Lookin' to Get Out (1982)
Angelina made her movie debut at the tender age of seven. She appeared as Tosh in this Hal Ashby movie, alongside her father Jon Voight. The movie centres on a couple of gamblers who head to Las Vegas in an attempt to turn their fortunes around.
It's only a tiny role for Jolie, the first babysteps on the road to megastardom. Jolie has since seen her tumultuous relationship with her father splashed across the tabloids.
Superstar Status: Too young to judge really.
Cyborg 2 (1993)
After accompanying her dad to work as a seven-year-old, Jolie stayed away from the big screen for the next 11 years, before appearing in this sequel to the 1989 Jean Claude Van Damme 'classic'.
Jolie is cast as a seductive cyborg, and she gets to work alongside such notaries as Elias Koteas and Jack Palance. Sadly, those gravelly thesps (and a flashback Van Damme), can't rescue this one from B-movie infamy.
Superstar Status: Her intentions are good, but this isn't the vehicle to showcase her screen charisma.
Without Evidence (1995)
Jolie's next movie project (besides a couple of shorts and an appearance in a Meat Loaf video) was in this true life tale. When the leader of a correctional institute is murdered, his brother Kevin Francke (Scott Plank) starts an investigation into the drug ring that could be behind it.
Angelina turns up as Jodie Swearingen, though sadly her character isn't as much fun as Ian McShane's in Deadwood . This is a workmanlike thriller at best, and would probably have disappeared entirely if it wasn't for the presence of young AJ.
Superstar Status: Bargain bin territory.
Hackers (1995)
This was the first movie to earn Angelina some major attention, and she met her first husband, Johnny Lee Miller, on the set.
Jolie and Miller are a couple of high-school hacking experts, who end up with the secret service on their case. Treading similar ground to Sandra Bullock starrer The Net (which was released the same year), the on-screen technology is likely to induce winces and snorts, but this rattles along with enough youthful pace for you to almost forgive it.
Superstar Status: There are the first hints of the megawatt charisma that she'll soon become famous for.
Love Is All There Is (1996)
This was a modern interpretation of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet , but it was blown out of the water by Baz Luhrmann's striking modern reimagining of the star-crossed lovers tale. It would've been interesting to see Jolie in the Luhrmann movie actually, as she'd have no doubt brought her unique intensity to the role of the anguished teen.
Instead she's mostly wasted in this version, though she does get to show off a lighter side. Oddly Paul Sorvino played the Juliet character's father in both versions.
Superstar Status: If only she was in the other movie, this would have been a resounding leap upwards.
Mojave Moon (1996)
Jolie played an attractive young temptress in this largely forgettable road movie. Al McCord (Danny Aiello) spots Ellie (Jolie) while at a restaurant. He agrees to drive her to the Mojave Desert, and when they get there he starts romancing her mum.
Michael Biehn is present as Ellie's mother's irritable, no-good boyfriend, and he can't help but add to the feeling that you're watching a no-frills B-movie. An escalating string of ridiculous events follows, culminating in a silly showdown.
Superstar Status: As the short-skirted Lolita, there's no denying Ange's burning screen appeal is growing.
Foxfire (1996)
Despite her famous parentage, and her undeniable screen charisma, Jolie took a little while finding her wings. She's squandered again in this story of a group of high school girls and their experience of a pervy teacher.
The film gained subsequent notoriety for some Jolie nudity, and that'll likely be the only reason that anyone would bother to revisit this.
Superstar Status: This isn't exactly the best evidence for her talent.
True Women (1997)
Angelina's career was still in the 'uneventful' stages when she starred in this epic romance. She played Georgia Virginia Lawshe Woods in this miniseries, which was adapted from the novel by Janice Woods Windle.
There's a couple of of noteworthy appearances, including Michael 'Basil Exposition' York and Candyman star Tony Todd, but sadly this doesn't make for an essential box set. Epic in scope, but unable to live up to its themes.
Superstar Status: Treading water here.
George Wallace (1997)
This was another TV movie, though it had solid Hollywood connections: Gary Sinise played the lead role, and John Frankenheimer was at the helm. It also won Angelina her first notable award, as she walked away with a Golden Globe.
Unsurprisingly, this is the story of George Wallace, one-time Governor of Alabama. He is known for his controversial stance on racial segregation, and his four failed attempts at running for president. Jolie played Wallace's second wife Cornelia.
Superstar Status: She was now starting to get some recognition.
