(Photo by Samir Hussein/Getty Images)
School of Rock turns 20!
He was raised by satellite engineers, he grew up to wield the Pick of Destiny, and he’s amassed an impressive — and impressively eclectic — filmography as a manic funnyman, dramatic actor, and everything in between. We’re talking, of course, about the one and only Jack Black, a movie star whose singularly effusive charisma has helped fuel a string of blockbuster hits — King Kong, Tropic Thunder, the Jumanji revival — and cult classics — High Fidelity, Nacho Libre, School of Rock — stretching back for more than a quarter of a century. Clearly, this is a collected achievement worth celebrating — which is exactly why we’ve gone to the effort of rounding up his major film roles and sorting them by Tomatometer. How many Jack Black movies have you seen, and where do your favorites rank? Read on to find out!
#1
Adjusted Score: 99003%
Critics Consensus: Black’s exuberant, gleeful performance turns School of Rock into a hilarious, rocking good time.
#2
Adjusted Score: 97431%
Critics Consensus: The deft hand of director Stephen Frears and strong performances by the ensemble cast combine to tell an entertaining story with a rock-solid soundtrack.
#3
Adjusted Score: 98186%
Critics Consensus: The sweetly nostalgic Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood finds Richard Linklater reusing visual and thematic ingredients in a deeply personal, freshly inspired way.
#4
Adjusted Score: 94614%
Critics Consensus: Richard Linklater’s Bernie is a gently told and unexpectedly amusing true-crime comedy that benefits from an impressive performance by Jack Black.
#5
Adjusted Score: 94619%
Critics Consensus: Kung Fu Panda has a familiar message, but the pleasing mix of humor, swift martial arts action, and colorful animation makes for winning Summer entertainment.
#6
Adjusted Score: 94183%
Critics Consensus: Kung Fu Panda 3 boasts the requisite visual splendor, but like its rotund protagonist, this sequel’s narrative is also surprisingly nimble, adding up to animated fun for the whole family.
#7
Adjusted Score: 94152%
Critics Consensus: Featuring state-of-the-art special effects, terrific performances, and a majestic sense of spectacle, Peter Jackson’s remake of King Kong is a potent epic that’s faithful to the spirit of the 1933 original.
#8
Adjusted Score: 92335%
Critics Consensus: With biting satire, plenty of subversive humor, and an unforgettable turn by Robert Downey, Jr., Tropic Thunder is a triumphant late summer comedy.
#9
Adjusted Score: 88283%
Critics Consensus: The storyline arc may seem a tad familiar to fans of the original, but Kung Fu Panda 2 offers enough action, comedy, and visual sparkle to compensate.
#10
Adjusted Score: 80932%
Critics Consensus: Slight yet ultimately absorbing, Jesus’ Son makes effective use of its period setting and talented ensemble cast.
#11
Adjusted Score: 85608%
Critics Consensus: Goosebumps boasts more than enough of its spooky source material’s kid-friendly charm to make up for some slightly scattershot humor and a hurried pace.
#12
Adjusted Score: 87131%
Critics Consensus: Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot avoids inspirational biopic clichés thanks to sensitive work from writer-director Gus Van Sant and the admirable efforts of a well-chosen cast.
#13
Adjusted Score: 82479%
Critics Consensus: Even though Ice Age is treading over the same grounds as Monsters, Inc. and Shrek, it has enough wit and laughs to stand on its own.
#14
Adjusted Score: 88879%
Critics Consensus: Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle uses a charming cast and a humorous twist to offer an undemanding yet solidly entertaining update on its source material.
#15
Adjusted Score: 81335%
Critics Consensus: Kung Fu Panda 4 offers enough eye-catching entertainment to sustain the franchise’s young fans, although it’s starting to feel like this series is running out of steam.
#16
Adjusted Score: 84768%
Critics Consensus: Like many classic games, Jumanji: The Next Level retains core components of what came before while adding enough fresh bits to keep things playable.
#17
Adjusted Score: 75798%
Critics Consensus: An entertaining, topical thriller that finds director Tony Scott on solid form and Will Smith confirming his action headliner status.
