Jack Black is back in action, reprising his role as Professor Sheldon “Shelly” Oberon in Jumanji: The Next Level. To celebrate the release of this film as well as Black’s successful acting career, we thought it was time to look at his best movies to date. Rather than picking our own favorites, we’ll be turning to the scores at IMDb.
Every one of Black’s movies has been assigned a star rating on the website, based on the votes of registered users on a scale of 1 to 10. We’ll be considering every feature film of Black’s that has been given a rating, outside of documentaries.
With the logistics out of the way, it’s time to get ready for a few laughs and a load of fun; Here are Jack Blacks best movies of all time, according to IMDb.
Kung Fu Panda 3 (7.1)
Jack Black is known for voicing Po, the main character of the Kung Fu Panda franchise.
In the third installment, Po reunites with the other pandas, including his long-lost father. After an undead warrior known as Kai ends up returning to the world of the living and taking the chi from kung fu masters, it’s up to Po to train his kind in martial arts and battle the new villain.
The film received strong reviews for its gorgeous animations, fun voice acting, quirky humor, and warmth.
School Of Rock (7.1)
Black stars in this 2003 comedy about a rock guitarist, Dewey Finn, who gets kicked out his band. In need of a paycheck, he falls into a position as a substitute teacher at a private elementary school and prepares his students to win the Battle of the Bands.
The exuberant story had critics raving. The film was eventually turned into a Broadway musical and a TV show.
Kung Fu Panda 2 (7.2)
The second installment in the Kung Fu Panda series has Po teaming together with the Furious Five to watch over the Valley of Peace. After a peacock king named Shen reveals that he holds a powerful cannon, it is up to the warriors to stop him from dominating China.
Though the new plot borrowed many elements of the original, fans were still excited to see the series’ fun antics get a second spotlight.
Anchorman: The Legend Of Ron Burgundy (7.2)
The cult-followed comedy known as Anchorman tells of a seasoned TV reporter named Ron who welcomes the rising Veronic Corningstone to the male-dominated broadcast channel he works at. Though Ron is at first indifferent about her arrival, he is soon threatened by Veronica’s success. After crazy events play out at the San Diego Zoo, however, Ron jumps at the chance to deliver the greatest story of his career and rise back to the top.
The Will Ferrell comedy has Black showing up as a motorcyclist in one hilarious scene.
King Kong (7.2)
King Kong received a second remake in 2005. This time, Naomi Watt,s Jack Black, and Adrien Brody were taking on the giant gorilla.
The adventure film, set in 1933, tells of a filmmaker who convinces his cast to sail out to Skull Island. Here, they encounter a terrifying creature that he hopes to capture and bring back to the city. Though their ambitions are large, Kong is even bigger.
Black plays the movie director who cares much more about his career than the safety of his crew.
Enemy Of The State (7.3)
This ‘98 action-thriller tells of a team of NSA agents who plan to kill off a Congressman. They’re forced to think quickly and cover up their actions, however, after a video revealing the murder emerges.
The film was both a critical and box office success, with critics praising the way the story played on relevant topics of the time.
While Will Smith and Gene Hackman star, Black portrays computer expert Fiedler.
Dead Man Walking (7.5)
Early in Black’s career, he showed up in this ‘95 crime drama film about a death row inmate who summons Sister Helen Prejean prior to his execution. He tells the woman that he is innocent and didn’t commit the crime he is accused of.
The two begin to form a close relationship with one another, and Prejean decides to reflect on the man’s life by talking to his relatives as well as the family of the victims. The truth is what she craves.
Black starred in a minor role as Craig Poncelet, the younger brother of the inmate.
High Fidelity (7.5)
This 2000 romantic comedy-drama, based on the British novel of the same name by Nick Hornby, tells of a Chicago record store owner named Rob who gets dumped by his latest girlfriend, Laura. He decides to figure out what went wrong by taking a look at his former relationships.
While John Cusack stars as Rob, Jack Black plays Barry, one of the employees at Championship Vinyl. He and his partner Dick load their heads with musical knowledge and aren’t afraid to share their thoughts with customers.
Kung Fu Panda (7.5)
The highly-rated original Kung Fu Panda, released in 2008, tells of a lazy and clumsy panda who is deemed the legendary Dragon Warrior. Though Master Shifu believes this is a mistake, he is nonetheless required to train Po in martial arts. The pair, along with the Furious Five, must work quickly; The evil snow leopard Tai Lung is plotting to attack.
The clever story of the first film had fans ready for more. Their wish came true.
Ice Age (7.5)
Topping off the list as Black’s highest-rated film of all time is Ice Age. Though the 2002 computer-animated comedy received many sequels, none lived up to the original.
Ice Age tells of a wooly mammoth, a sloth, and a saber-tooth tiger who come across a human baby. They team together to return the child to its family.
Black voices Zeke, an excitable Smilodon who serves as one of the film’s secondary antagonists.
