Ice Cube Ranked

Welcome to the latest editon of my Ranked series, where I rank a franchise or filmography of an actor/director from worst to best and hand out various related accolades. This week, I'm profiling the work of Ice Cube.

Ice Cube's Filmography Rankings:
18.First Sunday (D+)
17.Friday After Next (D+)
16.Anaconda (C-)
15.Ride Along 2 (C)
14.xXx: State of the Union (B-)
13.Ride Along (B-)
12.All About the Benjamins (B-)
11.Fist Fight (B-)
10.Barbershop 2: Back in Business (B-)
9.Barbershop (B-) 
8.Next Friday (B)
7.Barbershop: The Next Cut (B)
6.Three Kings (B+)
5.xXx: Return of Xander Cage (B+)
4.21 Jump Street (A)
3.22 Jump Street (A)
2.Boyz n the Hood (A)
1.Friday (A+)

Top Dog: Friday (1995)
Friday may be the Citizen Kane of stoner hangout movies. The vibe is appropriately relaxed, the characters are vibrant and the situations the main characters (Cube, Chris Tucker-both perfect for their roles) get into over the course of the day are consistently hilarious.  

Lowlight: First Sunday (2008)
The monumental waste of talent otherwise known as First Sunday is one of the most inexplicable comedic misfires I've ever come across in the world of movies. Even before it turns into a tacky preachfest in the final act, funny people like Cube, Tracy Morgan and Katt Williams embarrass themselves by delivering weak jokes with the enthusiasm one would apply to giving directions to some random passerby.

Most Underrated: xXx: Return of Xander Cage (2017)
Vin Diesel's revival of the xXx series was one of the more pleasant surprises of the few years. By applying the self-aware tone, huge ensemble cast dynamic and commitment to staging the most absurd action sequences that can possibly be conceived by man that has fueled the recent entries of Fast and Furious to the globetrotting adventures of Xander Cage, this previously bland franchise evolves into a ridiculously entertaining, adrenaline-fueled blockbuster spectacle.  

Most Overrated: Ride Along (2014)
For the sake of clarity, I'm deeming Ride Along overrated because of its enthusiastic audience response, not its reviews-which were mostly negative. Consistently mediocre material and several massive tonal swings overshadow a lot of the enjoyment that comes from seeing an effortlessly funny duo in Kevin Hart and Cube perform alongside each other for the first time. 

Best Character: Captain Dickson, 21/22 Jump Street (2012/2014)
Casting Ice Cube as a vulgar, short-tempered police captain was nothing of a masterstroke. By pairing the intensity he brought to his music with the sharp comedic timing that has allowed him to transition so smoothly into acting, he turns into a god damn tornado of rage-fueled hilarity that steals every single scene he appears in over the course of both films.

Most Depressing Sequel: Friday After Next (2002)
If Last Friday does ever get made, they won't have to try hard to top this pile of garbage. Friday After Next isn't just a bad movie, it's a complete betrayal of the spirit of the franchise. The signature laid-back atmosphere feels forced, the jokes have a real nastiness to them and cast members both new and old ,with the exception of the late John Witherspoon, operate on autopilot.