We first met him as The Fresh Prince singing “Parents just Don’t Understand” in the mid 80s.
20 years later, the kid has grown up!
Will Smith’s latest action film, “Hancock” was everything I wanted it to be (well, a little more cussing than I’d like, but that seems to be the trend these days.) But big special effects, major fight scenes, and that sense of humor that seems to belong to only Will Smith. It is just so natural for him.
And why not? The rapper turned actor is definitely a natural when it comes to the screen, big or small.
“The Fresh Prince of Bel Air” was a comedic take on his rapper character, but it turned out, the kid was good, and so was the show.
Then he started taking on films. He has played everything from a young gay man, to a lady-killer cop, to an alien blasting secret agent, to most recently a (not so) super-hero.
And while he has been nominated twice for an Academy Award for two of his more dramatic films (“The Pursuit of Happyness” and “Ali”), it is for his action films that he is best known. And these action films almost always open in July earning him the nickname “Mr. July” from the press. In fact 4 of his films have opened on 4th of July weekend causing critics to call that particular movie weekend “Big Willy Weekend” . Appropriately enough, this string of movies started with his role of Capt. Steve Hiller in “Independence Day”.
Here’s the list of Smith’s July hits:
- Independence Day – July 3, 1996
- Men in Black – July 2, 1997
- Men in Black 2 – July 3, 2002
- Bad Boys 2 – July 18, 2003
- I, Robot – July 16, 2004
- Hancock – July 2, 2008
So, these may not be the films that earn Will Smith critical acclaim, but these are the ones we his fans love. The humor, the action, the effects, and oh yes – the abs!
