Just as my son and I are getting ready to select our seats on the Fandango app for the much anticipated viewing of Kung Fu Panda III, I started thinking about the iconic (yes, iconic) lead voice of Jack Black.
The first time I saw Jack Black in a film he made me laugh. As record store slacker, Barry Judd, he was completely absurd, goofy, childish, and all over the place. I never would have predicted the actor who crooned “Let’s Get it On” in High Fidelity would go on to have one of the most varied and versatile film careers. Jack Black has managed to be one of the biggest chameleons performing in films for every generation.
My 6-year-old is a huge fan of Jack Black’s oeuvre of kids' films, but Black also has a cadre of films just perfect for teens. He even stars in some rom-coms that can absolutely be earmarked for date night.
Here’s a list of some of my favorite Jack Black movies divided by his uncanny demographics:
Younger Kids
1. Ice Age
Jack Black is immediately recognizable as the voice behind Zeke, one of the antagonists in the film.
Jack Black shines as the star in this film. His zany humor and silliness are the perfect gifts to bring to the table as Gulliver and make the new take on this classic a lot of fun.
3. Goosebumps
Having Black take on the grumpy persona of R.L. Stine was very smart. His broad acting helped make a wild film even more exciting.
4. Kung Fu Panda trilogy
Jack Black is genius as Po in this series. Of course he is a panda persona! It’s been a hoot to watch this character evolve from a clutzy and uncertain student into a Master of Kung Fu.
Older Kids and Teens
1. Nacho Libre
I am waiting to show this movie to my son as I know as soon as I do he will want to perform all of the zany wrestling moves in the living room! Jack Black brings lots of giggles in this movie with a surprising amount of heart.
This fun film is a great one for early double digit kiddos. Jack Black is funny, but he also evolves as a character and that is nice to watch. Plus the kids in the film are fantastic.
Pushing boundaries is a common theme in many of Jack Black films and Orange County is a prime example. This film is definitely for older teens, but you may want to screen it with them.
4. Year One
This gross out comedy geared toward older teens got poor reviews, but if Jack Black’s brand of crude humor is what you love, this one’s for you.
Just for Grown-Ups: Girls' Night or Date Night
Based on the brilliant book by Nick Hornby, Jack Black is perfection as the bold record store employer, Barry. The fast and witty banter between Jack Black, John Cusack, and Todd Louiso is reason enough to see the film. (But if you need another reason: best soundtrack ever)
2. The Holiday
A Hollywood love story where a character played by Jack Black and a character played by Kate Winslet get to fall in love. Not even kidding.
3. King Kong
This Peter Jackson directed film got surprisingly good reviews. While Black does have a few chuckle moments, for the most part he does a straightforward portrayal of the character of Carl Denham.
This is a very quiet and understated film and definitely best for older teens. Jack Black isn’t very “Jack Black” in it, which is almost the only interesting thing about it. Well, that and the moustache his character grows.
5. Bernie
Black is completely unexpected and different in this true-crime comedy. If you are looking for a performance without slapstick this is your ticket.
Black is on point playing a comic in a film within a film. How does one man have so many jokes about farting?
Dresden Shumaker is a writer, advocate, and appreciator of (butterless) movie popcorn. She chronicles her adventures in single parenting on CreatingMotherhood.
