Will Smith: 5 Awesome Performances And 5 That Sucked

1. Steven Hiller - Independence Day

The original Independence Day has so much good stuff in it. The massive destruction sequences, the speech, the themes of global unity, the Star Wars-aping fights, the unrelenting iconography - but what brings it all home is the characters. They’re broad yet accessible, and make you care about everything going on.

And the standout is Captain Steven Hiller. He’s not the President dealing with the invasion or a scientist who predicted it or a cropduster who was anally probed (probably). He’s the family man who sleeps through the invasion and has big dreams but relatable barriers, and eventually steps up to the plate in a massive way. His level of seriousness is exactly how the film wants to be taken.

It’s no coincidence that he chose to not return for Independence Day: Resurgence and that the movie was a charisma-less bore.

Not everything in Will Smith’s career’s fireworks though. Here’s five times his desperation for a Big Willy Weekend failed spectacularly.