AFTER EARTH - WRITTEN REVIEW
Hello everyone it is the year of Sci-fi and I am loving it for the most part. Yup if you're reading this then that means your fellow critic Brandon has yet another review for your reading eyes. Sadly I have to say it out of the Sci-fi movies to come out this year, basically the other two; this has to be my least favorite of the three. Star Trek being the best and even Oblivion being second yes that's right I liked Oblivion more than I liked this movie. Which is sad because with Will Smith being in this movie I had such high hopes and they were just shattered in that theater.
Now the movie has a great premise that is mixed in with a used up one. Humans had to leave Earth because well we used the old girl up and it was becoming unlivable. We find another planet that to my knowledge has some killer alien species on it that hunts us by smelling our fear. Instead of looking for another planet to live on we just settle in and learn this technique call ghosting. Ghosting is where you are like a robot not showing any fear or any emotion of any kind to remain blind to these creatures. Will Smith and Jaden Smith are going on a take your child to work day thing
and crash land on Earth. In a 1000 year Earth has become this Jungle with un-breathable air and every creature trying to kill you. Jaden Smith's character has to try and retrieve what is essentially a black box so the other humans can find them. Whew that is the basic of the plot in a nut shell there. In case you were wondering why I was calling Will Smith and Jaden Smith by there actual names instead of character names is because there character names are a pain in the ass to pronounce and to spell so well fuck it.
Now I actually like this plot quite a bit it sound like a great story. A young boy alone in the wild fighting dangerous creatures and elements to save both him and his father. For the most part the movie prevails with that it was interesting and had some heart to it. My biggest problem was with Jaden and Will Smith, I know it is shocking. I was curious how this would turn out being an actual father and son picture. The character that were written for these two are just fucking lame, these two didn't personally do anything wrong it was the characters they were given to play. Will Smith plays this serious general and he invented the ghosting thing in the movie. I hate to say it but Jesus Will Smith can not be serious he just isn't good as it. I think he was miss cast in the role in this film, they should've gotten someone who can play a serious role if they wanted an emotionless character. Someone like Djimo Hounsou would've been perfect in this role. He can do serious and make you actually feel for his character. Jaden Smith did a better job in this film this is m favorite movie I've seen him in but I hate to say it but it is still Jaden Smith. I am still not his biggest fan he still comes off as a brat in this movie as well and I just don't like seeing kids act like assholes. That is a small complaint because he still makes you feel for his character by the third act of this film.
What I find hilarious about this movie is the first trailer I saw had M. Night Shyamalan's name on it, but after that the rest of them didn't say directed by or anything it was all about Will Smith. What was truly strange is that this didn't feel like one of his movies. Honestly Oblivion felt more like a M. Night movie then this did. Honestly the only thing I can gripe on M. Night for in this movie is a couple of lame ass plot choices, miss casting, and the biggest one is a predictable story. With out a doubt the moment they crash on Earth you can guess beat by beat on what is going to happen in the movie. I applause M. Night for not putting his brand on this movie but for Christ sakes at least keep me in suspense. I will say the movie is beautiful to look at and that would be the only reason to see it on the big screen is because this movie looks so damn good.
Overall this movie isn't terrible it is just very un-climatic and for a summer blockbuster to be that way is not a good thing. I don't hate this movie I probably would make a fairly good rental if nothing else. Honestly if I wasn't beaten over the head by all the damn trailers from this movie it might have kept me guessing. I give this a high, high D+ I recommend you see it just not in theaters.
Now the movie has a great premise that is mixed in with a used up one. Humans had to leave Earth because well we used the old girl up and it was becoming unlivable. We find another planet that to my knowledge has some killer alien species on it that hunts us by smelling our fear. Instead of looking for another planet to live on we just settle in and learn this technique call ghosting. Ghosting is where you are like a robot not showing any fear or any emotion of any kind to remain blind to these creatures. Will Smith and Jaden Smith are going on a take your child to work day thing
and crash land on Earth. In a 1000 year Earth has become this Jungle with un-breathable air and every creature trying to kill you. Jaden Smith's character has to try and retrieve what is essentially a black box so the other humans can find them. Whew that is the basic of the plot in a nut shell there. In case you were wondering why I was calling Will Smith and Jaden Smith by there actual names instead of character names is because there character names are a pain in the ass to pronounce and to spell so well fuck it.
Now I actually like this plot quite a bit it sound like a great story. A young boy alone in the wild fighting dangerous creatures and elements to save both him and his father. For the most part the movie prevails with that it was interesting and had some heart to it. My biggest problem was with Jaden and Will Smith, I know it is shocking. I was curious how this would turn out being an actual father and son picture. The character that were written for these two are just fucking lame, these two didn't personally do anything wrong it was the characters they were given to play. Will Smith plays this serious general and he invented the ghosting thing in the movie. I hate to say it but Jesus Will Smith can not be serious he just isn't good as it. I think he was miss cast in the role in this film, they should've gotten someone who can play a serious role if they wanted an emotionless character. Someone like Djimo Hounsou would've been perfect in this role. He can do serious and make you actually feel for his character. Jaden Smith did a better job in this film this is m favorite movie I've seen him in but I hate to say it but it is still Jaden Smith. I am still not his biggest fan he still comes off as a brat in this movie as well and I just don't like seeing kids act like assholes. That is a small complaint because he still makes you feel for his character by the third act of this film.
What I find hilarious about this movie is the first trailer I saw had M. Night Shyamalan's name on it, but after that the rest of them didn't say directed by or anything it was all about Will Smith. What was truly strange is that this didn't feel like one of his movies. Honestly Oblivion felt more like a M. Night movie then this did. Honestly the only thing I can gripe on M. Night for in this movie is a couple of lame ass plot choices, miss casting, and the biggest one is a predictable story. With out a doubt the moment they crash on Earth you can guess beat by beat on what is going to happen in the movie. I applause M. Night for not putting his brand on this movie but for Christ sakes at least keep me in suspense. I will say the movie is beautiful to look at and that would be the only reason to see it on the big screen is because this movie looks so damn good.
Overall this movie isn't terrible it is just very un-climatic and for a summer blockbuster to be that way is not a good thing. I don't hate this movie I probably would make a fairly good rental if nothing else. Honestly if I wasn't beaten over the head by all the damn trailers from this movie it might have kept me guessing. I give this a high, high D+ I recommend you see it just not in theaters.