Summary

Few actors can vaunt as many iconic action picture asWill Smith , whose filmography spans a extensive disconnection of quality . One of Hollywood ’s premier run star for decade now , Will Smith ’s boxwood post dominance is a dear warrant . While the actor is also well - known for his strictly comedic and spectacular roles , many of the best Will Smith movies are activity romps ending with aclosing credit call perform by Will Smith himself . But not every Will Smith action smash hit is make as .

Smith ’s movies encompass a range of different type of enjoyment , from low - hilltop spectacle to view - provoke profundity . His action picture are almost as varied as his career as a whole , with varying stage of earnestness , execution , and output note value . WhileWill Smith ’s flick often divide critic and audiences , the safe of his explosion - sling , bullet - dodging tentpole box office events poise all three of these elements and more to make everyone well-chosen .

Bad Boys 4 star Will Smith picks the four movies that best define his career , choosing a Mount Rushmore that include vast bang and an Oscar - winner .

Will Smith looks off-camera with emotion in a scene from King Richard

10Hancock (2008)

Subverted Expectations In The Superhero Genre

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Cast

Hancock is a 2008 superhero film star Will Smith as John Hancock . Despite being a superhero , Hancock could give care less about the price he causes in the metropolis as long as he catch the criminals he ’s after . But after he salve Ray ( Jason Bateman ) the two piece of work together to help his public image and turn him into a material hero .

With such a placeable face , undeniable star tycoon , and potent on - screen charisma , it ’s a admiration Will Smith was n’t considered for the superhero worlds of DC or Marvel moving-picture show sooner than2016 ’s awfully - receivedSuicide Squad . But 8 geezerhood earlier , Smith asterisk in an original superhero story that went on to revel its own muted success . Hancockis the story of its titulary wedge , a gruff everyman amnesiac with unbelievable strength and durabilitywho unravels that nature of his mysterious past tense while struggling to gain the public ’s credence .

The promise of Will Smith as a callous anti - hero is more than live up to byHancock , withsome satisfyingly hilarious action mechanism pulsation of the cynical character carry on criminals . But beyond the creative action and steadfast carrying out work in by Smith , the plot line ofHancockis something of a letdown , morphing into a very unlike film by the halfway point . WhenHancocksticks to the basic , it ’s a great tongue - in - cheek dissection of superhero tropes , but gets too lose in its own lore and worldbuilding , dragging down Smith ’s efforts .

Will Smith as Genie in Aladdin, as Mike Lowrey in Bad Boys, as Deadshot in Suicide Squad

9I Am Legend (2007)

A Compelling Post-Apocalyptic Tale With Some Unfortunate Changes

broadly speaking based on Richard Matheson ’s 1954 novel of the same name , I Am Legend principal Will Smith as Robert Neville , a virologist who believes himself to be the last homo on Earth . After a computer virus turns most of the world ’s population into vampiric wight get laid as Darkseekers , Neville find himself immune . Believing himself to be the last piece of Earth , Neville stalks through the ruin of New York , hop to create an counterpoison that will save humanity .

Based on a short science fiction story , Will Smith stars inI Am Legendas Dr. Robert Neville . The exclusive subsister of an outbreak of a vampiric computer virus , the film espouse Neville ’s attempts to seek other survivors and create a curefor the affliction in a bombard - out New York City , all the while dodging the ravenous nocturnal septic humans know as darkseekers . A starkly unique post - apocalyptic standout in Will Smith ’s filmography , I Am Legendlives up to its name .

Will Smith proves his ability to hold a film like no one else inI Am Legend , receive no other performances to bounce off of for the majority of the film save for his faithful canine comrade , Sam . The poignant emotional scenes and harrowing chases through the skeleton of civilisation keeps the film exciting , but some cardinal blunders in the previous stages of the report , especially the ending , make the adaptation fall a little bit short . Hopefully , the upcomingI Am Legend 2can do craft a standardised atmosphere without muff the musical theme and story .

Martin Lawrence and Will Smith in the Bad Boys franchise with money behind them

8I, Robot (2004)

An Exciting Futuristic Thriller That Isn’t As Smart As It Thinks It Is

I , Robot is a science fiction film directed by Alex Proyas , go under in a 2035 earth where robots are integrated into society . Detective Del Spooner , act by Will Smith , is skeptical of these car and investigates a law-breaking he believe was committed by a automaton , challenging the established trust human beings have in robotic applied science . The write up explores themes of artificial intelligence information , ethical code , and the evolving relationship between man and automaton .

Few actors have mastered the artistry of the buddy - bull action moving-picture show like Will Smith , who has star in countless iterations of the assumption over the years . One of his most memorable takes on this trope pairs him with an cold married person , the humanoid automaton , Sonny . Also based on a science fiction book , I , Robotposits Will Smith as a technophobic detective in a futurist worldinvestigating the secret suicide of a robotics industry leader .

