MOVIE OF THE WEEK (5/31/2013): AFTER EARTH
KEY CAST MEMBERS: Will Smith, Jaden Smith, Sophia Okonedo and Zoë Isabella Kravitz
WRITER(S): Will Smith (story); Gary Whitta and M. Night Shyamalan (screenplay)
DIRECTOR: M. Night Shyamalan
WEB SITE: http://www.afterearth.com/site/
60 SECOND PLOT SYNOPSIS: Earth, like in so many sci-fi movies these days, has become uninhabitable by humans due a general mix of neglect, abuse and warfare. With mankind having moved to a new settlement known as Nova Prime 1,000 years ago, things seem to be all right ... Save for the native alien species that sent in monsters known as Ursas sent to kill us all. Ursas can literally smell fear due to their ability to track the pheremones humans release when scared, which is why Cypher Raige (Will Smith) trains new rangers for both domestic and international adventures.
Unfortunately, Kitai (Jaden Smith) has trouble living up to his father's reputation – especially following the events that went down with his sister Senshi (Zoë Isabella Kravitz). But when father and son find themselves having to crash land on Earth following an asteroid storm, Cypher will learn about a lot about his son ... And his son will learn a lot about why danger is real, but fear is a choice ...
Unfortunately, Kitai (Jaden Smith) has trouble living up to his father's reputation – especially following the events that went down with his sister Senshi (Zoë Isabella Kravitz). But when father and son find themselves having to crash land on Earth following an asteroid storm, Cypher will learn about a lot about his son ... And his son will learn a lot about why danger is real, but fear is a choice ...
WHO WILL LIKE THIS FILM THE MOST: Post-apocalypse fans, Will Smith junkies, fans of pseudo-British accents, Jaden Smith fans, people who like father-son dramas, fans of Moby Dick
WHO WON'T LIKE THIS FILM: Fans of action films, die-hard sci-fi fans, fringe sci-fi fans, Smith family/nepotism haters, people who prefer a faster-paced movie, people in search of a more compelling tale other than a father-son story ...
WHO WON'T LIKE THIS FILM: Fans of action films, die-hard sci-fi fans, fringe sci-fi fans, Smith family/nepotism haters, people who prefer a faster-paced movie, people in search of a more compelling tale other than a father-son story ...
BOTTOM LINE – IS IT GOOD, GREAT, BAD OR DOWNRIGHT AWFUL? After Earth is a 'tweener, as they say in pro sports: It does some things well, some not so well and doesn't really have a niche where you can put it into a category to say "this is what this is." (I, however, am not a NBA/NFL scout and have no problem putting it into a category: Passable sci-fi that is best-left to watching with a young child or an older family member.
WHAT'S GOOD (OR BAD) ABOUT IT?: After Earth is not horrible ... But there's enough things about it that will be very take-it-or-leave-it in terms the average movie goer and his or her enjoyment of it.
On the pro side, After Earth looks very good, the plot is plausible within the world that is presented and developed in a fashion not seen done this well in an M. Night Shyamalan movie in quite some time. On the con side, the film – despite being under 2 hours – feels [1] like an eternity for much of the first act due to some incredibly slow pacing Oblivion-style. It takes a long time for something interesting/exciting to happen and when it does, the payoff is rarely as considerable as one might hope. Next, the film [2] is not too difficult to figure out in terms of what will happen, why and what happens next and [3] Jaden Smith's acting is developing ... But already has developed into a polarizing characteristic where many people are going to find him either (a) annoying and reaching at times or (b) just passable for the most part.
While the elder Smith (who also helped come up with the story for After Earth) likely enjoyed making his pet project as much as Shyamalan did shaping the universe in which it takes place, the film fails to take advantage of its own scenario as well it could.
Again, while the story is presented well, it's a bit played out and hard to get away from the fact you're watching what is a caveman-like boy-becomes-a-man story with elements (both overtly and subtle) taken from Herman Melville's definitive Moby Dick. And the process of watching said teenager run around is only interesting in moments, not in spades. Family-friendly sci-fi can be exciting, dynamic and innovative (see Park, Jurassic and E.T.); in this case, however, it just feels like you're watching what could equate to an ABC Family movie with a really big budget and name talent.
(And the less said about the Downton Abbey accents permeating the film, the better.)
In short, if you've seen the trailer for After Earth and been on the fence about seeing it, seeing it isn't likely to make you feel better you opened the gate. However, if you really liked watching Will and his offspring together in The Pursuit of Happyness (yes, grammar maidens, that's how they spelled the title), you might enjoy After Earth more than most.
Just don't expect to have an out-of-this-world experience and you'll know what to expect when you walk into the theater.
WHAT'S GOOD (OR BAD) ABOUT IT?: After Earth is not horrible ... But there's enough things about it that will be very take-it-or-leave-it in terms the average movie goer and his or her enjoyment of it.
On the pro side, After Earth looks very good, the plot is plausible within the world that is presented and developed in a fashion not seen done this well in an M. Night Shyamalan movie in quite some time. On the con side, the film – despite being under 2 hours – feels [1] like an eternity for much of the first act due to some incredibly slow pacing Oblivion-style. It takes a long time for something interesting/exciting to happen and when it does, the payoff is rarely as considerable as one might hope. Next, the film [2] is not too difficult to figure out in terms of what will happen, why and what happens next and [3] Jaden Smith's acting is developing ... But already has developed into a polarizing characteristic where many people are going to find him either (a) annoying and reaching at times or (b) just passable for the most part.
While the elder Smith (who also helped come up with the story for After Earth) likely enjoyed making his pet project as much as Shyamalan did shaping the universe in which it takes place, the film fails to take advantage of its own scenario as well it could.
Again, while the story is presented well, it's a bit played out and hard to get away from the fact you're watching what is a caveman-like boy-becomes-a-man story with elements (both overtly and subtle) taken from Herman Melville's definitive Moby Dick. And the process of watching said teenager run around is only interesting in moments, not in spades. Family-friendly sci-fi can be exciting, dynamic and innovative (see Park, Jurassic and E.T.); in this case, however, it just feels like you're watching what could equate to an ABC Family movie with a really big budget and name talent.
(And the less said about the Downton Abbey accents permeating the film, the better.)
In short, if you've seen the trailer for After Earth and been on the fence about seeing it, seeing it isn't likely to make you feel better you opened the gate. However, if you really liked watching Will and his offspring together in The Pursuit of Happyness (yes, grammar maidens, that's how they spelled the title), you might enjoy After Earth more than most.
Just don't expect to have an out-of-this-world experience and you'll know what to expect when you walk into the theater.
RATING (OUT OF FOUR BUCKETS OF POPCORN):
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