Will Smith has not made things easy for us in the last few years. And each of his failures, which are accumulating as an unbearable slab under the back of his career, hurts a little more. And look, we can collect a fairly high number already. We do not know if it was his obsession to achieve respect as a dramatic actor or his craving for an Oscar, but it is clear that there was a point where we lost the Will we wanted in our lives.
That is why, in these very irregular times for Smith, we remember the most memorable works of his career in comedy, a genre in which he took to like a fish in water, even in his lowest moments. In this set of films, we offer one of our favorite versions of an actor who has marked numerous generations through small classics of cinema and the most popular television.
1 'The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air'
We can not deny that in 'The Prince of Bel-Air', Will Smith was great at playing, well, Will Smith. The series that catapulted him to fame would have made no sense, and probably would not have achieved any success, without the overwhelming presence of the actor, central axis for six seasons and 148 chapters.
Accompanied by a stupendous set of incidents, Smith came into our lives as a comic tornado capable of drawing gold from any kind of situation. Physical humor, witty retorts and a superstar aura that passed very soon from intuition to certainty. An idol had been born. And, to this day, it remains the highest point of the comic Will Smith.
2 'Bad Boys'
At this point in the film it seems almost impossible to think that a Michael Bay movie can get good opinions. But his feature debut, 'Bad Boys', had a very positive reception from critics whom were pleasantly surprised by the effective combination of crazy comedy and explosive action.
3 'Independence Day'
The next step after achieving global success with 'Bad Boys' was key to Will. Therefore, the actor decided that, rather than risk, it was better to bet on another proposal of action and comedy with prospects of sweeping at the box office. And he was right. 'Independence Day' awakened the attention and interest of millions of viewers with the sole help of one scene ... in which the White House exploded in the air.
A stream of expectations and curiosity that became an overwhelming reality after the film's premiere and that ended up becoming the highest grossing film in history until James Cameron came on the scene with, first, 'Titanic', and then , 'Avatar'. In any case, Smith was crowned in a great way thanks to his role of classic hero with sharp irony and convincing strokes of humor, adding another triumph to a race that had started with the best possible foot.
4 'Men in Black'
This isn't the Three Musketeers. After the surprising success of "Bad Boys" and the phenomenon that was 'Independence Day', Will Smith got the perfect triplet with "Men in Black", an action comedy, again, that played with science fiction and proposed a crazy and surrealist staging, always on the verge of the ridiculous, house brand Barry Sonnenfeld.
In the company of Tommy Lee Jones who worked perfectly as a counterpoint, Smith seized the film from the first scene to never let go of it.
The result? The film cost about $90 million. Well, it grossed almost $600. Safe value for the box office.
5 'Hitch'
Who knows why Smith made this movie. But he did, and we're grateful for it. 'Hitch' managed to convey an enthusiasm that seemed lost. The movie, without being a big deal, brought back the funniest version of Smith, the most comfortable record he has ever felt. In each of his scenes he seemed to have the autopilot on, yes, but at least they laughed instead of yawning.
6 'Hancock'
After 'Hitch', Will Smith got a new Oscar nomination for his wonderful performance in the very remarkable 'Pursuit of Happyness' and got a new box office hit with 'I Am Legend', an action blockbuster. However, both proposals shared a drama and a solemnity that 'Hancock' didn't have.
7 'Suicide Squad'
Already, 'Suicide Squad' is one of the worst films of 2016, one of the biggest disappointments of recent years and one of the most unbelievable Oscar winners. But it all means Will Smith's return to action-comedy. So it's okay!
It does not have much merit to stand out in the middle of such a shipwreck, but, hey, at least we smiled again with Will Smith. And it's better than his other proposal last year, the hideous, insulting 'Collateral Beauty'. Here we are. Will, please, when you release two movies and the good one is 'Suicide Squad' is a clear signal that it is time to rethink the point where your career is. Urgently.