Save for the bizarre accents that Will and Jaden Smith talk in throughout the film, there really is nothing god awful about After Earth. At the same time, there really isn't anything particularly interesting about it either. I applaud the filmmakers for making a sci-fi film that isn't completely centered around epic action sequences, but in order to make this film work it would need much more developed characters and more key plot developments. The concept/execution are far too simplistic to match the filmmakers ambitious goal of making a gripping sc-fi drama. The whole film is basically decorated solider Cenzai Rage (Will Smith) dictating instructions to his son Kitai (Jaden Smith) on how to save themselves after their spaceship crash lands on the now-quarantined planet Earth. This concept leads this to being a slow-paced film that drags pretty hard at times. Well the pacing could've been a lot worse, the film could've benefited from some more action and/or excitement to break up the monotony of Kitai just walking around Earth trying to find the beacon that will save him and his father. The film does get over some of its script problems with the chemistry of the real life and on-screen father/son tandem and cinematography. While Jaden Smith still has some work to do on his acting chops, he has potential for the future and their is a real, sincere charisma between him and his superstar father. This is also one of the most stunning films to look at in recent memory. The landscapes may be heavy on CGI, but they are beautiful nonetheless and helps the film get past its more boring sections. After Earth is visually arresting and relatively well-acted, but the film is too slow and underdeveloped to be any better than average.
2.5/5 Stars
No comments:
Post a Comment