AFTER EARTH

It was a disappointing film. A sci fi film that's really just a father son story with the main plot involving the son having to retrieve an object with a boss fight at the end. Now there are interesting things that happen in the film such as the crash, the jump, the couple times that Jayden survives but overall this just doesn't keep your attention. It has some pretty things to look at but not much else. Even the story is just not very interesting and you have Will sitting in a chair for 70% of the film. Also, I wasn't a fan of the flashbacks either. Lastly, Jada should have just been the wife in the film since that role is such a throwaway for an Oscar nominee to be playing.

Grade - B

Sorry to go Bradley on you but that doesn't sound like a B grade based on your criticism about the film.

He's a lenient grader. Look how many "A" grades he's already given this year. It's like 10 or something.

Well I have seen 40+ this year and those films were genuinely entertaining enough to me to get an A. Also, I don't do A- A+ stuff just to streamline things but I would say After Earth was closer to a B- C+ but a B is my lock. Yeah it was disappointing but just enough stuff interesting and cool looking to not be extremely boring or eye rolling to me.

That's cool. You have your own system, and I respect that.

To me a B is still a solidly positive grade for a movie. Nothing about that review (like most reviews of AE) reads like an endorsement.

And yet, a part of me that should know better wants to see this...

I agree totally, except I graded it as a C. I found this pretty standard with Jayden being too much of a lightweight and not very interesting. On Jada being the wife, I thought the same thing and even went further saying Willow Smith could have played the daughter, with a re-write making her younger.

BORING.

Sounds a lot like the reviews for Oblivion, except I can watch Cruise do carry a film for 2 hours and he'll probably make it better, Jayden Smith just kind of doesn't have that same appeal, especially with killer lines in the trailer like "Yes Sir" and "No Sir" to a crippled Will Smith.

A bit of a disaster. This is, of course, a mega-budget vanity project from the House of Smith: Will has the second largest role, is credited with conceiving the storyline, co-produces alongside his wife, and co-stars with his son, for whom this is intended as a vehicle to aid him as he tries to transition from child star with a famous name to adult action hero (with a famous name). Not much goes right for the former Fresh Prince and his heir, who have enlisted the once beloved (The Sixth Sense), now troubled (The Happening, The Last Airbender) M. Night Shyamalan to direct and co-write.

For a film so beholden to its stars, the performances are grating and limited: each principal is instructed to play each line, each note, with a robotic and severe quality. This steals from the father his natural charm and comic timing and fails to give the son the chance to prove he can exhibit such qualities in the first place. And Smith's plot is beyond thin: this is just an adventure story. "We are at Point A. We need to get to Point B and then Point C, and there is danger afoot." There is no conspiracy. There is no, "A-ha! The Smiths are aliens who resemble humans and have crashed on Earth during the time of the dinosaurs!" twist ending. This straightforward and economic construction is fine in and of itself, but the film never ignites as it should: the action and suspense set pieces are by and large abrupt and staged without imagination or wit. The ultimate arc of the two main characters' relationship is also more problematic than the film understands: this is at its core the story of a troubled teenager living in a military centric society who wins his distant, macho father's heart by endangering himself without becoming afraid. How sweet! A bit of praise, perhaps? Shyamalan composes several dramatic shots which prove he remains a gifted stylist even though his understanding of human interaction and basic ability to guide actors continue to spin out of control. And poor James Newton Howard, who has stayed with Night from the director's most glorious height and through his downfall, conducts a majestic score which is in turn menacing, moving, mysterious, and propulsive and deserves a far superior film.

D

The last five minutes:

SMITH: Stand me up!
("Oh, no, they are not going...")
DOCTOR: But, sir!
SMITH: An order! Stand me up.
("Oh, shit. They are going to do it.")
SMITH, wounded, stands and salutes SMITH, JR., then they hug
("...")

David, all the many reviews you have written for this site show how much you've learned as a writer over the years. Your reviews always displayed a strong effort, but here you make a great review look effortless.

Strong work!

Yeah, this isn't a good movie. Sadly this is:

neither the worst Scientology-laced movie ever
nor the worst Shyamalan movie ever
nor the worst action/effects-laden movie of this year so far

How strange was the moment when the giant eagle sacrifices itself to save Smith, Jr. from the freeze? It almost disturbed me because I could not process it. "Appreciate it! Oh, you're dead..." Mournful music. Cut. Forgotten.

Oh, and I never hold bogus science against a popcorn movie, but I am fairly certain this film is an extremely absurd example: post-apocalyptic Earth, despite being destroyed by humans (cue archival footage of protests and factories), has become a lush Pacific Northwest style forest with diverse wildlife and flora and fauna, and none of this is upset by a daily subzero freeze storm.

That freezing thing was ridiculous.

Thing about sci-fi is that solid science-fiction movies create a world, which, however outlandish, if well-doe makes you believe in it. After Earth hat bits and pieces, but it never created a fully realized world that I could buy into. It was...just there.

The accents are strange, too. "Sir" (said 10,000 times) is pronounced "suh." It is this strange fusion of British, American Southern, and a mouthful of marbles.

And the whole kneeing thing...

TAKE A DAMN KNEE, BOY!

This, like Shayamalan's Last AIrbender, was something that I walked out of thinking "eh, wasn't THAT bad" but the more I think about it the more lackluster it becomes. I didn't think it was god awful but there isn't a lot to compliment either. They should've just had Jaden talked in a regular voice. Besides the accent I thought he was fine. The plot goes nowhere though. At first I thought the whole idea of ghosting was kind of cool but then found it stupid. I kinda didn't want Jaden to have the ability to 'ghost' at the end.

I went with my expectations really low and... well... its was way worse than i expected. I could name some many things wrong but im just not in the mood, BUT the accent and acting really REALLY bothered me. It was horrible.

D

It's not the total shit most people and critics claim, but it's boring and underwhelming, though some effects and environment (jungle) are cool, both Smith's acting is really depressing, one of them should have died instead of pretending to find a solution on everything

C

After Earth is a thoughtful, high-minded, sci-fi film - - a type of sci-fi that has been experiencing a welcome mini-renaissance this past year with films like Oblivion, The Host, and Cloud Atlas.

The story of After Earth was straightforward but very well told (save for the son's overblown reaction to the baboons), and the special effects supported that story, rather than dominating it as is the fashion these days.

Will Smith played altogether against type, doing a far, far better Spock type character than that dope imitating the actual character in STiD - - I was thoroughly impressed with his low key supporting performance. Jaden Smith did a fine job in the lead role and I look forward to his future work in the family business.

After Earth provides a most satisfying oasis in yet another summer desert of vapid blockbusters.


18 out of 5.

I didn't notice any Scientology propaganda in this movie - - what did you see in your viewing that would cause you to call it "Scientology-laced"?

This sums it up pretty well:

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/a ... est-561310