After Earth

After Earth, starring Will Smith and his son, Jaden Smith, was released in 2013. Capturing the title of an American science fiction adventure film, it was a story that was sparked by Will Smith's original story idea.

Directed by M. Night Shyamalan, who is an Indian-American film maker, I knew for a fact that I had to watch this for he also directed movies such as "The Sixth Sense" and "Signs". He is very well known for creating movies with more of a supernatural twist.

Plot

After Earth takes place in the far future. Due to an environmental breakdown, the human race is forced to leave Earth behind and find comfort in a galatical region where they rebuild their home: Nova Prime.

A thousand years later, the human race comes into contact with an alien race that is rather superior in their hunting. Their one key is to take over Nova Prime after being the main cause to mankind's extinction. These alien creatures go against the United Ranger Corps (military officials known to keep the peace) with their greatest weapons called Ursa's.

Ursa's are known to be blind, multi-limbed and rather large. Though, their key to finding humans and eliminating them is to catch their fear scent. The more fearful humans are in the presence of an Ursa, the more easier it is for them to find one.

Cypher, who is played by Will Smith, is the general of the United Ranger Corps and is the only being, who after facing Ursa's and nearly being killed by one, can suppress his fear and therefore, make him somewhat invincible against the enemy.

Kitai, played by Jaden Smith, is the son of Cypher who tries his best to become like his father as he trains in the academy. The bond between Kitai and Cypher is rarely existent. With past memories that run a deep scar in both of their hearts, it's made them nothing but bitter with feeling. Instead of playing the fatherly role, Cypher treats Kitai as one of his soldiers. Though he is away for the majority of the time, when in the presence of his son does he bite back the way he would on the battlefield.

When realizing that the strain between her husband and son is growing, Faia, Kitai's mother, asks Cypher to bond more closely with Kitai. Cypher, taking this into consideration, takes Kitai on his last voyage before retirement.

But of course, when the ship is mid-voyage, it encounter's a difficult trail that veers them off course and into the place mankind ran from one thousand years ago: Earth.

Overall

There were mixed reviews about this from what my friends had told me. A few of them said that this movie had bad acting and simply didn't peek their interest, but I found After Earth to be magnificent in so many ways.

I've watched Will and Jaden Smith act in The Pursuit of Happiness and absolutely loved their acting there. Here in After Earth, their personalities are more hard to master and I think the father-son duo did fantastic.

Starting from the cover photo of the DVD itself to the eye-catching quote, "Danger is real, Fear is choice" and the contents between, I couldn't get enough of this movie.

The Ursa's were developed in a frightening way. I tried to put myself into the shoes of all the humans that came into contact with such a giant, wicked creature as well as Kitai's when his last encounter is the grand fight scene between human and alien.

All in all, I recommend this movie. It was well placed and seeing Earth in a vivid state after a thousand years in this movie was heart-wrenching, suspenseful, and never failed in keeping me at the edge of my seat.