Still, his incapacitation has been an essential aspect of the After Earth story from day one - given that the story has always centered on a reluctant son who must overcome his fears to save his father.įortunately, Jaden ( The Karate Kid) is competent in the role of Kitai - in spite of some awkward voice-over exposition and a few scenes where it's clear the young actor is still finding his footing. For that reason, the plot point could be a disappointment to viewers hoping to see Smith take center stage, battling evolved Earth animals and alien creatures. For some viewers, the story will check enough boxes to be a worthwhile adventure-drama, but plenty of moviegoers will easily be distracted by the film's numerous narrative shortcomings.ĭespite the inclusion of fan-favorite Will Smith, this is Kitai's story (and Jaden Smith's movie), pushing the father-figure out of the action spotlight into a subdued support role - left as little more than an onlooker as his son faces one dangerous situation after another. Though, once the Raiges land on Earth, the scale of the movie narrows significantly, focusing on the life-or-death race to make contact with rescue, abandoning some of the more interesting science-fiction in favor of a very thorough examination of Kitai's fears and personal struggles.ĭespite the straightforward coming of age tale, the actual After Earth experience is a hit-or-miss jumble of plot-holes, poorly developed tangents, interesting world-building, forced story events, cool (though brief) action set-pieces, and several on-the-nose emotional beats. The initial After Earth story was conceived by Smith and developed by Shyamalan along with Gary Whitta ( The Book of Eli) and the result is a solid (albeit thin) narrative that's aided by slick future tech and an intriguing peek at humankind's place in the larger universe.
However, that doesn't mean the film is an outright failure - despite some heavy-handed thematic elements, awkward story beats, and a few stilted performances, After Earth is at times surprisingly engaging with a rich sci-fi setup and several captivating character moments. For that reason, fans who are hung-up on prior Shyamalan disappointments, and are hoping to see the director return to his Sixth Sense and Unbreakable glory days, will likely be equally disappointed by After Earth. After a string of underwhelming movies, Shyamalan's name carries expectations and baggage that could distract from the onscreen After Earth action and drama. Unlike prior Shyamalan films, Columbia Pictures has been subtle about the well-known director's involvement with After Earth - and for good reason. Cypher, a fearless Ranger Corps warrior capable of "ghosting" (allowing him to move undetected by Ursas), is mortally wounded in the crash as a result, it falls to Kitai to set out into Earth's wilderness, featuring highly-evolved (and extremely dangerous) animal life, unstable environmental conditions, toxic air - not to mention the freed Ursa - to locate a distress beacon capable of summoning rescue. The only other survivor of the crash is a ruthless and unrelenting creature, an Ursa, designed by hostile alien lifeforms to hunt down humans - by smelling fear-induced pheromones. On a routine trip through space, Raige's transport is damaged, decimating his crew, as well as stranding him and Kitai on Earth - one thousand years after humanity was forced to abandon the planet. Night Shyamalan's latest film, After Earth, follows the story of father and son Cypher and Kitai Raige, played by real-life father and son Will and Jaden Smith, respectively. After Earth is too limited and muted to fully-incorporate the larger world and concepts it presents, resulting in a pretty standard character story that only offers brief moments of excitement.
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