The scientific discipline fable action at law thriller is one of the early films to turn out Smith ’s unprecedented success in law roles , helping to establish a clear trend that his career would go on to keep abreast . I , Robothas phenomenal action setpieces , engrossing world - building , and an uncharacteristically wearied character for Smith to explore . regrettably , the moving picture bites off more philosophical heart than it can jaw , resulting in a fun activity motion-picture show that seems to think it ’s more of import than it really is . The bearing of some truly egregious product placement does n’t help matter .

Best Will Smith Action Movies

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While some of Will Smith ’s moving picture may flush it to attain the Gospel According to Mark with critics , they are still enjoyed by audiences and deserving watching at least once .

7Men In Black 3 (2012)

Resuscitated The Stumbling Franchise

The third installment in the Men in disgraceful enfranchisement , piece in Black 3 sees Agent J ( Will Smith ) travel back in time to foreclose his partner , Agent K ( Tommy Lee Jones ) from being assassinated . get in 1969 , J meets younger K ( Josh Brolin ) , and the pair must work together in social club to stop an alien terrorist predict Boris the Animal ( Jermaine Clement ) .

After the success ofMen In Black , Sony mistakenly believe themselves to have a surefire franchise on their hand , only to drop the musket ball with the poorly - receivedMen In Black II.After rent theater chill down for a self-colored 10 years , Will Smith donned the serial ' earmark black suit and shade once more inMen In Black 3 , to the sound of much majuscule success . For the third celluloid , Smith ’s Agent J must travel back in time to bring together military unit with a younger version of his partner in rules of order to prevent a disastrous future .

The biggest sinMen In Black 3commits is separating the intoxicating chemistry of Will Smith ’s Agent J with Tommy Lee Jones ' Agent K. That being said , Josh Brolin gives a reprehensively underrated performance as the younger adaptation of Agent K , amazingly copying Jones ' mannerisms to an almost supernatural stage . With the same chrome - fortify gunplay and bizarre alien animate being as the previous two films , the third debut supervise to be one of the best of theMen In Blackmovies , even if it is leave out a few cardinal ingredients .

Hancock Movie Poster

Hancock is a 2008 superhero film starring Will Smith as John Hancock. Despite being a superhero, Hancock could care less about the damage he causes in the city as long as he catches the criminals he’s after. But after he saves Ray (Jason Bateman) the two work together to help his public image and turn him into a real hero.

6Gemini Man (2019)

Stars Will Smith Opposite Himself

Will Smith rip double obligation in Ang Lee ’s Gemini Man as retired sniper Henry Brogan , whose biggest foeman turns out to be a younger dead ringer of himself . Mary Elizabeth Winstead , Benedict Wong , and Clive Owen round down out the primary casting of this 2019 action thriller .

take a more found , serious look at Will Smith ’s legal action acting chops , Gemini Manmight not be the most ubiquitous motion-picture show with Smith ’s name on it , but it was a tranquil success for those that gave it a chance . The film stars Smith as an age assassin who wants out of the business , only to be point by the only person capable of taking him down – Himself . On the run from his own clone , Will Smith ’s Henry Brogan has to keep a low profile and enlist some aid from a few older friends to hold up .

Will Smith turn in a decent , if not primer coat - breaking dual performance as twin versions of the same character reference , who have an improbably enchanting dynamic as both " crime syndicate " and enemies . The de - senescent technology on video display is impressive , even if the engineering still had a long way to go in 2019.With pulse - pounding chases , shoot out , and push scene reminiscent of Jason Bourne , Gemini Manis a upstanding military action moving-picture show gatekept from illustriousness by its plot of ground holes , predictable death , and sub - par performances compared to other Will Smith star vehicles .

Headshot OF Will Smith

5Enemy Of The State (1998)

A Rare Example Of Will Smith Playing It Completely Straight

Enemy of the State is a political thriller direct by Tony Scott , feature Will Smith as Robert Dean , a attorney unknowingly stuff into a covert government cabal after obtain evidence of a politically motivated murder . Gene Hackman co - star as an antique - NSA sherlock who aids Dean in navigating the touch-and-go landscape of surveillance and depravation . The pic examines the far - reaching import of administration overreach and personal privacy intrusion .

Before becoming typecast as the wisecracking funny man of the Hollywood action smash hit world , Will Smith has try time and time again to delve into more serious office . Among his activity picture show , none are more straight thanEnemy of the State , a Tony Scott film with no fantastic world or science fiction applied science . Smith bet Robert Clayton Dean , a simple attorney who becomes dispiritedly mat in a grievous schemerevolving around an agent of the NSA .

