Ranking all the Jack Black films currently streaming on Netflix

Jack Black is red hot right now. Of course, he has always been a must-watch for those in the know, including his music with Tenacious D, but he is probably earning more fans now with the release of the film Minecraft.

Reviews are mixed for the project, but audiences clearly like it. It is expected to earn $260 million globally in its opening weekend. (I have seen it, and I do not play the game, but I can attest that it is entertaining.)

But if you do not feel like hitting the theaters, and you still want to watch some Jack Black movies, Netflix has several to choose from. They are all worth seeing. Here is what you should see based on quality.

Ranking the Jack Black movies that are currently showing on Netflix

5. Kung Fu Panda 4

There is also a Netflix original series called Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight, which is pretty good. We don't have that listed here because it is not a film. It is worth a watch, though.

4 is listed as the worst of Jack Black's movies streaming on Netflix because it is the worst of the franchise. That does not mean the movie is bad; it isn't. The issue is that the villain in the film is not as well-conceived as in the other films. But Black as Po is fantastic.

4. The Polka King

One of the more underrated films in Black's oeuvre, this movie is not purely funny. The story is based on the actual events of Jan Lewan, a polka musician from Pennsylvania. Lewan develops a Ponzi scheme where he steals millions of dollars from investors.

Black is excellent and humorous in the right moments of this Netflix-produced flick, but viewer beware. There is also a lot of sadness to this one.

3. King Kong

This was Peter Jackson's first major work after the Lord of the Rings trilogy, so the expectations were high. These were made even higher because of the source material: a remake of a 1933 classic. Jackson does a good job, and the film got good reviews, but anything might feel like a letdown after the LOTR series.

Black is a good choice for director Carl Denham, as he brings enough showmanship to make the film believable. Of course, the movie is a farce augmented by Black's outlandish abilities.

2. The Holiday

Fluffy, Christmas-themed movies can go either way. This one works because of the talent involved (the film stars Black, of course, but also Jude Law, Kate Winslet, and Cameron Diaz) and because it never winks. The premise is a bit light because it sees the characters of Winslet and Diaz do some pre-Airbnb, but exceptionally quickly, and unrealistically.

The movie doesn't care how realistic it is, though. It wants you to like the characters, and we do. We root for them because they are where we often want to be ourselves.

1. Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood

Black's voice works well with animated works, even when he is being a bit over the top. He is enjoyable at any level because he never stops feeling like one of us. He doesn't have Brad Pitt looks, but he has Brad Pitt cool because he never talks down to us.

This is a lovely story that is semi-biographical for director Richard Linklater. It centers around the 1969 moon landing and is seen through the eyes of both the young person watching the event and the NASA decision-makers. The film has quite a bit of melancholy but a lot of heart as well.