Review of After Earth (2013) by Brian S — 06 Mar 2014

If ruining his reputation as a competent storyteller and director with Lady in the Water, The Happening and The Last Airbender (a trilogy of films that Ed Wood would cringe at) wasn't enough, co-screenwriter/director M.

Night Shyamalan flops again with the muddled and awfully contrived After Earth. There is a distinct lack of invention or sense of adventure both in front and behind the camera with stilted staging, questionable CG (stick to practical effects M.

Night) and just plain bad acting. Will Smith (who is guilty of the biggest sin, coming up with the picture's story) blesses the film with a career first one-dimensional (and very wooden) performance (worse than Hancock).

His character (named Cypher Raige-really...) doesn't evoke any emotion and - surprisingly-is very boring. Worst, he is the person who navigates us through the videogame-like plot (co-screenwriter, Gary Whitta, is an alum videogame scribe) as we have the pleasure of witnessing Jaden Smith try to speak in some weird future dialect (the film's biggest innovation is the thought that people won't be able to speak coherently in the future) and survive Mother Earth.

When reaching the dizzying heights of After Earth, with the ending in sight, the climax of the film isn't when or if our hero overcomes his struggles, but when the picture fades to black. There is very little "right" with After Earth and that is an accomplishment in of itself.