Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Writers: Gary Whitta (Screenplay), M. Night Shyamalan(Screenplay), & Will Smith (Story)
Release Date: May 31, 2013
Rated: PG-13 Sci-fi action violence and some disturbing images (For additional rating information for After Earth visit the Internet Movie Data Base)
Thanks to 100.7 Jack FM, I attended an advanced screening of After Earth on May 29, 2013.
My Thoughts
I know that I am a little late with posting my thoughts
about After Earth. Let me start by saying that After Earth had a great message
about the relationship of a father and son. It was entertaining, but it didn’t
have that wow factor. Yet, I felt that the movie captured what it
takes for a service member to reintegrate into the family and the difficulties
in the relationships between some parents and their children as a result of
extended separations.
After Earth is the story of Cypher Raige (Will Smith), a Commander
General, who comes home and is distant with Kitai Raige (Jaden Smith), his son. The family
had experienced a great loss in the past and there were some unresolved issues
related to the death of Kitai’s sister. The father requires Kitai to say “yes sir”
each time he addresses him, and it is apparent that their relationship is
strained. Cypher takes his son on a mission with him so they can bond and
that’s when their adventure begins. One problem I had was that some of the
events seemed out of place. In particular, I found it odd that it was so easy
for Kitai to locate his father after the accident. The accident was a turning
point in their relationship. Cypher had to depend on his son, and they
began to develop mutual respect. Yeah, the movie was slow and the
acting fell flat at times, but once I could see the direction of this film, I
started to enjoy it. After Earth—a father and son who work on rebuilding their
relationship through adversity and are dependent on each other for survival…How
can you go wrong with that?
I recommend After Earth to those who like films with a
strong message and a touch of action and adventure. FYI-Be aware that there are
some disturbing images.
Check out the official site for the summary and additional information.
Rating
After Earth Trailer
