I sincerely feel
bad for M. Night Shyamalan, though the consistency with which he continues to
release films, despite his numerous critical and box-office failures of recent
past proves that he doesn’t necessarily need my pity. Still, it must be
difficult to go from being called the next Steven Spielberg to becoming the
next Uwe Boll. Even when his films are not terrible, they are light-years away
from the quality of his first few features.
With all that being said, After Earth is not as terrible as you
might imagine. It also isn’t exactly great, but I would place far more blame on
the Pinkett/Smith family for the biggest issues the film has. This became a
family project, and I think that paired with Shyamalan’s overly imaginative
science fiction narrative led to a sillier film than necessary. Tamed down a
small amount, this may have been a wonderfully adequate family film. Kids are
less inclined to notice awkward acting or absurd plot twists.
The glaring issues with After Earth have nothing to do with the
polished visuals of seamless computer graphics. The story is even decent in its
basic structure, though there are certain developments within the screenplay
that take on a kind of logic which seems to come from the mind of a child.
Animals suddenly act selflessly to protect a human for no apparent reason and a
suit gives the ability to fly when the screenplay is suddenly backed into a
corner: these are apparently normal occurrences in a Gary Whitta/Shyamalan
feature.
These are all forgivable and campy
errors in filmmaking judgment, but the choice to cast Jaden Smith in the
leading role was a mistake that can’t be as easily ignored or dismissed. The
film is produced by many people, but the majority has a blood relation to
Jaden, including Caleeb Pinkett, Jada Pinkett Smith his father Will Smith, who
has far too little screen time to save this movie. Jaden may be a good actor.
To be honest, I would need to see more of him in order to determine what kind
of talent he has, but his performance in After
Earth leaves a great deal to be desired. It is underwhelming to say the
least. I hesitate to say more, because every way I try and word it will sound
like cruel verbal bullying.
The DVD includes a featurette about
the father/son acting team of Jaden and Will. I don’t blame them for playing
those elements up, because they are a selling point even if they don’t work.
There is also some behind-the-scenes footage from the set and a featurette
about the landscapes where After Earth was filmed. The video contest winner
that was held online is also included, with an intro from Jaden.
Entertainment Value:
8/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 4/10
Historical
Significance: 5/10
Disc Features: 7/10
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