In life there is death, but what comes afterwards? Or at least in this case, what comes After Earth? With the planet taken over by your obligatory slimy/disgusting aliens, humankind has relocated to space. Will Smith plays Cypher Raige, a leader of sorts, traveling the galaxies to kill that which can destroy us. His son Kitai, portrayed by real life son Jaden, wants to be like him—and above all to be taken seriously. Cypher decides to take his son on a mission, but when crash-landed on Earth, Kitai must become the hero his father never thought he would manage.

Will and Jaden again make a great team in this sci-fi post apocalyptic thriller, after pairing up to positive reviews in 2006’s The Pursuit of Happyness. The younger Smith plays Kitai’s world as simple and lonely, especially in light of a tragic family event that unfolds throughout the film, to somewhat touching effect.

After Earth shows us an Avatar-like world that we will never live in, and while it’s entertaining and fun to watch, it’s also very clear-cut and to the point—perhaps overly so. M. Night Shyamalan, directing his 8^th feature since his breakthrough The Sixth Sense, could have shown us more here; instead we go to Earth and back without dealing with why or who is behind anything. In spite of these glaring missed opportunities, After Earth is definitely worthwhile to see. Just don’t expect more than what it is.

–ML