You call that a kick? What an ass!
After the events of the first film, Dave Lizewski is apparently done being Kick-Ass and is living the normal life. Ironically, the world outside his bedroom has been so inspired by Kick-Ass that some normal citizens are now living their lives as superheroes. Meanwhile, Mindy Macready, Hitgirl, is still pursues crime fighting behind the back of her guardian Marcus. Dave approaches Mindy so that she can train him and proposes that they become a team. Reluctant at first, Mindy agrees to train Dave to become a better superhero. Eventually, Marcus finds out what Mindy's been up to and makes her promise to be a normal girl, to which she reluctantly agrees again. Dave now finds himself a member of a new team of superheroes he has inspired. Together, they fight crime and do charity in the idea of making the world a better place. On the other hand, Chris D'Amico, the son of Frank D'Amico, whom Kick-Ass killed in the previous film, is plotting his revenge on Kick-Ass and all his loves ones.
One reason why this sequel didn't work is because it downgrades a lot of aspects that made the first film awesome and its upgrades which are supposed to be an asset to the film turns out to be a liability.
What made the first film memorable and worthy of its name is the violence and cool action sequences it had. Sadly, this sequel is not able to live up to its predecessor's promise. Not only is the film less violent, it is also less funny and entertaining. The jokes are half-baked and the punchlines won't even hit you hard. With regards to the less violence, I'm not saying I'm a sadist or that I promote violence, but if I'm not mistaken, what made the comic book (yes, it's a comic book adaptation) so unique and unlike any others is the fact that it is realistic. The characters are normal people who decide to don the cape and mask and be vigilante heroes or villains out to save or destroy the city. The comic book tries to be realistic as possible and it can and will kill the hero if it has to, just to make it real. Now that I mentioned realistic, what can be more realistic than violent people out in the streets fighting one another. Just to be clear, I'm not a sadist, I'm just someone who's looking for the real essence that the comic book wanted to show.
One thing I like from this movie is that they added more characters. It brings more joy and happiness to a geek's heart and soul. A whole new set of heroes and villains. Sadly, this is the upgrade I'm talking about that eventually becomes a liability. It became a liability and a burden to the film's character development area. So many characters and not enough time to give each and one of them the spotlight they deserve. There were so many things going on from one scene to another and you can barely keep track of who the protagonist is in contact with. In one scene, Hit-Girl is in high school and is stuck in a Mean Girls predicament, then the next scene would be with Kick-Ass in his own type of Justice League, and then we have The Motherfucker who is forming his own group of villains as well. Imagining these scenes seems so exciting but the film's execution of it is mediocre. Every scene is seems to be so focused on the main protagonist and antagonist that the other characters around him/her is overshadowed. An example would be of Mindy/Hit-Girl's high school life. She may be a complete bad-ass outside school but inside it, she finds herself dominated by the people around her. The question here is Why? Who are these people she meets in school that can intimidate her. Then again, she is in high school where everyone is evil, so I guess I can let that go. So on to another example, when Kick-Ass joins the hero group Justice Forever. It is in this part where the characterization drops miserably. For all we know Kick-Ass is the hero in the entire series but the moment we are introduced to the other heroes, we see that it is not all about him after all. But due to the poor characterization, you would feel no sympathy to the other heroes. You're just gonna be like, "Who are you? Where's Kick-Ass?" or "The hero-chick Kick-Ass is sleeping with is hot." Such a pity since those characters could have been utilized more for the film. One character I like from the Justice Forever is Colonel Stars and Stripes (Jim Carrey). He's an eccentric and extraordinary character that rises above the rest. It took me quite a while to appreciate him though since I thought of him as weird throughout the film until his demise. For the villain's side, I was sad since the film didn't really dwell much into the character of Mother Russia. All it wanted to show was that she was freakishly strong and freakishly huge. Javier, who became The Motherfucker's guardian, was supposed to add depth in The Motherfucker's character but it ended up being mediocre. I could go on about how the film lacks in the character development field but I would be digressing already and I'm sure you get the idea.
