Will Smith is at his most useful when a vast, foolish film needs someone who can make it feel friendly. We rate his relaxed comic confidence; performances that strain for our affection are less convincing.
Fi1m perspective
In Independence Day (1996), Will Smith makes saving the world seem a reasonably cheerful undertaking. His Captain Steven Hiller has little depth on the page, but Smith gives him enough ease to make us care what happens to him. We enjoyed his company because he makes thinly written dialogue sound like something a person might actually say. Jeff Goldblum's David Levinson helps keep Roland Emmerich's film human, too. This relaxed comic confidence is still the strongest reason to watch Smith.
The timing developed through The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990–1996) found an action setting in Bad Boys (1995), opposite Martin Lawrence. Men in Black (1997) extended the appeal of a leading man who could react to danger with a quick joke. The dramatic work became more prominent with Ali (2001) and The Pursuit of Happyness (2006), and continued through King Richard (2021). Smith's physical commitment in Ali makes the dramatic role convincing. But King Richard also exposes a recurring limitation: the desire to be liked can leave a character less difficult, and less interesting, than he might have been.
Bad Boys: Ride or Die (2024) gives him a different difficulty. Mike Lowrey has panic attacks and hardly any jokes, and Smith responds with a careful performance that feels short of things to do. Chris Bremner and Will Beall's writing leaves Lawrence with the comic opportunities, particularly Marcus's conviction that he cannot die. Lawrence makes everyone wait for the punchline; Smith seldom gets the chance to supply one. Vulnerability is a reasonable direction for an action hero, but here it costs Smith much of his appeal without giving him enough to play instead.
We would like to see him given a partner to work against and dialogue that permits a little mischief. Another solemn account of an action hero's troubles can wait. The pleasure in Independence Day comes partly from watching Smith and Goldblum give personality to roles that could easily have remained types. Start there, if a foolish script and some overdone patriotism will not spoil the evening.
Biography
Will Smith is an American actor and rapper, also credited as Willard Smith and Willard Christopher Smith Jr. Born on 25 September 1968 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, he began his career in music as part of the hip hop duo DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince.
He achieved wider recognition starring as a fictionalised version of himself in the NBC sitcom The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air (1990–1996). Smith transitioned to film with Bad Boys (1995), in which he played Mike Lowrey, a role he reprised in sequels including Bad Boys: Ride or Die (2024), on which he also served as producer.
His other notable film roles include appearances in Independence Day (1996), the Men in Black series (1997–2012), Ali (2001), The Pursuit of Happyness (2006) and King Richard (2021). He has received an Academy Award, a Golden Globe Award, a BAFTA Award and four Grammy Awards.
