King Richard Review: 7 Ups & 3 Downs

Ups...

7. Will Smith's Superb Performance Makes Him An Oscar Frontrunner

Make no mistake, Will Smith is unquestionably going to receive a Best Actor Oscar nomination for his phenomenal performance as the title character, and there's also a very strong chance he'll take the gong home outright.

This is the sort of Will Smith performance we haven't seen in years - he is 100% committed to the part, and despite his larger-than-life stature as one of the biggest movie stars of all time, he sheds the glitz to comfortably disappear into the role of the sisters' militant father.

It's tough to pick a standout scene because they basically all are: Smith gets a few marquee scenes to do his Oscar reel emoting, but for the most part the actor resists the urge to go big and in turn delivers a surprisingly restrained performance.

Smith ensures to render the man in all of his complexities - a father who clearly cares deeply for his family, but who can also be a source of tremendous frustration at times.

For anyone that's been rooting for Smith to get back to worthy dramatic work, this is a major breath of fresh air, and if he collects a gold statue on Oscar night it'll be thoroughly well-deserved.