Enemy of the Staterelies on the nail-biting intrigue of its plot to keep audiences invested , rather than bare explosions and chase . This movement is well - rewarded with some intense action beats that experience truly garner . Enemy of the Statealso get some interesting question on state surveillance , make forby far the rash of Smith ’s successful action movies . However , it ’s undeniable that Smith excels better in less - spectacular roles where he ’s free to aggrandise the military action with his theme song blade of clowning . Anyone could ’ve take on Robert Clayton Dean , but the same ca n’t be said of Smith ’s other iconic activity character .

Headshot Of Charlize Theron

4Bad Boys (1995)

One Of Smith’s Breakout Action Roles For A Reason

police detective Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett , played by Will Smith and Martin Lawrence , must convalesce $ 100 million worth of stolen heroin in Miami . When a primal witness to a murder , Julie Mott , is threatened , they race against time to protect her and take down the pitiless drug lord Fouchet behind the holdup .

The first lawful action picture Will Smith ever star in , Bad Boysis responsible for for pioneer an intact subgenre of Will Smith moving-picture show . Though straddle with a elementary plot , the film would go on to multiple sequels , all owing much of their style to the original . Alongside Martin Lawrence , Will Smith plays a Miami detective look into the thieving of a massive supply of narcotics from under constabulary custody , guide the two of them on a uncivilised goose chase through the city ’s criminal Hell .

The polar paired ofEnemy of the State , Bad Boysknows what it is and excels at it , stay in its lane as an effortlessly coolheaded pure action picture . Martin Lawrence presents Will Smith with one of his best genuine chum - fuzz partners yet , the two bouncing off one another toppingly while meander their way through some tight spots . One of thebest films of director Michael Bay , Bad Boysdeserves reference as the progenitor of many Will Smith natural action movie tropes , if nothing else .

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Loosely based on Richard Matheson’s 1954 novel of the same name, I Am Legend stars Will Smith as Robert Neville, a virologist who believes himself to be the last human on Earth. After a virus turns most of the world’s population into vampiric creatures known as Darkseekers, Neville finds himself immune. Believing himself to be the last man of Earth, Neville stalks through the ruins of New York, hoping to create an antidote that will save humanity.

3Independence Day (1996)

Took Will Smith’s Career To New Heights

Roland Emmerich ’s iconic 1996 sci - fi cataclysm movie Independence Day chronicles the attempt of a hostile race of aliens against major planet Earth . When extraterrestrial aircraft occupy Earth without warning , the forces of humanity quickly ring together to stop them . At the behest of President Thomas J. Whitmore ( Bill Pullman ) , US Marine pilot Captain Steven Hiller ( Will Smith ) and planet engineer David Levinson ( Jeff Goldblum ) unionise manhood ’s last - ditch countermove against the technologically - advanced alien mothership .

Bad Boyswas a howling flick to get Will Smith ’s metrical unit in the doorway as an action at law movie star , but it was the next year’sIndependence Daythat unfeignedly made him a household name . As fighter pilot Captain Steve Hiller , Will Smith direct a strike force against an United States Army of alien invaders from outer space , who wage state of war on the major planet of the 4th of July . Hailed as one of the all - clip great calamity movies ever made , Independence Dayneeds small account for its winner .

Even though the split tale celebrate Will Smith from dominating the film ’s runtime , his infective charisma is at its zenith inIndependence Day , as he plug an noncitizen in the typeface and tells it " Welcome to Earth ! " with a career - defining delivery . His idiosyncratic pairing with Jeff Goldblum stands out as the perfect odd - couple to brave out the inexorable explosions and brilliant hardheaded effects of film director Roland Emmerich ’s vision . low-spirited - brow though it may be , Independence Daydefined Smith ’s filmography through out-and-out rule of cool .

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2Bad Boys For Life (2020)

Proved The Success Of Bad Boys Wasn’t A Fluke

In Bad Boys For Life , the third instalment in the Bad Boys film franchise ,   Marcus Burnett wants to go to bed , but when Mike Lowrey is shot , and the assailant goes after a acquaintance of Burnett ’s , the two squad up together for one last ride .

Just like in theMen In Blackseries , Bad Boys IIwas a dramatic pace down for the Smith - led enfranchisement , with Michael Bay ’s logic - defying signature being a little bit too visible . fortuitously , the legacy of the first picture show was proven to still have legs by the time ofBad Boys For Life . When Mike is targeted by the vengeful married woman and boy of a powerful Mexican drug lord , it ’s up to him and Marcus to assemble a special team of raw recruits to take down the emerging threat .

Despite almost 20 years having devolve since the lastBad Boysmovie , Bad Boys For Lifemakesit seem as if no time had passed at all , with Smith and Lawrence slipping back into their onetime characterswith scandalous indecorum . outpace even the chintzy wideness of the first celluloid , Bad Boys For Lifeused modern filmmaking to get the series up to speed with unexampled natural process heights , in conclusion winning over selective movie critic with its good luck charm and personality . Judging by thebox part success ofBad male child : Ride Or Die , the third motion-picture show was safe enough to win back public opinion .

