AFTER EARTH-review
by ANIZ FILMVALA
STORY.
In the near future, an environmental cataclysm forces the human race to abandon Earth and venture beyond the Solar System in search of a new home. The exodus ends when humanity settles a new pristine world they call Nova Prime.
One thousand years later, The Ranger Corps, a peacekeeping organization commanded by General Cypher Raige (Will Smith), comes into conflict with the S'krell, alien creatures who intended to conquer Nova Prime. Their secret weapons are the Ursas, large predatory creatures that hunt by "sensing" fear. The Rangers struggle against the Ursas until Cypher learns how to completely suppress his fear, a technique called "ghosting". After teaching this technique to the other Rangers, he leads the Ranger Corps to victory.
Meanwhile, Cypher's son Kitai Raige (Jaden Smith) blames himself for the death of his sister Senshi (Zoë Kravitz) at the hands of an Ursa. Not wanting to fail his father again because of her death, Kitai trains hard to become a Ranger just like Cypher. His application for the Ranger Corps is rejected due to his recklessness and Cypher views him as a disappointment. Kitai's mother Faia (Sophie Okonedo) convinces Cypher to take Kitai on his last voyage before retirement.
Forced together by the mission, father and son start to bond during the trip. However, their spaceship is caught by an asteroid shower forcing them to crash-land on Earth, now a Class-1 quarantined planet. Both of Cypher's legs are broken and the main emergency rescue beacon has been damaged. Cypher instructs Kitai to locate the tail section of the ship which broke off during the plunge to the surface. Inside is the backup beacon which they can use to signal Nova Prime. Kitai is given Cypher's Ranger weapon, a wrist communicator and six capsules that enhances the oxygen intake so he can breathe since human lungs can no longer tolerate Earth's low oxygen levels. Cypher warns him to avoid the fauna and flora which has evolved since humans left and be careful with the planet's violent thermal shifts. Kitai sets off to find the tail section, with Cypher guiding him through the communicator.
Kitai is soon attacked by giant baboons which he antagonizes, forcing him to run away from the baboons and ends up being bitten by a poisonous leech after going against Cypher's orders in an attempt to escape. Although Kitai successfully administers two antidotes, two of his capsules are damaged and his nervous system shuts down for hours. When Kitai awakens, he narrowly escapes one of the planet's violent thermal shifts. Upon discovery of his damaged capsules, Kitai lies to Cypher. That night, Kitai listens to Cypher tell him a story of when he was attacked by an Ursa, how he realized that fear is merely an illusion created by the mind's thoughts of the future, and thus he first began to "ghost" himself from the Ursas, choosing to live rather than to let his enemies, both fear and the Ursas, decide his fate.
The following day, Kitai reaches a mountaintop, and Cypher learns about Kitai's broken capsules. Although knowing that the only way to still make it with only 2 capsules was to skydive, he did not think that Kitai could make it. Concluding that Kitai won't have enough oxygen, Cypher orders Kitai to abort the mission. Believing his father still sees him as a disappointment, Kitai blames Senshi's death on Cypher who had been away from Nova Prime the day they were attacked. Determined to prove his father wrong, Kitai skydives from the mountaintop, but is captured by a massive condor which damages his forearm/wrist communicator in the process.
Kitai then wakes up in a nest of the condor. As he looks out of the nest, he sees tigers advancing on to the nest. One of the tigers was then violently ripped out of the tree by a condor. Kitai whips out his weapon and tries to defend the nest against the tigers that are attacking it. Although the eggs and chicks had been all but destroyed by the tigers, the condor takes a liking to Kitai, who is then forced to flee. As he treks along, he sees the condor and thought that the condor was still harassing him because of the broken eggs, he rushes along to a river which he thens builds a makeshift raft to continue along the river, tired as he is, Kitai falls asleep. During his sleep Kitai had a dream about his sister. Senshi reassures him that Cypher's bitterness is just his own anger for not saving her. Senshi urges Kitai to wake up, but stubbornly, Kitai starts recalling all Moby Dick's excerpts. Only fully waking is Kitai when Senshi suddenly turns frighteningly. When Kitai wakes, he is surprised by another thermal shift, loses Cypher's weapon and nearly freezes to death. Fortunately, Kitai is rescued by the condor, which sacrifices itself for him.
Kitai reaches the tail section and retrieves the emergency beacon along with another communicator, another weapon, and more oxygen capsules. The communicator only allows Cypher to hear and see Kitai, but not for Kitai to hear him. Kitai is shocked to learn the ship's Ursa had escaped in the crash and killed the remnants of the crew. When the emergency beacon does not activate, Cypher realizes that the atmosphere is blocking the signal, and that Kitai must get to higher ground. Kitai heads to a nearby volcano from which he can launch the beacon where he is attacked by the Ursa and injured. However, remembering both Cypher's instructions, focusing on the moment rather than the outcome, and the words of encouragement Senshi whispered in his dream, Kitai is able to control his fear and "ghost" himself from the Ursa enough to kill it with his weapon. Kitai then launches the beacon and a rescue team soon arrive.
Cypher recovers from his injuries and salutes Kitai for his bravery. At the end, they travel back to Nova Prime.
CRITIC VIEW.
As the movie is not a favourite to critic's world over,i go against the tide and found some element of intrigue and cinematic flavour while watching M Night Shyamalan's After Earth.
Highlight of the entire sci-fi drama is definately the father and son trauma and triumph over the alien is captivating and emotional.
There are some breathtaking visual of the apocalypse of earth and chase of giant baboons shot by Cinematographer Peter Suschitzky.Background score by James Newton Howard matches the mood and fervour of the movie.Jaden Smith debut is impressive.
CAST.
Directed by M. Night Shyamalan
Produced by Caleeb Pinkett,Jada Pinkett Smith,Will Smith,James Lassiter,M. Night Shyamalan
Screenplay by Gary Whitta,M. Night Shyamalan
Story by Will Smith
Starring Jaden Smith,Will Smith
Music by James Newton Howard
Cinematography Peter Suschitzky
Editing by Steven Rosenblum
Studio Overbrook Entertainment,Blinding Edge Pictures
Distributed by Columbia Pictures