However, I did like some of the technical things like the editing and the action choreography. I really like the scene where Hit-Girl used her adrenaline to defeat Mother Russia. It was like watching a video game and it was cool. Though I have mentioned that the jokes are not even funny, it can make you smile once in a while but that's the best it can do, at least for me. I personally like the arc of Hit-Girl in high school. We see a whole new side to her and it's more exciting, not knowing how she will handle her problems through normal means. Her story is more exciting than that of Kick-Ass to be honest.
Hopefully, the sequel would do better and close the series in a good note.
Rating: 2/5
Maybe it's finally time to retire.
Retired black-ops CIA agent Frank Moses is in for another ride as he and his team of elite operatives are on the mission to locate a missing portable nuclear device built during the Cold War. Along the way, they cross paths with terrorists, assassins, and government officials who are all itching to get their hands on the weapon that will turn the tides of hegemony. If this isn't bad enough, Frank must also deal with his relationship with Sarah which seems to be in trouble as well.
This movie is a whole lot different from the first one, and that's not a compliment. What bothers me the most in this sequel is that it has more comedy than action. What's worse is the fact that it's barely even funny at all. The action scenes fail to deliver as well. This was a comedy film with action when it should have been the other way around. What this film missed that its predecessor had was the balance. Red was able to balance the action and comedy quite well. It entertains you and gives you the great action you deserve unlike the sequel we have here. Watching the film felt like a giant goose chase around the world. It bothers me how I was so detached to the film despite the fantastic, yet overused, locations they have for the movie. Paris, London, and Moscow: these are gorgeous places yet watching the film feels like I can easily see them across the street. The film is fond of travelling from one place to another without giving much importance to the current place they stay on. In one scene you are in Paris and the next you are in London. It doesn't give you the time to appreciate and understand what's going on. By the time the places shift again, your brain would still be in the previous location trying to piece together what happened.
The ensemble cast doesn't help either. For some reason, the film probably thinks that the more characters they put, the better it will be. Well it definitely thought wrong. The fact that they added more characters was a risk in the field of characterization. That many characters require a great need of character development or depth or else they will come off as flat and shallow. However, I am more lenient with character development in action films compared to other genres. What I usually look for in action films is how smart the characters are, the decisions they make and their relevance in the film that can contribute to the development of the film. What irks me the most in this film is how bipolar its characters are. At one point, they are allies and then in a not-so-surprising turn of events, that ally turns out to be a villain. Some go the other way around. This is a cliche in the genre of action films, wherein an ally turns out to be the villain or vice versa. Red 2 makes use of this cliche and to be perfectly honest, it's fine with me. But what's not fine is how they used the same concept over and over again until it got so old that you would just have to wait for the next twist. If you can still call it a twist that is.
Bruce Willis was less badass in this film. I expected so much more from this man. This does not seem to be his year since A Good Day to Die Hard and G.I. Joe: Retaliation were both failures. It's probably the other cast members that are stealing his spotlight especially Helen Mirren. Helen Mirren is one hell of a woman in this film, just like in Red. She was able to pull off her character quite well and was able to give a performance worth praising despite being stuck in an upsetting movie. The other woman in the film is Catherine Zeta-Jones who was okay. Not that good and not that bad either. Her character was bad though, but that's another aspect. In terms of acting, she did what she could do to save her character's uninteresting life. Byung-hun Lee had so much potential in this movie. I love his character except for the third part where it all went downhill. Not his fault though, once again, all the blame is on the script. Last actor I'll mention is Anthony Hopkins. He is one of the reasons why I really wanted to watch the movie. It's Anthony Hopkins for heaven's sake. Watching Anthony Hopkins was entertaining but with a little bit of annoyance from time to time but still tolerable. I like how flexible his character is and how he plays it. Anthony Hopkins is able to put on a good show despite being in a movie that no one may want to see twice.
In terms of the technical aspects, I noticed how the film had some trouble in terms of its continuity. I usually don't mind them as long as it only happens once but I noticed more than couple of them throughout the film. Other than that, the rest were all good.
Overall, Red 2 was a good try but a miss. If you're looking for some good old action-comedy film, then you have nothing to see here. If you're looking for a good action film, still nothing to see here. A comedy film? Not even close. But if you just wanna kill and waste time, then you might want to consider this.
Rating: 1.5/5
After all those years, Wolverine still manages to stay sharp.
