Tonight I went to see After Earth the new Will and Jaden Smith movie and going in I was not really expecting much as I am tired of Will Smith making movies just so his kids can star in them. I do not really think that Jaden Smith is that great of a young actor and is easily out acted by his father, but although this movie doesn't really do anything fantastic, it doesn't really do anything too horrible either. My main thoughts with this movie is over emoting acting, and unremarkable. When thinking about my movies, I do not want them to be unremarkable but it could have been way worse.
After Earth starts Jaden Smith as Kitai Raige and Will Smith as his father Cypher Raige. Cypher is a glorified Ranger (warrior) who is know for being able to shadow. A fighting technique where you show no fear and therefore do not secrete fear pheromones, that these blind alien creatures use to attack and kill humans. These is some back ground about how humans were driven from Earth and these creatures were released to destroy us, but I do not really think the background explanation needs to be as extensive as it is, no one really believes in these possible progressions, just saying what happened quickly is enough set up for me. Anyway, Kitai wants to impress his father who he never got to know and is put in a situation where he is going on the next training mission with his father due to his mother guilting his father. During this trip danger comes up, destroying the ship, crash landing it on a hazardous Earth (could be any planet, doesn't have to be Earth), kills everyone else, and injuries Cypher. Kitai has to make it to the tail of the plain to send a rescue beacon and deals with dangerous stuff on this journey. He also has to deal with this escaped creature, that was conveniently being transported on this ship for training. Kitai has to show if he has the skill and ability to deal with these hazards and save himself and his father.
This movie has a lot of over emoting acting and stopping and radiating stuff, i.e. centering focus and dealing with internal anxiety or whatever. These moments seem to want to build the tension and suspense, but to me this movie seemed more of a young man finding out who he really is and dealing with a distant father then true action movie. I think if that was more of the focus it may have been more exciting and interesting. The thing that bugged me the most was the undecided accents that all of the actors used. These kept switching and being off and I think it would have been just fine to have people talk regularly. Also, the weird names for things took a while to get used to and figure out what creature or who was being named.
The main story was set around Kitai and Cypher with some supporting cast who were basically unnecessary and weren't needed. They just kind of added to being people who died that made it more blatantly obvious how ridiculously only these two surviving would have been. I don't see any reason why it couldn't have just been the two of them to begin with crashing on this planet, that is dangerous because it has these creature things on it. This would have cleared up some of this crap.
There were other creatures brought in that were kinda quickly brought in and then gotten rid of, but I think that at one point, the purpose was to get attached and then feel when something happens to them, but it was more confusing and the building of what happened wasn't focused on.
The second half of this movie was better then the first half and the conclusion, although pretty predictable was fine so I came out of the movie thinking that it wasn't that bad, but again it wasn't particularly good. My main feeling being underwhelmed and wishing that it would have used some of the potential that it had. Back up on a few things and embrace and go with some of the others, but then I did find out that it was a M. Night Shyamalan movie.
Basically it was not worth paying much to see and i think it is more of a movie to watch when it comes on TV later one. It is something that is family friendly, but too scary for little kids.
My Rating: 1+
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