AFTER EARTH is an interesting take on what happens to Earth and humanity in the future. The movie starts on Nova Prime, where humans have moved after Earth became inhabitable. General Cypher Raige (Will Smith) returns home from a long trip to his wife Faia and son Kitai (Jaden Smith). Kitai is a cadet in training, who wants nothing more than to be a top ranger like his father.
In an attempt to be closer to his son, Cypher brings Kitai with him on his next trip into the solar system. While they are in space, things go awry when Cypher detects an oncoming asteroid storm quickly approaching. The storm severely damages the craft, forcing them to crash land onto the nearest planet – Earth. The landing kills everyone on the craft, except for Cypher and Kitai. With both of Cypher’s legs broken, it’s up to Kitai to retrieve an emergency beacon, inside the tail of the craft that landed far from the craft’s main body, to call for help.
From the craft, a dying Cypher leads Kitai across the foreign terrain. Kitai fights off creatures far more dangerous than on Nova Prime, including one that only Cypher can defeat. With limited resources, Kitai fights his own inner struggles in order to find the beacon.
The father/son dynamic in the film works perfectly because of real life father and son, Will and Jaden Smith! Although they may seem all smiles off screen, Will and Jaden step up to bring the tension needed in the film. There couldn’t have been a more perfect choice for the roles of Cypher and Kitai!
Jaden’s acting shines throughout the movie, especially during scenes where he is standing up to his father. He can make you empathize with Kitai and feel how scared he is about the whole situation. At 14, Jaden has perfected his facial expressions and is on the right track to following his parents’ steps of having long acting careers.
Directed by M. Night Shyamalan, AFTER EARTH brings the thrills. The movie provides a balanced dose of action, drama, suspense and even some laughs. Between animated creatures, space crafts and a son vying for his father’s respect, this movie has it all.
If you’re looking for an adventure that will get your heart pumping and have you gripping onto the edge of your seat, this movie is for you!
Check out AFTER EARTH in theatres now!
Rating: 3.5/5