After Earth

Will Smith is not afraid of anything.

Jaden Smith is afraid of everything. And he is very, very worried.

They are Cypher (the elder Smith) and Kitai (the younger Smith) Raige and their home has been Nova Prime since mankind was forced to flee what used to be their home planet because they finally killed of the environment. Or something.

There are many evil forces to fight off, apparently. The most vicious come in the form of a space monster (a poor man's H.R. Giger thing), the Ursa. To re-connect with his son, who blames himself for the death of his sister, who was herself killed by an Ursa a few years earlier. Why then there is an Ursa as cargo on the ship that takes Cypher and his offspring on the father's last mission, I do not know. If they explained it, I don't remember.

Another thing I don't know is how Diego Klattenhoff ended up in this for one (and only one) scene. The scene, of course, is very significant and depicts a show of level of respect for Cypher that he does not yet have himself for his son. As the scene happens you just know that this will be repeated with Cypher showing little Kitai the respect he will have earned by the end of all this. You just know. Also in this, in the background but with lines (!) is David Denman (Pam's original fiance on The Office).

Through a number of misguided decisions by Cypher (not as big a honcho as he is supposed to be, huh?), the ship crash lands on earth (*gasp*) and breaks into. Survivors: two (guess who!). Father is injured and sends son on a mission to find the other half of a ship and retrieve the beacon to contact the home planet that will come to collect them.

The son flips out at the drop of a hat and is either scared shit less or angrily crying and whining like a 4-year-old. Also, his liquid oxygen (or whatever) is running lower than should be and when daddy tells him to abort mission because he would, you know, suffocate under normal circumstances, he defies him and jumps off a cliff (literally). Of course, he is always going to make it, despite many an angry animal out to get him. He is a Smith after all and saving the world, the father, everything and you-name-it is in his film DNA.

The last great obstacle is the Ursa. This is why it was brought along on the ship! To make the final act of the film more exciting! Kitai prevails, leans to control (or possibly eliminate altogether) his fear and saves himself and daddy. Now repeat Klattenhoff scene.

All is well.

3/10