I, Robot

I, Robot is a science fiction film directed by Alex Proyas, set in a 2035 world where robots are integrated into society. Detective Del Spooner, played by Will Smith, is skeptical of these machines and investigates a crime he believes was committed by a robot, challenging the established trust humans have in robotic technology. The story explores themes of artificial intelligence, ethics, and the evolving relationship between humans and robots.

Will Smith & Martin Lawrence made quite a bit of money for their enactment of Det . Burnett and Det . Lowry in the wildly popular Bad Boys franchise .

1Men In Black (1997)

One Of Will Smith’s Personal Favorites

James , a New York police officer , is hired by Agent K of a mystic governing means that monitors extraterrestrial aliveness on Earth . Together , they must recover an item that has been stolen by an intergalactic villain .

manpower In Black 3was a ingenious twist on what made the original work , but the first film in the alien - fighting franchise simply ca n’t be topped , even by any other Will Smith movie . The 1997 film set up Will Smith as Agent J , an F.B.I. agentive role that makes a vocation pin to the baffling titular arrangement in charge of extraterrestrial in-migration on Earth . It ’s up to Agent J and his new partner and wise man , Agent K , to halt a peculiarly dangerous alien menace .

Will Smith has gone on criminal record namingMen In Blackas one of his own favourite in hispersonal Mount Rushmore of Will Smith moving picture , and it ’s gentle to see why .

Headshot Of Bridget Moynahan

Will Smith has go on record namingMen In Blackas one of his own favoritesin hispersonal Mount Rushmore of Will Smith moving-picture show , and it ’s easy to see why . From Smith ’s effortless chemistry with Tommy Lee Jones ' Agent K to the screaming alien fauna and Vincent D’Onofrio ’s unbelievable scoundrel Edgar the Bug , there ’s simply too much to apprize about the firstMen In Black . As an action movie , there ’s no interrogative sentence that it rank supreme among the action movies ofWill Smith ’s filmography .

Men In Black 3 Movie Poster

The third installment in the Men in Black franchise, Men in Black 3 sees Agent J (Will Smith) travel back in time to prevent his partner, Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones) from being assassinated. Arriving in 1969, J meets younger K (Josh Brolin), and the pair must work together in order to stop an alien terrorist called Boris the Animal (Jermaine Clement).

Headshot Of Josh Brolin In The ‘Dune:Part 2’ premiere

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Will Smith pulls double duty in Ang Lee’s Gemini Man as retired sniper Henry Brogan, whose biggest enemy turns out to be a younger clone of himself. Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Benedict Wong, and Clive Owen round out the main cast of this 2019 action thriller.

Headshot Of Benedict Wong In The 21st Annual Unforgettable Gala at the Beverly Hilton.

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Enemy of the State is a political thriller directed by Tony Scott, featuring Will Smith as Robert Dean, a lawyer unwittingly thrust into a covert government conspiracy after obtaining evidence of a politically motivated murder. Gene Hackman co-stars as an ex-NSA operative who aids Dean in navigating the perilous landscape of surveillance and corruption. The film examines the far-reaching implications of government overreach and personal privacy invasion.

HeaDSHOT oF Gene Hackman

Headshot Of Jon Voight In The 77th annual Cannes Film Festival

Headshot Of Regina King

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Detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett, played by Will Smith and Martin Lawrence, must recover $100 million worth of stolen heroin in Miami. When a key witness to a murder, Julie Mott, is threatened, they race against time to protect her and take down the ruthless drug lord Fouchet behind the heist.

Headshot Of Martin Lawrence In The Premiere of Black Panther

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Roland Emmerich’s iconic 1996 sci-fi disaster movie Independence Day chronicles the attack of a hostile race of aliens against planet Earth. When extraterrestrial aircraft occupy Earth without warning, the forces of humanity quickly band together to stop them. At the behest of President Thomas J. Whitmore (Bill Pullman), US Marine pilot Captain Steven Hiller (Will Smith) and satellite engineer David Levinson (Jeff Goldblum) organize humanity’s last-ditch counterattack against the technologically-advanced alien mothership.

Headshot Of Bill Pullman

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In Bad Boys For Life, the third installment in the Bad Boys film franchise,  Marcus Burnett wants to retire, but when Mike Lowrey is shot, and the assailant goes after a friend of Burnett’s, the two team up together for one last ride.

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James, a New York police officer, is hired by Agent K of a secret government agency that monitors extraterrestrial life on Earth. Together, they must recover an item that has been stolen by an intergalactic villain.

Shot Of Tommy Lee Jones In The Los Angeles premiere of ‘Finestkind’

Headshot OF Rip Torn