The Best Will Smith Blockbuster Is On Netflix
Will Smith's blockbuster mega-hit Men In Black is now streaming on Netflix.
This article is more than 2 years old
Will Smith is no stranger to blockbuster films. The rapper-turned-Oscar-winning actor made the leap to the big screen in Independence Day, which was a massive success, and Smith hasn’t looked back since. The best of Will Smith’s blockbuster films, 1997’s Men In Black, is currently available on Netflix, allowing subscribers to thrill to a film critics have called rousing, spectacular and clever.
Men In Black is a science fiction action comedy film directed by Barry Sonnenfeld and based on the Malibu comic book series. It spawned a franchise that includes Men In Black II (2002), Men In Black 3 (2012), and Men In Black: International (2019). The films feature agents of a top-secret organization established to monitor and police alien activity on Earth. Will Smith starred in the first three films as Agent J, a former NYPD detective, partnered with Tommy Lee Jones as Agent K.
In the first (and best) film, after Smith’s character is recruited into the Men In Black by Agent K, the two agents find themselves in a plot to track down an intergalactic terrorist who has arrived on Earth to steal the source of unimaginable power hidden here by a member of an alien royal family. Alien warships appear in Earth’s orbit, threatening to destroy the planet to protect the secret, and Agents J and K must prevent the terrorist from making it off-world in order to save the planet.
The film was released over the July 4th weekend in 1997 and was a massive success, going on to earn $589.4 million against a budget of $90 million. On the review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes, Men In Black holds an approval rating of 92%, with critics calling the film smart, spectacular and hip.
A sequel, Men in Black 5 is currently being developed to star Will Smith, which would make it his return to the franchise after a ten-year absence. According to our trusted and proven sources, Columbia Pictures is looking into restarting the series after several years in hibernation, and a Men in Black 5 with a returning Will Smith is presumably a course-correction from the last installment, which was met with critical and audience disinterest.
This may also be a sign that the public rehabilitation of Will Smith, following his notorious slap of comedian Chris Rock during a live Oscar broadcast, followed by an expletive-laden outburst, may be in the cards for Smith — or at least Columbia is willing to bank on the star’s previously-established goodwill with audiences.
The fact that Columbia appears willing even to consider Will Smith for a Men In Black sequel is a sign that the actor may be finding his footing once again. It is telling that he is considering signing back onto a franchise he had presumably left behind a decade ago, which seems like a tactic of seeking out the safest possible bet. Considering the persistent fandom for the Men in Black series, it may be a solid decision for both the studio and the star.