Playing God (1997)
David Duchovny was carrying his first major movie after finding cult success with The X-Files . He plays Eugene Sands, a disgraced surgeon who falls into the employ of mobster Raymond Blossom (Timothy Hutton).
Sands ignores the first rule of the Mob Movie Law by getting involved with the boss's trophy gal Claire (Jolie). Duchovny's name post- X-Files couldn't save this one from disastrous reviews: it earnt paltry box office takings, before vanishing entirely.
Superstar Status: Even in this kind of dross, she still exudes that unmistakeable movie star charisma that just promises she'll make it big soon enough.
Gia (1998)
Another TV movie for Jolie here, but this one became a major calling card for the actress. She bagged another Golden Globe for the lead role in this true story of the life of model Gia Carangi.
Obviously Angelina had the looks to play the supermodel, but she proved she had the acting mettle too. Exuding a beguiling mix of confidence and fragility, it was Jolie's first chance to essay a character on the verge of a breakdown, as Gia goes from overnight success to HIV-infected drug addict.
Superstar Status: She's definitely getting there...
Hell's Kitchen (1998)
A crime movie as opposed to an episode of the Gordon Ramsay cooking challenge, though being bollocked by Gordon would have probably been more interesting. Mekhi Phifer stars as Johnny, an ex-con who has just been down for a five year stretch after a robbery goes tits up.
Angelina plays Gloria, a young girl whose brother was killed in the heist-gone-wrong. She wants to make Johnny pay for the pain he caused, but Johnny just wants to reinvent himself as a boxer. Hell's Kitchen had an almost non-existent cinema release, and has barely been seen since.
Superstar Status: A small blip in her ascending trajectory.
Playing by Heart (1998)
Jolie joined a starry cast for what was her biggest production to date. Something of a forerunner to Love Actually , William Carroll's movie darts in and out of a bunch of relationships across LA. Jolie pairs off with Ryan Phillipe in the 'young contingent' strand, and their segments always boost the movie's energy.
Older folks Sean Connery and Gena Rowlands are also worthy of note, but the remaining segments just sag, and by the time they're all tied together you'll have probably lost interest.
Superstar Status: She proves she can hack it alongside some seasoned cast members (and Ryan Phillipe).
Pushing Tin (1999)
Angelina met future husband Billy Bob Thornton on the set of this romantic dramedy. Mike Newell was in the director's chair, as air traffic controller Nick (John Cusack) slowly starts to succumb to the stress of his job.
Thornton is rival controller Russell, and Ange is Mary, his unfeasibly young and attractive wife. Nick adds to the anxieties on his plate when he ends up bedding Mary. Things become a bit convoluted, but the quality cast (did we mention Cate Blanchett plays Nick's not-unattractive wife?) keep things moving.
Superstar Status: Her name was starting to stick in people's minds now.
The Bone Collector (1999)
Jolie continued her ascent with this grisly crime thriller. Middling reviews didn't stop this one from from doing decent business at the box office.
Angelina toned down the glamour a bit to play rookie cop Amelia Donaghy, who becomes the eyes and ears of paraplegic detective Lincoln Rhyme (Denzel Washington). In the aftermath of Seven this felt creakingly old-fashioned, but Denzel still manages to ooze presence when he's confined to a hospital bed, with Jolie seemingly unfazed by taking on bigger budget material.
Superstar Status: She was being promoted to the big leagues now.
Girl, Interrupted (1999)
This was supposed to be a Winona Ryder vehicle, but Jolie steals the movie out from under her in the supporting role that won her an Oscar, and certified her position on the A list.
If this is One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest with chicks then Jolie is the Jack Nicholson of the bunch. As the sociopathic Lisa Rowe, she's the lifeblood of the movie: charismatic, antagonistic, agressive and bruised. Things are a little less interesting whenever she's not onscreen.
Superstar Status: With the Oscar in the bag, Jolie had truly arrived.
Gone in Sixty Seconds (2000)
Perhaps looking for a bit of respite after a somewhat heavy period piece, Angelina showed that the Oscar hadn't gone to her head by starring in this ludicrous actioner opposite Nicolas Cage.
Singularly failing to deliver on the movie's premise, none of the car chase scenes here are particularly impressive, and there's not much else to recommend. Vinnie Jones was still trying to launch his acting career at this point, and his appearance is particularly unsettling.
Superstar Status: She proves she can hold her own with the boys, as she flaunts her ability to convince in action roles.
Lara Croft: Tomb Raider (2001)
Jolie won the once-coveted role of Lara Croft over a number of competitors. While the film is far from perfect, it showed that her star was rising in Hollywood. The plot is of little interest really, which is a good thing, as it makes not one bit of sense.
