Let's start out by saying and remembering that Will Smith is a very talented star who has done great work in all kinds of movies for many years. No one denies that.
But can we just stop? Stop right now in the Smith family nepotism movies that are coming out seemingly far too often. The new After Earth is so incredibly bad, it barely merits any conversation at all. This is another movie where Smith stars with his now 14 year-old real life son, Jaden. Will and actress wife Jada Pinkett Smith are trying so hard to hand their kids a career by starring in, producing or writing movies and songs for them. Without piling on, Jaden is a mediocre childhood actor as far as they go. He certainly is no Hailee Steinfeld from True Grit, or Abigail Breslin, or dozens of others. He's simply, The Smiths kid. It is a box office mismatch to think that Jaden Smith can compete with Iron Man, Superman, Gatsby, Fast and Furious, all of the other summer blockbusters. It simply is not clear thinking.
This story was written by Will Smith, produced by he and wife Jada, and they hired M. Night Shyamalan to write the screenplay and direct this absolute mess. This is one of the worst Sci-Fi movies I have ever seen, or ever will see. There is not one, not one redeeming quality in this movie. The story is stupid, the sets are laughable, even the props are silly. The whole idea is ridiculous, and the writing and dialogue are putrid. And don't get me started on the costuming! Let alone the acting which is so embarrassingly bad, they ought to be ashamed. Seriously ashamed. If your version of a good time at the movies is watching a 14 year-old running through the jungle alone, than this is your movie., because that's what it is. I'm guessing it's not.
The story is basically this. It is a couple of thousand years in the future. Humans now cannot live on Earth, because we screwed it all up environmentally. So humans live off site on some planet somewhere. Will Smith plays some kind of "Military General" in some kind of star ship fleet. He and his military son played by Jaden go off on some kind of mission that goes wrong. They crash on Earth and are the only two to survive. All animal life form has evolved now to kill humans. Who don't live there. Who haven't been there in over a 1,000 years. So how would they evolve and even know humans or what they did? First of many and a major hole.
The General is badly injured, and he has to send his son out into the Earthly abyss and try to find some kind of beacon to summon help and be rescued. There, he must dodge tons of animals, and elements that are out to get him. My gut feeling is, he will be successful so the two can hug and be proud of each other at movies end. If not that scene, why make this movie? That is about all you need to know. There is no more.
This is horrible - period! Maybe now is the time to stop this practice of these Smith family movies since this one is going to lose about 100 million or so. Maybe that will shut off the spigot. The budget of about 130 million (all wasted) only brought in about 27 million opening weekend. This movie takes itself far too seriously, and never comes close to getting off the ground. This self-serving drivel in the long run may have the reverse of the desired effect. Jaden needs to be put in the hands of real pro's and see what they can do, if they feel there is anything there to work with. This is embarrassing for everyone, plain and simple.
Will Smith was so great in Ali, I am Legend, even Hitch and countless others with great versatility. But that is starting to seem so long ago, and that's a shame. And hiring Shyamalan, who also is staggering around in a movie making sense, gave this project no help. In fact, it may have been the final nail in its coffin. It's tough to convey just how bad this is. What an incredible waste of everything. Money, and everyone's time who made it, and all (the few) that will be suckered into seeing it. Quit this self absorbed family mission, and lets get back to making professional movies with professional people. Maybe 130 million dollars down the tubes will wake someone in charge up.
After Earth. Laughable.
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