Review of After Earth (2013) by Seth S — 07 Aug 2014

And so it ends. M. Night Shyamalan's latest movie, After Earth, marked the director's fifth critical failure in a row. By the time this movie disappointed at the box office and bombed with audiences and critics alike - Shyamalan's reputation as one of the biggest jokes in the movie-making business was secured. Any promise that he had once shown was stomped out with the release of this film.

But is that reaction entirely deserved? Is After Earth the final nail in the coffin, as it were? Well, no. It's not great by any means. But it is a definite improvement. The story means well, and it has some aptitude. The visuals are gorgeous. The drama plays out accordingly. All in all, it really isn't a terrible movie.

But it is a blandly executed movie. The just doesn't seem to be a whole lot of passion behind the project. And in turn, I really don't have a lot to say about this movie. I like the thoughts put into it. I like the way it looks. And ... yeah.

There does seem to be a discernible conflict of interest surrounding the film. On the one side, M. Night seems to be trying to make a legitimately good movie - something to get himself back on track. On the other, Will Smith just seems to want to spend a few months in Costa Rica with his son. Anything to boost the kid's career is worth Will's time. And Jaden just seems to want to do cool action hero stunts that he can show his teenage socialite friends.

With all the key players wanting something different, it never meshes together into a satisfying experience. And yet, the movie does just enough to not warrant its bad reputation.

When you strip away the bells and whistles, the story is a fairly simple one. General Cypher Raige is the legendary leader of the United Ranger Corps. His son, Kitai, is a Ranger in training. While trying to get some much needed bonding time with his son, Cypher and Kitai crash land on Earth. But this is not the Earth we know. Our planet has evolved into an uninhabitable deathtrap. With Cypher's leg broken, it's up to Kitai to trek across the planet to get an emergency beacon - and in turn, save their lives.

Standing head and shoulder above all else, the visuals are beautiful! Earth may not be fit for human life, but it has never looked more attractive. The futuristic elements also offer some nifty ideas. I'm sure there are a number of planned "post-card" shots in the movie ... and the planning payed off.

The action scenes aren't entirely impressive. They are technically proficient, but they are in no way memorable. Though the final action scene has a compelling enough dramatic force to make it effective.

The dramatic aspect of the story probably looked a little better on paper. In film, it has noticeable potential - but still failed to move me emotionally. Kitai is struggling with living up to his father. He is struggling with the death of his sister. He is struggling with fear of the monstrous "Ursas." There's enough material here to make for a dramatically driven movie - without the film ever fully capitalizing on its potential.

Of all the things that have turned people off from After Earth, the cast has to be the biggest factor. More specifically, the two performances by Will and Jaden Smith. The entitlement and nepotism involved with this starring vehicle for Jaden Smith rubbed a lot of audience members the wrong way. I had to look back to my Karate Kid review to remember the exact wording of my opinion of him in that movie: "Is there any way he would have been cast if he was not Will Smith's son? I doubt it. But is he a good actor? For sure. The genes must have been passed down, because he does a great job as Dre." Time has not changed my opinion on that film. I still think Jaden Smith was excellent. But here, in After Earth, the fresh-faced charm of his first starring vehicle has worn off. At best, he is bland but passable. At worst, he is cringe worthy. ("You're the coward!") Going one for two in your first two movies isn't a big enough sample size, so I have yet to pass judgment on this member of the second generation of Smiths.

While Jaden might be untested, Will Smith certainly is not. And the actor's ample talents are disappointingly wasted. The character is too stoic for much personality. He is separated from his son for the vast majority of the run time.

The supporting cast is alarmingly small. But the one stand out is Zoë Kravitz (in flashbacks) as Kitai's sister. In all the roles I have seen Kravitz in up to this point, she has been noticeably dull. But she gives a likable performance in very short screen time. Probably the best I've seen from her.

James Newton Howard's score personifies the movie. It's far from his best, it's kind of bland overall, but there are some nice moments.

After Earth proves to be a small step in the right direction for the director. The heart of the story is in the right place. Some isolated elements work well. On a whole, I was entertained just enough - and I was left with no strong feelings, good or bad. I won't be watching it again, but the film does give me a small measure of hope for the future of M. Night Shyamalan.

"Fear is not real. The only place that fear can exist is in our thoughts of the future." 6/10.