What is important is that Jolie gets to kick ass like a video game character come to life, taking down all manner of adversaries in a variety of bloodless ways. Poor reviews didn't stop this becoming the biggest ever videogame adap (until Bruckheimer's Prince Of Persia stole the worldwide title this year).
Superstar Status: Proving her action and box-office credentials.
Original Sin (2001)
A bizarre step for Jolie to take, this seems more like the tawdry tat that you'd associate with a pre-fame starlet, not a blockbustress at the top of her game.
Cuban coffee magnate Luis (Antonio Banderas) seeks an American bride, and gets more than he bargained for (for better and worse) when Julia (Jolie) turns up on his doorstep. There's rampant nudity aplenty, but no amount of Jolie flesh or Banderas buns make this late-night-cable thriller masquerading as Hollywood gloss appealing.
Superstar Status: Down a few notches.
Life or Something Like It (2002)
Jolie's career graph continued on it's negative dip with this weak karmic comedy. At her very blondest, Jolie still manages to shine amidst the relentless tidal wave of carpe diem cliche.
She plays a newscaster who decides to change her way of life when a psychic tells her she's only got a week left to live. Cue her deciding that schlubby, earnest cameraman Ed Burns is really the guy for her.
Superstar Status: She must wield quite some power if she can escape this kind of pap with her dignity intact.
Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life (2003)
The first movie wasn't exactly amazing, but there was the sense that, now the character has been established, she would be able to run riot as the queen of a new adventure franchise. Cradle of Life stopped any of those hopes dead.
Jan de Bont takes the reins as director, and he seems unable to deliver a satisfying movie from the sum of its considerable parts. Jolie reconfirms that she was the ideal choice for the role, but this lacks any sense of fun, or momentum, and action set-ups are wastefully squandered. Lara's last life.
Superstar Status: She's more than this dull sequel deserved.
Beyond Borders (2003)
Jolie's well known for her political good deeds in real life. She's long been a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations, and she has become famous for her humanitarian work. Beyond Border s unsuccessfully attempts to merge her charitable work and movie stardom.
Director Martin Campbell shows none of the Bond -revitalising flair he's become famous for in this turgid, over-sentimental affair. It doesn't help that it also stars Clive Owen at his least charismatic. While shooting this movie, Angelina adopted first child Maddox, so some good came out of it.
Superstar Status: She fails to mesh the two sides of her public persona here.
Taking Lives (2004)
Jolie was back in thriller territory here, but this crime novel adaptation failed to put the spark back into her career. She stars alongside Ethan Hawke, another actor who has a similar habit of often plumping for material beneath his talent level.
Angelina is an FBI profiler on the hunt for a killer who takes on the identities of his victims. Hawke is witness who she ends up doing the nasty with. A decent start, but the idea is smothered by cleaving to close to bogstandard formula.
Superstar Status: She seemed to be losing the golden touch by this point.
Shark Tale (2004)
You can't blame Angelina for signing up for this one. CGI animations had taken off in a big way, and it had an amazing cast and a pretty fun concept, but it turned out to be a horrible mess.
The script never really delivers the mob laughs that this desperately needs, and Will Smith's Oscar was a detestable lead character. Jolie is the seductive Lola, and the animators have obviously tried to capture her look, but they ended up with something pretty creepy.
Superstar Status: This kerchinged big-time at the box office, but didn't exactly boost the credibility of anyone who appeared in it.
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004)
Another CGI-heavy movie for Jolie, another disappointment considering the component parts. Shot almost entirely on bluescreen, this was a hi-tech, but defiantly old-fashioned, adventure. Jude Law is the titular ace pilot, out to rid the retro-futurisitic 30s of a robot enemy.
Jolie shows off her irrepressibly feisty presence as an eye-patched Navy Commander, but there's little going on beneath the glossy visuals, which, impressive as they are to look at, don't have the texture or heft to convince.
Superstar Status: Dented by another unexpected misfire.
Alexander (2004)
Alexander received extremely mixed reviews upon release, and it has continued to divide opinion ever since. Some couldn't take Colin Farrell (and his blond hairdo) seriously as the man who conquered the world, other's felt he captured Alexander's youth, inexperience and chutzpah.
Angelina played his mother (despite the fact she's less than a year older than Farrell), and her vampish, bizarrely-accented oedipal nightmare just shouldn't work, but she lights up the screen whenever she's on.
