AFTER EARTH

Director: M. Night Shyamalan,2013

Kitai is a young teen living in the planet Nova Prime. Humanity found refuge in this planet even if it's inhabited by terrible creatures called the Ursa. Kitai's father is a fearless general---the perfect combatant to the Ursa that hunts humans when they exude the scent of fear.

Kitai hopes to live up to his father's expectations. But he doesn't make good in his military training and fails to move up the ranks. This doesn't make him feel any better or closer to his stern father. General Cypher brings Kitai along on a trip, but their ship crash lands on Earth. It is now Kitai's responsibility to save them both.

While Kitai travels the 00 kilometers required to locate the distress beacon, his injured father monitors his progress. The general barks out commands through a communications link because he observes that his son is nervous and unprepared to deal with the big bad world out there. Then he realizes that this young cadet is his own son, too.

So for the first time, he opens up and shares his feelings. He relates how he lost his sense of fear and encourages Kitai to overcome his anxiety. Even when their com-link gets cut off, the general mentally guides his son to make the right decisions. Will Kitai accomplish his mission?

This big-budget film was practically a gift from Will Smith o his son, Jaden. He hired gifted people to direct and come with great production designs and special effects. He even mentored his son's performance. But Jaden has light years after Earth to go, before he can stand his own ability. -F