The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

Indian-American director and screenwriter, M. Night Shyamalan, rose to success in 1999 when his exceptional thriller, The Sixth Sense, took the box-office by storm. In 2000, came the superhero thriller, Unbreakable, and two years later, the director’s name was once again attached to hit – this time a sci-fi drama, Signs.   

Unfortunately, what followed were only a string of disappointments and a series of underwhelming films; the hype from his early filmmaking success has not been seen or heard of since. After Earth is sadly just another film to add to that dreary list.

Set roughly a thousand years into the future, humanity is no longer in existence and after bringing the planet to complete ruins, the human race is now relocated to another world.  However, their new habitat is swarmed with the evil cyber-like creatures named Ursas, who hunt by smelling our fear; it’s up to the Rangers, a special military force that has been at war with the aliens since the beginning, to hunt them down and keep things under control. 

General Cypher (Smith Sr.) is known for his legendary skills of ‘ghosting’, a technique used by the Rangers which enables them to control the fear. However, his job keeps him away from his family for long periods of time and his teenage son, Kitai (Smith Jr.) – who dreams of becoming a Ranger himself – is the one who feels abandoned the most.

In order to strengthen the bond, Cypher takes Kitai along for a ride on a mission into space. Unfortunately, what was meant to be a routine task proves fatal when the spacecraft – which also happens to carry a captured Ursa – crashes on the long forsaken and very inhospitable Earth. With father, son and the evil alien as the only survivors, matched with Cypher’s immobility due to the injuries, it’s the job of Kitai to make his way to the ship’s tail-end – which requires a few days trek deep into the unwelcoming rainforest – to activate the rescue beacon and wait for help. 

What initially sounds like an emotionally-driven and stimulating sci-fi adventure turns out to be an unemotional sappy and incredibly unconvincing melodrama. Working from a script written by Gary Whitta – and a story originally written by Will Smith himself – After Earth retains the expected visual quality of a decent sci-fi film. However, its overly long running time, lack of emotional connection to audience and the story’s deficiencies in the suspense and anticipation department, brings this picture to an epic and incredibly disappointing flop.

It is very clear from the start – considering that the entire Smith family are serving as producers – that the spotlight is being shoved and pushed on to their youngster; considering his dreadful and puny performance, the spotlight might not be the place for him just yet. His dad’s role was completely diluted, where he ends up sitting in the side-lines – with zero charisma or emotion on display – while he watches his boy tackle the transition into manhood all by himself.

Disappointing is too kind of a word to use here; alarmingly awful, boring and overly long, After Earth finds the Smith boys – and the audience – at the wrong place at exactly the wrong time.