allowed him to explore the darker side of his character. He plays a superpowered hitman who can’t miss a shot. Lawton aka Deadshot is recruited into a secret team of supervillains trying to stop an evil force. The movie is dour and formulaic but gives Smith something to do.
As the sarcastic Lawson, he gets to snarl and growl but still gets laughs. When he has scenes talking about his daughter Smith gets in touch with his fatherly instincts. These are missing in After Earth but shine in this role. Unfortunately, his role is saddled with too much baggage and not enough character. A waste.
7. Will Smith as John Hancock in Hancock (2008)
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| Hancock (2008) – John Hancock (Will Smith) |
Will Smith plays a homeless guy who moonlights as a superhero. He gets drunk, flies into buildings and shoves people headfirst into each other’s butts. It seems like Smith could never pull off a foul-mouthed role like that. But it works.
It’s largely because under Hancock’s gruff exterior he has a tragic backstory and a heart of gold. Hancock’s road to redemption story fits perfectly into his wheelhouse. Unfortunately that he never really pulls off the angry bum look. He’s more like a drunk uncle.
6. Will Smith as James Edwards / Agent Jay in Men in Black II (2002)
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| Men in Black II (2002) – James Edwards / Agent Jay (Will Smith), Kevin Brown / Agent Kay (Tommy Lee Jones) |
One of the most unique ideas in decades Men in Black has a group of government agents protecting and hunting aliens in hiding on Earth. The second sequel set itself up to revisit the charm of the first one. Smith brings his smarmy cool Agent Jay back but slightly less idealistic and he loses some of the charms that made him so good in the first one.
Smith brings little to the role besides the same gags and attitude as the last one. There’s less emotion too and Agent Jay ends the movie where he begins. While Smith’s enjoyable his character is quickly forgotten after the gloopy sight gags.
5. Will Smith as James Edwards / Agent Jay in Men in Black III (2012)
The third movie in the Men In Black franchise mixes things up with a time-travel story. J (Will Smith) has to go back in time to stop Boris “The Animal” (Jemaine Clement) from getting revenge on Kevin Brown / Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones). We never really got to know Agent J before the first movie and this movie is basically a prequel. The first movie hinged on the relationship between Agent J and K and MiB3 does it justice.
While Josh Brolin never quite reaches Tommy Lee Jones’s level of grumpiness he has enough chemistry with J that it makes you forget the terrible script and uneven tone.
4. Will Smith as Del Spooner in I, Robot (2004)
Smith has mastered the art of looks pensive into the camera and he does that a lot in this movie. When a robot inventor dies detective Del Spooner tries to prove he was murdered by a robot. The movie has an assembly line approach to the material with a few surprises thrown in.
What makes Smith’s performance work in the cloud of bitterness and anger that surrounds him. In this futuristic CGI dreamland, he feels familiar and real. His charisma and humor shine through despite the digital robots chasing him and you root for him.
3. Will Smith as Capt. Steven Hiller in Independence Day (1996)
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| Independence Day (1996) – Capt. Steven Hiller (Will Smith) |
Will Smith is at his best when his character feels free. He delivers in this movie. None of the death and destruction gets him down. He treats an alien invasion like a visit to summer camp never batting an eye when ET comes in guns blazing.
Smith oozes coolness and when he punches an alien in the face we laugh and cheer. Not many actors can do that.
2. Will Smith as Robert Neville in I Am Legend (2007)
Will Smith plays Neville with a cold tired detachment born of trauma. We only find out halfway through where the pain comes from. Several scenes in the movie stand out as tearjerkers though. Like when the island is evacuated, and he says goodbye to his wife and daughter (Salli Richardson and Willow Smith).
One of the most heart-wrenching scenes is when he says goodbye to his faithful dog. Will Smith sells it without a word. This is Smith at his best wrestling with emotions while maintaining his cool. Kind of a stretch to see him as a doctor but it works well enough.
1. Will Smith as Agent Jay in Men in Black (1997)
The first Men in Black is a breath of fresh air in movie history even today. Based on an independent comic book the movie treats aliens like..well.. aliens and the Men in Black are the immigration service. The movie is strange, confusing and amazing.
Smith has a perfect mix of bravado and silliness in this one and it’s no wonder it set him up to become a blockbuster star.
Which is your favorite Will Smith sci-fi movie? Let us know in the comments below!
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