M. Night Shyamalan returns to the directing chair for yet another science fiction flick. This time around it's After Earth, starring Will Smith and his son, Jaden Smith. While certainly not Shyamalan's worst film, After Earth still falls far from the glory of The Sixth Sense due to pacing issues and a weak script.
After Earth follows the lives of a father, Cypher (Will Smith), and his son, Kitai (Jaden Smith). Having a weak family relationship, Cypher decides to take his son with him on his last voyage so that they can bond and spend some time together. Unfortunately, during the flight to their destination, the ship falls victim to an asteroid shower. They crash land on the planet Earth, which is now void of human life because humans left due to environmental issues. Only Cypher and Kitai survive the crash. But both of Cypher's legs are broken, so it is up to his son, Kitai, to retrieve a distress signal device located miles away. In order to get the signal device, Kitai will have to survive a jungle of vicious animals and monstrous aliens. However, if the signal device is not retrieved in time, the two will die.
Director M. Night Shyamalan was once considered a superb movie-maker with his groundbreaking success, The Sixth Sense. However, in his later years, he has become somewhat of a laughingstock, with one bad move after another. I was really hoping that After Earth would be his redemption, but sadly, it just isn't. The movie is built on cliche after cliche and offers practically nothing new to the sci-fi genre. I mean, come on, a spaceship filled with numerous military personnel and only Cypher and Kitai survive. Give me a break. But I was willing to forgive this and several other instances because the story had to be set up somehow. I thought the movie would get a lot better after Kitai left the ship and journeyed through the jungle. But, I was wrong.
The jungle scenes, which make up the majority of the film, are long and drawn-out. I found myself checking my watch several times, hoping that maybe it would speed the movie up. The pacing could have been overlooked had there been a strong script with powerful performances, but neither happens. The script is pretty weak and Jaden does little to add to it. Even Will Smith, who usually turns in strong performances, is bogged down and delivers only a mediocre performance. You would think that, since Will and Jaden are really father-son, there would be a touching father-son performance. But I was rarely moved by their relationship in the movie. In fact, the only relationship in the movie that got some emotion from me was between a giant bird and her babies. No doubt, the bird was the best thing in this otherwise lackluster summer blockbuster.
So, what did the movie do that was good? Well, the special effects and animations are decent. I've seen better effects, but I have also seen far worse. And the movie does have that futuristic look, so you never forget the time period. The film also has a good ending, even if it was incredibly predictable. My favorite parts in the movie occurred whenever Jaden stood on a cliff. The landscapes are beautiful and lush and add life to the movie. Unfortunately, those scenes rarely occur.
After Earth falls somewhere between The Sixth Sense and The Last Airbender. It wasn't terrible. It wasn't a masterpiece. It was just rather boring and cliched. Is it worth the money to go see it in the theater? Probably not. But it's at least worth a rent when it comes out on DVD and Blu-Ray, if for nothing else than to see the giant bird.
RATING: 2.5 / 5
This movie is rated PG-13 (sci-fi action violence and some disturbing images)
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