Today’s quick review: After Earth. Over a millennium after humanity was forced to abandon Earth, the United Ranger Corps protects the resettled humans from the Ursa, alien hunters that can sense fear. Cypher Raige (Will Smith), a legendary Ranger, is traveling with his son Kitai (Jaden Smith), a Ranger cadet, when their ship crashes on the now-inhospitable Earth. Guided by his father, Kitai must brave the wilderness to go call for help.
After Earth is a science fiction movie from director M. Night Shyamalan. The movie explores the relationship between a stern father and his sensitive son as they try to survive on the wild, dangerous Earth of the distant future. After Earth has a powerful story at its core but has a hard time expressing it. What should be a moving father-son journey in a futuristic setting instead is a mishmash of interesting ideas that never quite click.
After Earth places too much emphasis on novelty and not enough on cohesion. The set and prop design are packed with subtle choices that set the movie apart from other science fiction. The characters’ unfamiliar names and accents emphasize the far-future setting. Creative camera work, an alien hunter on the loose, and a mysterious backstory give the film a sense of intrigue. But taken together, these are too much for the viewer to easily track.
Underneath all the trappings, After Earth is a movie about two things: the relationship between Kitai and his father, and Kitai’s journey to a rescue beacon to get them both off Earth. Both sides of the story are adequate, but neither one is particularly impressive. The personal side of the story is a little clunky; Cypher only warms up to his son in fits and starts. The journey to the beacon is a solid survival tale with no real surprises.
After Earth has the makings of a strong science fiction film, but it lacks a clear vision. Its world-building and storytelling crowd each other out, and as a result, its best ideas are underdeveloped. After Earth will hold modest appeal for fans of the genre, those who can appreciate the details of its setting and who are interested in the story for its own sake. But those looking for a polished science fiction adventure may want to look elsewhere.
For richer science fiction set in a post-Earth future, try Harlock: Space Pirate or Titan A.E. For science fiction with a similar aesthetic, try Oblivion or Edge of Tomorrow. For science fiction drama about the relationship between a man and his child, check out Interstellar or Ad Astra. For a darker survival thriller about an alien hunter, try Pitch Black, Predator, or A Quiet Place.
4.8 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.0 for a promising setup with jumbled execution.