Emancipation - Kritiken

In both his face and physicality, Smith convinces as a man who could survive extreme hardship and sustain a sense of self.

Smith’s muscular central performance is laudable...

The emphasis on suspense and aesthetics combine to make “Emancipation” an easier sit than one might imagine, given its harsh setting and inhumanity...

...a good watch which might help the lead actor in regaining his image.

Will Smith gives a harrowing performance.

Will Smith’s first post-slap role is an Oscar-worthy thriller.

Smith delivers an unusually unshowy performance. He speaks with a convincing Haitian accent but, like that Oscar ­appearance, this is a physical performance rooted in defiance and an unwavering glare.

...Will Smith brings a movie-star presence to this brutally violent civil war drama, with a physical stillness and defiantly steady gaze.

Director Antoine Fuqua tilts true history into a brutal, broad-strokes action thriller elevated by his central star's performance.

...back to Smith. He carries the narrative like a practiced star...