The Best and Worst of Morgan Freeman

The "Best and Worst" series profiles the best and worst work of an actor starring in one of the week's new theatrical releases. This week I take a look at the filmography of "London Has Fallen" star Morgan Freeman.

Films starring Morgan Freeman that I've seen:
Unforgiven
Outbreak 
Seven
Deep Impact
Dreamcatcher 
Bruce Almighty
Million Dollar Baby
Batman Begins
War of the Worlds
Lucky Number Slevin
Evan Almighty
Gone Baby Gone
Wanted
The Dark Knight
Red
Conan the Barbarian
Dolphin Tale
The Dark Knight Rises
Olympus Has Fallen
Oblivion
Now You See Me
Last Vegas
The Lego Movie
Transcendence
Lucy
Ted 2

Best Performance: Million Dollar Baby (2004)
Freeman won his only Oscar to-date for this performance and for my money, is one of the most deserving winners of the past decade or so. As Eddie "Scrap-Iron" Dupris -a retired boxer and co-trainer of up-and-coming fighter Maggie Fitzgerald (Hilary Swank), Freeman serves as the emotional core of Clint Eastwood's devastating boxing drama.

Worst Performance: Lucy (2014)
Freeman had successfully avoided suffering the same fate of other aging highly-respected actors (Robert De Niro, Al Pacino) who were turning in phoned-in performances in garbage movies for most of the 2000's. Then Lucy happened. From the first time he appears in Luc Besson's sci-fi action film, Freeman looks perplexed as to why he accepted a role in such a preposterous and flat-out moronic movie (I'd like to think that he was deeply pondering what he was going to with his paycheck from starring in this garbage). 

Best Film: Unforgiven (1992)
Clint Eastwood's swan song to the western genre that made him a Hollywood A-lister is the single greatest achievement of his decorated five-decade career. The density of the narrative, unforgettable performances from Eastwood, Freeman and Gene Hackman in the lead roles and its refreshing take on the emotional toll a life of crime and murder has on the human psyche makes Unforgiven my all-time favorite western. 

Worst Film: Transcendence (2014)
Christopher Nolan's longtime cinematographer Wally Pfitser could've really used some guidance from his mentor on his disastrous directorial debut Transcendence. Pfister and screenwriter Jack Paglen waste a fascinating premise and stellar cast led by Johnny Depp, Freeman and Rebecca Hall on a film that is convoluted and dull as all hell.

Thank you for reading this week's installment of "The Best and Worst of". Next week, I'll take a look at the best and worst work of "Eye in the Sky" star Alan Rickman.