Some time after the events of X-Men: The Last Stand, Logan is living a life of solitude in the forest just outside the small town of Yukon, still living with the guilt of killing Jean Grey. He is soon visited by a mysterious Japanese girl named Yukio who has been looking for him for a year upon orders of his master, Yashida, who also happens to be a friend of Logan after saving him during the Nagasaki atomic bombing. Logan is informed that Yashida is dying and he wants to personally see Logan to say his goodbyes. Logan reluctantly agrees but soon finds out that saying goodbye is the least of his problems.
The film is based on the 1982 Wolverine arc by Chris Claremont and Frank Miller, which is very popular and is considered as being one of the best arcs in X-Men. Despite not reading the comic, it's quite an honor to see the movie based on the comic even though changes and revisions have been made. The film itself is laid out like a comic book. The arcs are very noticeable and distinct from one another. We start off with Logan in Yukon where he lives a life of of recluse and having friends with a grizzly bear. It transitions to the next arc by the arrival of Yukio and their travel to Japan. The moment he arrives in Japan is another arc where we see him meet his old friend and finds out the real reason why he was called in Japan. The transition to the next arc would be his involvement with Yashida's granddaughter kidnapping and eventually the romance between them. The second half of the film mostly focuses on his growing love for Mariko, Yashida's granddaughter, but at the same time, being haunted by the ghost of Jean Grey. Jean Grey appears throughout the entire film but the real purpose of her appearances is given further meaning when Logan starts loving another woman. The last arc would have to be saving the day as typical of any superhero movie.
One thing to look out for in this film is the vulnerability of Logan. We see him get tired, get hurt and get wounded, a side where we are not used to seeing or even imagining when we think of the Wolverine. This plot twist gives more meaning and depth to the character that Hugh Jackman has been playing for more than a decade now. The constant visits of Jean Grey in Logan's dream are a debatable topic since some like it while some don't. Personally, I find it very effective in giving more character depth not only for Logan but also the Wolverine in him. Her constant visits remind Logan of who he really is and the guilt she brings to him only makes him stronger despite being troubled at first. In this film, Logan has two women he loves; one is a ghost who torments him with guilt while the other is very much alive and is willing to help him move on. Both characters are very essential to the character development of Logan. The character Mariko is the key to changing Logan. She is the reason why Logan should continue living. The juxtaposition is always seen with Jean Grey's ghost visiting Logan. Through Jean, the point of transformation for Logan is clear and perfectly understandable.
The film is not as perfect as it sounds though. It does have a few things that are off about it. The third and final act of the film is weak. After so much character development and great build up towards the end, it surprisingly fails to give the awesome ending you want. The first two acts would tease so much about different things especially with regards to the other characters such as Viper and Harada, Mariko's childhood sweetheart, that you will expect something significant from them by the end. The twist is fine. I didn't see it coming but it is not that much of a shock. Other than this, one concern is how watching it will make confuse you on where you should put out all your emotions. The movie can be about Logan and his emotional battles or it can be about Logan's battle against the other villains. You can choose but either way, something feels off about it.
In terms of production design and location, Japan is a great choice of setting for the movie. It gives off the feeling of new yet traditional and old. It is actually parallel to the character of Wolverine who lives in the modern world despite living for decades already without aging. The film really shows the two faces of Japan. From a busy and modern city where the young and hip are to the country side where peaceful and traditional Japanese people are. I'm pretty sure it even promotes Japanese tourism at some point since the cultures and traditions of the Japanese are also introduced to the audience.
In conclusion, The Wolverine is one of the best films of the year. Great action, great story, and great characters. It may have flaws of its own but one would always over-look them if the film is entertaining, which it is. A piece of advice, there is a scene in the middle of the credits which serves as a great teaser for the upcoming film X-Men: Days of Future Past.
Rating: 4/5
Another Disney disappointment.
In the 1930s, an elderly Tonto tells a young boy the story of John Reid and how this man of the law turned into the Lone Ranger. John Reid, together with his brother and other rangers are in pursuit of the notorious Butch Cavendish but find themselves ambushed and left for dead. Tonto, a Comanche, reluctantly helps John Reid with the insistence of a white horse that is said to be a spirit. John Reid is brought back to life by the white spirit horse and together with Tonto, they must bring Butch Cavendish to justice. But as they go on their journey, they soon find out that they have more enemies to face aside from Cavendish himself.
