Will Smith and Margot Robbie made headlines following a racy photo shoot in 2013. Both parties could be seen cuddling close, sharing intimate kisses and seeming to enjoy each other’s company as though they had just fallen head over heels in love.
After their reported relationship was terminated, both actors continued to collaborate on films together such as Focus and Suicide Squad, among many others.
Focus (2015)
Nicky, an experienced con man, finds his plans derailed when an old flame now known as an accomplished femme fatale comes back into his life and interferes with them.
Focus is a stylish and fast-paced con film starring Will Smith and Margot Robbie – two big name stars who make this film stand out. Together they make this experience memorable.
Focus’ opening 45 minutes are breathtaking as Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, directors/screenplay-writer duo Glenn Ficarra/John Requa take full advantage of an idyllic location, shooting scenes that could easily have come straight out of a Steven Soderberg film. Their scenes provide a fast, stylish and intelligent introduction into a world of crime that blends seamlessly into the rest of Focus.
Will Smith plays the seasoned con man to whom an amateur grifter (Margot Robbie) approaches for help and agrees to mentor her under his wing; teaching her the basics of psychological grift along the way.
As she gains experience, her and his scams evolve from simple wallet snatchings to complex operations involving an extensive team of criminals and identity thieves. Their romantic involvement becomes deeper over time despite always remaining linked to criminal elements of the story.
Focus is an unsatisfying film despite some promising aspects to its script, especially regarding Will Smith and Margot Robbie’s dynamic. Unfortunately, its overly visual ambition prevents it from providing satisfying answers while its focus veers away too far from characterisations that demonise criminals rather than glorifying them.
Will Smith plays Nicky, an ambitious third-generation hustler operating a massive fraud operation in New Orleans involving cash, identity theft and credit card spoofing schemes – he also happens to be an unfaithful husband who enjoys flirting with potential partners while doing his dirty business.
Focus is still an entertaining journey with plenty of twists and turns that keep audiences on the edge of their seats. In addition to an excellent cast and captivating plot, Focus stands out as one of the most gorgeous and entertaining movies released recently in theaters.
Suicide Squad (2016)
David Ayer has taken advantage of Zack Snyder’s Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice to reinvent the DC Extended Universe with Suicide Squad. This film brings together an ensemble cast from comic book pages such as Deadshot (Will Smith) and Harley Quinn (Margot Robbie), to take on a top-secret mission against a Nazi research lab.
Amanda Waller (Viola Davis), recruited this motley crew of DC Comics characters as an attempt at injecting new perspectives. Although Ayer does not completely master this material, he does find a way of fitting this movie into its greater DC universe while offering an entertaining yet darkly comic take on superhero team-ups.
As part of its opening sequences, the movie begins with two throwaway scenes that serve to introduce two of its leading antiheroes: Will Smith plays Deadshot while Margot Robbie is held captive in a cage by an overbearing guard. These characters might seem one-note at first but become quite entertaining once the action gets going.
Bloodsport (Idris Elba), an assassin reluctantly recruited into Waller’s mission but eventually persuaded by her boss. Other squad members include Daniela Melchior’s Ratcatcher 2, deeply disturbed Polka-Dot Man (David Dastmalchian) and King Shark himself (Sylvester Stallone).
As Bloodsport makes their way towards Jotunheim facility, he meets Cleo DuBois (Cara Delevingne) who confides that her father was a professional rat-catcher and that she now has an obsession with them. Later on in their travels they encounter Thinker (Richard Capaldi) at a bar who informs them that their lab has been housing Starro; an extremely powerful interstellar creature who had previously been housed there by Dr. Walker’s lab.
Fight scenes consist of nothing more than gunfire and overly bright, distracting CG effects, with little else. Additionally, the movie is overly predictable: with encountering several creatures before facing off against tentacle-wielding Enchantress and her subway track brother for one final showdown.
Bad Boys for Life (2017)
Will Smith and Martin Lawrence return for another installment in their long-running Miami detective franchise about Mike Lowrey (Smith) and Marcus Burnett (Lawrence). This film follows their adventures as they adjust to being older without giving up their work, joining up with a new division of police to combat crime together.
Bad Boys For Life stands out as an impressive action-comedy film from its time, thanks largely to directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah’s successful return of this franchise from its apparent deathbed, producing a high-octane sequel with genuine style.
Smith and Lawrence once again shine in their roles of Mike and Marcus, creating an amazing dynamic between them that even when confronting individual problems they still manage to make it entertaining and amusing.
Bad Boys For Life successfully manages to combine high-octane action with fun, humorous dialogue, making for an entertaining viewing experience. The film boasts great characters with lots of comedic timing that keep viewers laughing throughout its runtime.
The plot follows the team as they collaborate with Miami PD to investigate various crimes, including an incident involving drugs and murder. Although at times disorienting, this film ultimately delivers an immersive viewing experience.
Will Smith is quite emotional at times in this film, yet doesn’t let that stop him from being an effective performer and showing off his comedic skills.
There are some hilariously humorous moments and the action is nonstop, while all of the stunts have been flawlessly planned out – all making this movie an absolute blast to watch!
For fans of the series, it is well worth watching this third movie in the franchise. Although not as enjoyable as its predecessors, it remains highly entertaining – particularly thanks to Smith and Lawrence’s superb on-screen chemistry.
Ocean’s 8 (2018)
Debbie Ocean (Sandra Bullock), Danny’s estranged sister, returns to New York and immediately begins plotting a high-profile heist. She forms an all-female crew of skilled thieves to steal a Cartier necklace during the Met Gala; an annual social event attended by cultural elites.
Soderbergh’s fourth installment in his franchise can easily lose you, despite its new cast. The film closely adheres to its familiar story structure and content: someone named Ocean gets out of prison, assembles his team piecemeal, plans and plots out a heist plan heisting scheme before carrying it out with unexpected twists, turns and near misses along the way.
Soderbergh’s latest heist movie may not compare with his earlier efforts, but it does possess enough style and substance that make it worth watching. Fans of genre can appreciate it equally well as those looking for entertainment outside of it.
One drawback of this movie is that it doesn’t feel as exciting as previous heist movies in the series. It lacks Soderbergh’s trademark wit and energy, as well as clever twists that set it apart from its competition.
But this film boasts an impressive cast, including Sandra Bullock, Cate Blanchett, Anne Hathaway and Helena Bonham Carter in top form. Additionally, Awkwafina Rihanna Richard Armitage and James Corden all make memorable performances.
Though its script lacks humor, its cast more than makes up for that shortcoming. These talented actors do an outstanding job bringing out each character’s best attributes.
The heist itself is immensely entertaining, and watching Sandra Bullock as an expert criminal is thrilling; but its plot falls flat, with neither Sandra Bullock nor any of her fellow conspirators women having as much depth to them as needed for such an endeavor.