Summary
Will Smithis returning to a genre that he hasn’t done well in for almost 30 years with the release of the upcoming filmResistor, and it has me really worried. Will Smith is one of the most popular actors working today, and while he has been in a lot of great movies, he has also been in a lot of disappointing ones. Many of these disappointing Will Smith films share the same genre, being part of a disappointing trend.Resistoris an interesting film, as it has the chance to redeem Will Smith or double down on this streak.
After the success ofBad Boys: Ride or Die,Will Smith’s next movie has been announced asResistor, with the star now signed on to lead Sony’s new sci-fi movie.Resistorwill be based on the 2014 sci-fi bookInfluxby author Daniel Suarez, with it following a scientist who discovers a gravity-reflecting device and is subsequently hunted down by a government organization that attempts to suppress technological advancement. News of the film’s announcement has me cautiously optimistic, as I don’t want to get burned by a Will Smith sci-fi movie once again.
Will Smith Has Been On A Disappointing Sci-Fi Streak Since Men In Black
They Range From Disappointing To Bad
Men in Blackwas a huge success and is one of my favorite Will Smith movies, with it andIndependence Dayfrom the year prior setting the actor up as a major sci-fi star. However, Will Smith has been on a hugely disappointing sci-fi streak since the release ofMen in Black, with pretty much every sci-fi film to feature the actor falling short of expectations.TheMen in Blacksequels that involved Smith were both disappointing, and whileI Am LegenandI, Robothave their fans, reception for these films has always been mixed.
Some ofWill Smith’s other sci-fi films, however, haven’t fared nearly as well. Movies likeGemini ManandAfter Earthare downright bad, with Will Smith’s involvement in these original sci-fi concepts being absolute failures. Smith hasn’t even gotten close to recreating the magic ofMen in Blackin nearly 30 years of making sci-fi movies, and it is hard to pinpoint why these movies keep failing. It’s been decades since a Will Smith sci-fi film that I enjoy has been released, but hopefully, the actor’s next film will be able to change that.
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Will Smith has become an unprecedented actions star, but only a select few of his many exciting movies can claim to be the best of his filmography.
Will Smith’s Resistor Is Even More Concerning After I Am Legend & I, Robot
AlthoughResistorcould be good, I am still concerned about the film, as it shares one quality that contributed to the failure ofI Am LegendandI, Robot.Resistoris based on a book, and while the book performed well critically, that doesn’t always translate to the critical success of films. It is entirely possible thatResistorcould do a poor job of adaptingInflux, with it having the potential to seem like a lazy way to get a Will Smith-starring sci-fi movie out rather than an adaptation made by people who have a passion for Suarez’s book.
Much likeResistor, bothI, RobotandI Am Legendare based on books, with them not being original concepts. However, fans of the books that both of these projects are based on consider their film counterparts to be a bit disappointing, with them being significant downgrades from their source material. There is a scary possibility thatResistorcould follow this sci-fi trend and be a poor adaptation ofInflux, and based on the actor’s track record, I wouldn’t be surprised if this happens.
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There hasn’t been much noise around the highly anticipated Bad Boys 4, which has the potential to be the blockbuster hit of summer 2024.
Can Resistor Break Will Smith’s Poor Sci-Fi Streak?
Barely Any Details Are Known
AlthoughWill Smith’s sci-fi streak has been going on for nearly three decades, it is entirely possible thatResistorcould break it. The film isn’t out yet, and very few details are known about it, meaning that it could turn out thatResistoris a huge critical and commercial success. The film is being written byBullet Train’s Zak Olkewicz andTop Gun: Maverick’s Eric Singer, and while these aren’t sci-fi films, it proves thatResistorwill have quality talent behind it.
Influxhas received overall positive reviews, meaning that theupcoming Will Smith moviehas a strong story to work off of. However, that was the case withI Am LegendandI, Robotas well. WhileResistorhas the building blocks needed to breakWill Smith’ssci-fi streak, it is simply too early to say.
Men In Black
Cast
Men In Black is a science fiction film directed by Barry Sonnenfeld, starring Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones as agents of a secret organization overseeing extraterrestrial activity on Earth. The agents are tasked with managing alien immigrants while protecting humanity from intergalactic threats. The film explores their partnership as they confront various challenges while ensuring the public remains unaware of alien presence.
