Director M Night Shyamalan has, in the past, made movies that leave people in their seats while the credits rolled, thoroughly confused. We can think of two of such movies (“Lady in the Water” and “The Village”) that really, have no reason for being. So when we heard that he was going to be behind “After Earth” starring Will Smith and his son Jaden Smith, we couldn’t help but audibly groan. In how many ways is this going to be ruined despite the cast we really, really want to see?
Released just in time for Father’s Day (apt, since father and son Smith are playing lead roles in it), “After Earth” centers around a tale of the post-apocalyptic Earth, destroyed by Mother Nature gone mental plus pollution plus everything bad that Discovery Channel has ever warned you about. Conveniently, Cypher (played by Will Smith) and Kitai (played by Jaden Smith) crashes on Earth during space travel a thousand years in the future. Cypher gets injured, which leaves Kitai to try to survive amidst evolved fauna and flora while attempting to save them both.
Did we also mention that Earth is now a hostile place (low oxygen levels, thermal shifts, the works)? Cue your typical intergalactic drama right here.
So Kitai sets out to recover a vital distress flare which he can only do by conquering a beast that thrives on and feeds on human fear. And as you could imagine, “showing no fear” is the only way the both of them would have any chance of making it out of the violent Earth alive. Sure, it sounds easy peasy until giant baboons and poisonous leeches, on top of a mysterious guilt trip from the past are throwing into the mix and suddenly, the path that leads to survival and success is almost nonexistent. Fate alone will not save them both:
Do they make it out alive? Will Cypher and Kitai make it out of a killer planet alive? Is “After Earth” M Night Shyamalan’s sci-fi success or sci-fi “bleh”? Catch “After Earth” in a cinema near you today and find out.
For more information, visit the movie’s official website.
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