After Earth was one of the biggest bombs of last year both critically and commercially but I could not get myself to stay away. This is also the logic that lead to me seeing M Night Shamalan's Last Airbender which proved to be a massive disappointment. I enjoyed Will Smith in Independence Day, Men in Black and even I am Legend so my expectations may have been higher than they souls be. After Earth stars Will and Jaden Smith set in the far future as a father and son that crash land on a planet which they discover used to be Earth. However it is not the same Earth that we know as it has evolved to be hazardous even deadly to Humans. They are not alone as a deadly alien creature with a taste for fear and human blood has also crashed with them. Now Will and Jaden must survive a harsh climate to reach a beacon to call for a ride home. The movie's main theme is that Fear isn't real but the danger is.
The trailer and posters for this movie were lying when they implied that Will Smith was the main character or even had half the screen time. Will's character was incapacitated in the initial crash, so this film's primary narrative rests on the shoulders of Jaden Smith. Jaden however does not possess the charisma or acting experience of his father so the films somewhat suffers for it. In movies or books, I really am not a fan of overly whiny characters which is why I dislike Catcher in the Rye and now months later I mostly recall Jaden whining or crying. While I know being stranded on a foreign world would be a massive shock for the character, I don't feel like they did much to make the character likable.
Will Smith is a military hero while Jaden is an aspiring cadet who yearns for his father's approval and is haunted by his sister's death years before. Jaden trying to be his own person while looking to please his father might show a few shades of reality for some. So Jaden has to cross miles of treacherous Earth with a limited amount of drugs that lets him survive with his father trying to guide him remotely. Will has to deal with his injuries and the possibility that he may not still be alive when help comes. Ultimately Jaden overcomes both the environment and his fears and slays the deadly alien creature. The movie ends with Jaden contacting help and being rescued and Will retiring from active military service and gaining a better appreciation for his family. While the film didn't thrill me the wing suit sequence did stand out as at least memorable. I feel that at some point during the summer, I may have been burnt out on sci-fi having seen Star Trek Into Darkness, Elysium, and Oblivion especially of the dystopic future variety. After Earth suffers from not being notable or compelling in a sea of other Summer Sci-Fi films. Had Will Smith been in a more starring role, perhaps this film would have been better received. Despite how underwhelming this film was, I would say that After Earth was still less of a a waste of money than the Last Airbender.
The trailer and posters for this movie were lying when they implied that Will Smith was the main character or even had half the screen time. Will's character was incapacitated in the initial crash, so this film's primary narrative rests on the shoulders of Jaden Smith. Jaden however does not possess the charisma or acting experience of his father so the films somewhat suffers for it. In movies or books, I really am not a fan of overly whiny characters which is why I dislike Catcher in the Rye and now months later I mostly recall Jaden whining or crying. While I know being stranded on a foreign world would be a massive shock for the character, I don't feel like they did much to make the character likable.
Will Smith is a military hero while Jaden is an aspiring cadet who yearns for his father's approval and is haunted by his sister's death years before. Jaden trying to be his own person while looking to please his father might show a few shades of reality for some. So Jaden has to cross miles of treacherous Earth with a limited amount of drugs that lets him survive with his father trying to guide him remotely. Will has to deal with his injuries and the possibility that he may not still be alive when help comes. Ultimately Jaden overcomes both the environment and his fears and slays the deadly alien creature. The movie ends with Jaden contacting help and being rescued and Will retiring from active military service and gaining a better appreciation for his family. While the film didn't thrill me the wing suit sequence did stand out as at least memorable. I feel that at some point during the summer, I may have been burnt out on sci-fi having seen Star Trek Into Darkness, Elysium, and Oblivion especially of the dystopic future variety. After Earth suffers from not being notable or compelling in a sea of other Summer Sci-Fi films. Had Will Smith been in a more starring role, perhaps this film would have been better received. Despite how underwhelming this film was, I would say that After Earth was still less of a a waste of money than the Last Airbender.
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