For all of the box-office success and critical acclaim Will Smith has found playing different characters, it's quite possible that Agent J is going to end up being his signature role. Sure, he played Muhammad Ali, but his performance in
Men in Black was the one that most defined his strengths—easy charisma, smooth comic timing, infectious nonchalance. Playing opposite craggy Oscar-winner Tommy Lee Jones, Smith wasn't just tweaking his established co-star:; it was as if he was announcing that he'd arrived as Hollywood's new biggest star in the world. And why not? Watching Smith in
Men in Black, part of the enjoyment was realizing just how
right it seemed for him to be the lead in such a hip, fun, cocky summer blockbuster. It was less a movie than a coronation.
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