After Earth (PG-13)
10/03/14 21:18 Filed in: 2013
Starring: Jaden Smith
May 2013
This review was originally tweeted in Real-time from the back row of a movie theater and appears @BackRoweReviews. Though efforts were made to tease rather than ruin this movie’s memorable lines and moments, some spoilers may exist in the following evaluation. The original tweets appear in black, while follow-up comments appear in red. For concerns over objectionable content, please first refer to one of the many parental movie guide websites. All ratings are based on a four star system. Happy reading!
Use of sails in the interior decorating is a nice visual motif.
Roll up iPad is amazing! I want one. Now.
This technology is like 5-10 years away, right?
Skydive scene is a thrill ride. A literal and figurative high point for the movie so far.
Unfortunately the story follows the same trajectory and speed as Jaden’s skydive, but is never able to pull up.
Nifty flight suit. Condorman would be envious.
Jaden is cutlass-less. Not good.
Jaden’s new assignment: climb to the top of Mt. Doom.
Straightforward survival story with decent adventure & a nice father/son subplot just in time for Father’s Day.
Rating: 2 ½ out of 4 stars. Next up: Man of Steel. Stay classy!
Although this film isn’t earth-shattering, it deserved a better fate than what it received. I’m not sure if it’s because the movie came too soon on the heels of Oblivion (another dystopian yarn), or if the survival story looked too tepid (and it is in many instances), or if audiences wanted to see more of elder Smith in the movie, or if news that Shyamalan helmed the project outright tanked it, but the stars definitely didn’t line up for this film. One of the poorest performing movies of Will Smith’s career, one wonders if he sacrificed too much to establish his son as a top billed movie star.