After Earth

Shyamalan once again showed that he is not that bad of a director, but also that he really should not write screenplays. The story is primitive, full of dementia and clichés. Smith Jr. in the lead role is also no money-maker. This interesting topic (from Will Smith's brain) could certainly have been more than an expensive-looking and story-free sci-fi about a father-son relationship. (06/06/2013)

This film has a promising start. With its interesting sci-fi vision, beautiful visuals and the theme of bringing a father together with his son, who is also undergoing a process of self-realisation process, After Earth has great blockbuster potential. Despite the pleasant charm of adventurousness, however, the result is a weak storyline that fails completely in terms of both emotion and message. It is like when you know what you are supposed to be experiencing as a viewer, but it just passes you by due to its naivety and half-baked nature. To a large extent, that is actually Jaden Smith’s fault, or perhaps we should blame Shyamalan’s directing. (15/05/2019)

Two stars, because unlike The Happening, sometimes something actually happens here. It doesn't make sense, but neither does the story itself. It was as if Will was inventing it half asleep over his son's bed. But what kind of bastard tells a child a similar sectarian and emotionless story of subordination? A Scientologist? Shyamalan films some of the scenes under sedation - otherwise, he wouldn't miss how the dad and son rubberized him. The icing on the cake is a kind of eco message grafted on Moby Dick for unknown reasons. Cruel for a fairy tale, naive for a drama, lame for an action film. I hope the idiot who once called Shyamalan the new Spielberg saw this film. He should kneel and tell us how he feels. And the Indian master should retire to sniff turmeric. Which, of course, will finally happen. Judging by the effects, this is a huge $130 million fraud. (13/06/2013)

Not great, not terrible. The story could have taken place anywhere, let's say in British Columbia, from where (or to where) the central couple would be transporting, say, a grizzly bear... The science fiction presentation just bogs it down with unnecessary questions like "Why does the planet freeze overnight and how does nature deal with it?". Neither of the Smiths gives a particularly interesting performance, nor does the direction come up with any great ideas... Perhaps only Newton Howard's music is above average. (07/10/2014)

An inoffensive drama (taking place in the future) about the relationship of a fearless general (strangely detached Will) and his lily-livered cadet son (lily-livered Jaden) and their attempt to get off the planet that they crash landed on. Shy stumbles into one disaster after another, but here he is on top of the direction and he even comes up with some bright ideas. A straightforward and simple story about dispelling fear is very flimsy and the transformation at the end was very forced. So only a fair amount of blood and killer animals keep it above water. Just right, really. And how the Earth started to flourish as soon as those parasites had rocketed off elsewhere... (21/09/2013)