#18
Adjusted Score: 68099%
Critics Consensus: Despite moments of hilarity and a talented ensemble, discordant direction and a sloppy script keep The Polka King from truly singing.
#19
Adjusted Score: 76889%
Critics Consensus: An entertaining PG detour for gore maestro Eli Roth, The House with a Clock in Its Walls is a family-friendly blend of humor and horror with an infectious sense of fun.
#20
Adjusted Score: 69806%
Critics Consensus: Slighter and less disciplined than Gondry’s previous mind-benders.
#21
Adjusted Score: 68163%
Critics Consensus: Witty and provocative.
#22
Adjusted Score: 74041%
Critics Consensus: While it’s nowhere near as thrilling as turtle tipping your way to 128 lives, The Super Mario Bros. Movie is a colorful — albeit thinly plotted — animated adventure that has about as many Nintendos as Nintendon’ts.
#23
Adjusted Score: 61792%
Critics Consensus: Tim Burton’s alien invasion spoof faithfully recreates the wooden characters and schlocky story of cheesy ’50s sci-fi and Ed Wood movies — perhaps a little too faithfully for audiences.
#24
Adjusted Score: 60318%
Critics Consensus: The Cable Guy‘s dark flashes of thought-provoking, subversive wit are often — but not always — enough to counter its frustratingly uneven storytelling approach.
#25
Adjusted Score: 59990%
Critics Consensus: The D Train offers Jack Black a too-rare opportunity to showcase his range, but its story and characters are too sloppily conceived to hold together as a film.
#26
Adjusted Score: 56627%
Critics Consensus: Tenacious D fans will find this movie hilarious; everybody else will see only a low-brow concept movie and a small assembly of jokes stretched past the 100-minute mark.
#27
Adjusted Score: 57368%
Critics Consensus: Despite a great cast, the characters in Margot at the Wedding are too unlikable to enthrall viewers.
#28
Adjusted Score: 56215%
Critics Consensus: While it’s certainly sweet and even somewhat touching, The Holiday is so thoroughly predictable that audiences may end up opting for an early check-out time.
#29
Adjusted Score: 53492%
Critics Consensus: While surprisingly sweeter and warm-hearted than previous Farrelly outings, Shallow Hal is also less funny and more bland.
#30
Adjusted Score: 50705%
Critics Consensus: Smarter than the average teen movie, but a little on the unmemorable side.
#31
Adjusted Score: 52507%
Critics Consensus: Goosebumps 2: Haunted Halloween offers a handful of treats for very young viewers, but compared to the entertaining original, this sequel is a ding dong to ditch.
#32
Adjusted Score: 45494%
Critics Consensus: Though made with care and affection for its characters, The Big Year plods along, rarely reaching any comedic heights.
#33
Adjusted Score: 46533%
Critics Consensus: At times hilarious, but other times offensive, Director Jared Hess is unable to recapture the collective charisma of his Napoleon characters, instead relying on a one-joke concept that runs out of steam. Sure to entertain the adolescents, however.
#34
Adjusted Score: 40851%
Critics Consensus: Derivative and full of pop culture in-jokes.
#35
Adjusted Score: 31702%
Critics Consensus: Airborne skates downhill with a threadbare story, flat characters, and wince-inducing dialogue.
#36
Adjusted Score: 25535%
Critics Consensus: The Jackal is a relatively simple chase thriller incapable of adding thrills or excitement as the plot chugs along.
#37
Adjusted Score: 24386%
Critics Consensus: Though Jack Black is back doing what he does best, Gulliver’s Travels largely fails to do any justice to its source material, relying instead on juvenile humor and special effects.
#38
Adjusted Score: 7897%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#39
Adjusted Score: 21221%
Critics Consensus: Dragged down by a plot lacking any sense of logic and obnoxious, unsympathetic characters, this comedy is more crude and mean-spirited than funny.
#40
Adjusted Score: 7041%
Critics Consensus: No consensus yet.
#41
Adjusted Score: 20631%
Critics Consensus: Year One is a poorly executed, slapdash comedy in which the talent both in front of and behind the camera never seem to be on the same page.
#42
Adjusted Score: 11380%
Critics Consensus: Jack Black and Ben Stiller fail to wring laughs from a script that’s essentially one extended poop joke.