TV - Movies
The 5 Best And 5
Worst Samuel L.
Jackson Movies
By PATRICK PHILLIPS
As with much of M. Night Shyamalan's best work, “Unbreakable” unfolds with enough twists and turns to keep your head spinning long after it's over. Samuel L. Jackson's revelatory performance as the story's wounded/tortured/twisted puller of strings is the sort that gets inside your head and refuses to leave.
Best: Unbreakable
“Jumper” is little more than a bloated mishmash of intriguing ideas and effects-driven bombast loosely stitched together with the elegance of a sledgehammer smashing a watermelon. Much of the cast, Jackson included, tries to make up for Hayden Christensen's lack of energy by playing their parts way over the top, which only makes matters worse.
Worst: Jumper
There's not much we can say about this film that hasn't already been said. It is an undisputed masterpiece beloved by critics and audiences for 30 years now — from the high praise of Roger Ebert to being the movie that the Obamas saw on their first date, it has had a huge pop culture impact.
Best: Do The Right Thing
“Cell” follows a small group of survivors in New England as they try to stay alive during a zombie-like apocalypse brought on by a rogue cell phone signal. Stephen King's own script is a big part of the problem, as the story plods clumsily along behind stilted dialogue, uninspired plotting, and a shocking lack of tension or scares.
Worst: Cell
In the wrong hands, this film might've become the incendiary, potentially race-baiting bit of cinema it initially presents as. In the hands of Craig Brewer, Christina Ricci, and Jackson it becomes a thoughtful, surprisingly prescient character study of two haunted human beings finding solace (and perhaps even a glimpse of redemption) in lives all but destroyed by some seriously hard living.
Best: Black Snake Moan