Superstar Status: The film wasn't a big hit, but it showed that Angelina had an unmatchable presence on screen.
Mr. & Mrs. Smith (2005)
Jolie finally got the hit she had been waiting for in this romantic actioner. Her subsequent relationship with co-star Brad Pitt has kept her name in the tabloids ever since.
Doug Liman's story of a married couple who are secretly rival assassins is throwaway stuff, but it's bombastic fun while it lasts. Jolie handles the action and the chemistry with conviction, cementing her ultimate moviestar status.
Superstar Status: And she's back in the game!
The Good Shepherd (2006)
Showing that she could hold the screen even when she's not toting a gun, Jolie is emotional and engaging in Robert De Niro's CIA drama. Matt Damon stars as Edward Wilson, a fictionalised version of real-life character James Angleton.
There's no denying this is long, involving and dense, but there's plenty to appreciate if you've got the patience, not least Damon and Jolie going toe-to-toe in the domestic battles.
Superstar Status: The action gal proves she can work wonders with old-school material.
A Mighty Heart (2007)
Jolie took another stab at an extremely political movie, with much stronger results. Michael Winterbottom helmed this adaptation of Mariane Pearl's book. It follows her struggle to find the truth when her husband Daniel is kidnapped (and later beheaded) by Pakistani militants.
It's not an easy watch, but it is a respectful tribute to real-life events. Jolie picked up a number of nominatons for her committed role, and Winterbottom sustains a vivid, suffocating atmosphere.
Superstar Status: It's an intimate movie but she's got gravitas to spare.
Beowulf (2007)
Another animation for Jolie, but this one captured her look to striking effect. Giving Grendel's mother the comely form of Jolie was one of Zemeckis' best decisions, moving away from the hag of the original tale (at least in the way Beowulf sees her anyway).
She manages to be seductive even when she's kitted out in stilletto hooves and an off-putting tail, and covered in a general smattering of gold scales. The movie's action scenes really benefitted from the 3D, before multi-dimensionality swamped cinemas and lost some of its impact.
Superstar Status: She's has limited screentime in a supporting role, but she absolutely steals it.
Kung-Fu Panda (2008)
More CGI antics here, though this is pretty much the opposite of Beowulf 's olde Englishe bloodthirst. Inevitably, this isn't up there with the finest Pixar movies in terms of emotional wallop, but it's still decent fun, and a nice play on Jolie's action gal persona.
The action scenes are particularly noteworthy, bringing the kind of verve and energy too rarely seen in animated movies. It must have been an experience that Jolie enjoyed, as she's signed up to return to the sequel, which is due to arrive in 2011.
Superstar Status: She's just having fun in here.
Changeling (2008)
Another award-magnet of a performance here, for Clint Eastwood's true-life drama. Jolie shows off some extreme stamina in the tear duct deparment as Christine Collins, a woman whose son goes missing in 20s LA. When she refuses to believe that a child who is brought to her is her missing son, she's institutionalised.
A long struggle follows, and while none of the supporting characters match Jolie for depth, you'd be hard-pressed to not at least find a lump in your throat before the movie's out.
Superstar Status: Sky high: this is the Jolie show right here.
Wanted (2008)
This next movie couldn't be more different to Changeling . Angelina is back in ballsy, kick-ass, action chick mode as an assassin who's part of a secret organisation who keep the world in order by carrying out hits (based on the advice of the magical loom...)
The plot makes little to no sense, but that hardly matters. Timur Bekmambetov packs the screen with ultra-violent, super-showy action, and turns James McAvoy into a convincing action lead.
Superstar Status: She makes this kind of stuff look all too easy.
Salt (2010)
Are there any other actresses out there that could convincingly take on an action role earmarked for a bloke? This was originally going to be Edwin A. Salt , but the protagonist got a sex change when Tom Cruise left and Jolie stepped up.
Evelyn Salt is a CIA agent who goes on the run after being accused of double-agentry. There are twists aplenty, and this doesn't best its inspiration Bourne , but it manages to be great, almost old-fashioned, fun, and as ever, Angelina owns the action scenes, playing the role with enough ambiguity to keep you guessing.
Superstar Status: This still could become her franchise...
The Tourist (2010)
Angelina is back in cinemas this week.
The Tourist pits her slinky charms against Johnny Depp's hapless bumbling, amidst the uber-glamourous Venice locations. The Lives of Others director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck is calling the shots on this light-hearted adventure that's aiming for an old-school vibe.
The film hits cinemas today, and you can check out the official Total film verdict right here .
