After Earth

Let me get this out of the way. After Earth isn't as bad as some early reviews say. It's also not rooted in Scientology, though there may be some possible or even likely connections, it doesn't detract from the story at all. To put it another way, this is no Battlefield Earth.

Will Smith wrote this film, and M. Knight Shyamalan was inspired to take the helm after a slew of bad films since 2004's The Village (I liked it, most people didn't). The premise, if not clear through the previews, finds a father and son as the only survivors of a crash on planet Earth nearly 1000 years after humans were forced to flee due to the threat of an alien species. It's a pretty cool idea for a sci-fi action film, but After Earth is really more about the relationship between the father and son, and a vehicle to launch Jaden Smith's acting career into the extreme nepotism stratosphere.

For his credit, Jaden Smith holds his own in a role that is mostly devoid of human interaction. The relationship between him and a stoic and intimidating Will Smith shows intrigue. If their real relationship is anything like in the movie, I feel sorry for Jaden. Because of the simplicity of the plot, the film relies on the emotions of the characters. It's pretty much the two of them the whole time, with a few flashbacks to their family back on Earth... er... Nova Prime. Will Smith is Cypher Raige (awesome name), and he's the Prime Commander of the army. His strength is his ability to control his fear, which coincidentally is the way that the menacing Ursa (alien creatures) detect humans - through their fear pheromones. Kind of a cool story for a sci-fi fan, and I am. It's a little bit Pitch Black and a little bit Starship Troopers.

Shyamalan doesn't have much to contribute to the mix, and there are a couple of very small twists, but for the most part is very predictable. If you're hoping for the magic of early M. Knight, you'll be disappointed. He's just a name attached to a Will Smith Summer Blockbuster. This is definitely a different type of blockbuster however. There isn't a whole lot of whiz-bang action, or massive explosions. There aren't even a good number of action scenes. What it is though, is a bit clever. They use cool technology that if accepted for what it is, seems advanced primitive. Like a stick that is a sword in many different ways. Or a suit that changes color based on the environment and the state of the person wearing it. Or a single use gel package that you inhale to coat your lungs with a liquid allowing absorption of oxygen to work on a foreign planet. Things like that. It's kept simple in a sci-fi universe.

Will Smith is cool as usual in a role that he has to secretly love. You can tell he's proud of his son, and this film is in many ways written for the kid as a right of passage. If you take out the conspiracy theories of its ties to Scientology and just enjoy it for what it is, After Earth is a pretty cool movie. It's not as slow as some of the harsher critics have said, and although it's no Star Trek, it fits in the summer sci-fi genre nicely. I liked it, and I recommend it for families looking for an action film to see with their younger kids. It has some scenes that might be a little scary, but it's a father/son bonding film at heart. 7/10.