The critics have been unnecessarily harsh in blasting this film. It is not the disaster that many people are labeling it. It is at least mediocre and perhaps even decent.
After Earth's story is simple--in the future, a military general and his aspiring military son crash land on a no-longer-inhabitable Earth and the son must retrieve the distress beacon from the separated tail of the ship. The screenplay is wise in not over-complicating the simple story, but I would have appreciated just a little bit more character and world development.
M. Night Shyamalan's direction is right for this movie. He is more deliberate than typical sci-fi fare, but it works for this movie since it is such a simple, linear plot. The tone is somber, but given the gravity of the situation, I would expect nothing else. I found his choice to make all of the actors speak in a made up "future" accent a little off-putting at first, but I quickly got over it. I also thought the prologue was a little clunky and perfunctory, and I would have liked a more satisfying resolution.
The visual effects were convincing and effective enough. They did not break new ground, but they blended well with the on-location scenery. I felt thoroughly immersed in the world. Moreover, I enjoyed the design of the architecture on Nova Prime, and I found myself wanting to learn more about their culture.
Much has been made of Jaden Smith's performance. I thought it was serviceable for the role--he needed to be physical, afraid, angry, and resolved, and he was effective in each of those elements of performance. Sure, he does not show the charisma that his father has shown in previous roles, but this role did not require charisma. It is also worth noting that he father showed very little charisma in this film as well, which indicates that it may not be Jaden that is lacking, but that the script and direction took charisma off the table.
All in all, this movie was decent enough escapism for a short, simple, sci-fi flick. It might have been more successful as an early March or October release when there is less competition and people have lower expectations. If the trailers made you interested in seeing it, then go ahead and check it out.
After Earth's story is simple--in the future, a military general and his aspiring military son crash land on a no-longer-inhabitable Earth and the son must retrieve the distress beacon from the separated tail of the ship. The screenplay is wise in not over-complicating the simple story, but I would have appreciated just a little bit more character and world development.
M. Night Shyamalan's direction is right for this movie. He is more deliberate than typical sci-fi fare, but it works for this movie since it is such a simple, linear plot. The tone is somber, but given the gravity of the situation, I would expect nothing else. I found his choice to make all of the actors speak in a made up "future" accent a little off-putting at first, but I quickly got over it. I also thought the prologue was a little clunky and perfunctory, and I would have liked a more satisfying resolution.
The visual effects were convincing and effective enough. They did not break new ground, but they blended well with the on-location scenery. I felt thoroughly immersed in the world. Moreover, I enjoyed the design of the architecture on Nova Prime, and I found myself wanting to learn more about their culture.
Much has been made of Jaden Smith's performance. I thought it was serviceable for the role--he needed to be physical, afraid, angry, and resolved, and he was effective in each of those elements of performance. Sure, he does not show the charisma that his father has shown in previous roles, but this role did not require charisma. It is also worth noting that he father showed very little charisma in this film as well, which indicates that it may not be Jaden that is lacking, but that the script and direction took charisma off the table.
All in all, this movie was decent enough escapism for a short, simple, sci-fi flick. It might have been more successful as an early March or October release when there is less competition and people have lower expectations. If the trailers made you interested in seeing it, then go ahead and check it out.
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