I would like to believe that the short summary I wrote here sounds very exciting and would make me want to see the movie. That's my way of making me feel better whenever I think about this movie.
Straight to the point, what makes this movie a failure is its bland and draggy script. To think this is an action only makes it worse. It had a lot of nerves to run for more than two hours but cannot even keep up to its promise of keeping the audience entertained and alive. 30 minutes into the film, I felt obligated to finish it just for my money's worth. The film did not have that emotional drive for the audience to relate to. I felt like there was an invisible wall between me and the screen when I was watching it. Very ironic since the two main characters had to go through a lot of hell in their lives yet you would feel no sympathy for them at all. You are very much aware that this is only a movie and none of this is real. That's probably the main reason why it felt so long and draggy. Another reason would have to be in relation to the main character himself, the Lone Ranger. It took more than an hour for him to realize that the mask means something to him. The character development was so slow that by the time he finally accepts the title of the Lone Ranger, everyone watching it would only say "Finally!" It would always come to a point wherein I would start looking for something that it missed or something that is supposed to be there but is taking too long to be revealed. As a result, during the climax of the movie, some of them felt cliche and predictable. As I mentioned, you already know what will happen, you just need to have the patience to wait for it.
However, not all is worth despising. Armie Hammer and Johnny Depp made a good team. Their humor would most often give a few laughs and giggles whenever the movie would start to go downhill. The fact that they can keep the audience awake is already worth praising. Johnny Depp portrays the role of the Comanche Indians quite well. It was impressive since he actually learned how to speak the Comanche language. Just can't help but feel that somehow, a little Jack Sparrow made his way into this movie. Armie Hammer on the other hand did a commendable job with his acting skills. It could have been better but good try nonetheless.
I did find one aspect of this movie witty and worth noting. The story is told by an elderly Tonto so obviously the entire movie is a flashback sequence. However, once in a while, it would shift back to the present where we see the elderly Tonto still telling the story to the little boy and the little boy asking questions at the same time. It's like the movie is snapping its fingers at the viewers and keeping them all awake. It's its way of telling the audience that this is only a story being told by some American Indian to a boy at a fair in San Francisco. I find their approach of using the 'unreliable narrator' a smart move. It gives more variety and an explanation to all the plot holes in the film. By the end, you would be as confused as the little boy if the entire story was real or not. But just as Tonto replied, "Up to you."
Rating: 2/5
This would make a good video game. As a matter of fact, this should have been a video game instead.
In the near future, specifically near 2013, an alien force emerging from the bottom of the Pacific Ocean attacked the Earth resulting in millions of people killed. These monsters are called Kaijus which literally translates as 'monsters' in Japanese. In an attempt to turn the tide against the invaders, the human race decided to settle all their differences and unite and build monstrous robots of their own called Jaegers, which is a German word for 'hunter'. The Jaegers prove effective but only during the first part of the war. The kaijus eventually learned how to properly combat the Jaegers and not only that, they have been appearing more often than usual to the disadvantage of the Jaegers. A former pilot of a Jaeger is called back to duty in hopes of finally ridding the world from the kaijus.
The concept for the film is definitely an interesting one. The idea of monsters coming from another dimension and using the bottom of the ocean as the gate to earth is new to me. What makes it more interesting is the reason why these monsters are invading earth in the first place. It makes you wonder who really are the rightful inhabitants of this planet. Guillermo del Toro and writer Travis Beacham made a great film in paper I presume but the final product was less than great but more than okay.
I'll start off with the good things in the movie.
As I have mentioned, the concept for this movie is really interesting. Other than that, the themes present are also worth praising. This is a great and exaggerated example that when humanity is losing against nature, then that will be the only time that everyone will be united for a cause. In this case, when we are on the brink of extinction against monsters who aim to colonize the earth, only then will we start cooperating with one another. This is further shown in the concept of having two people to pilot a Jeager instead of one because of neurological strain. One person would not be able to handle and control a Jaeger unless he/she has another person to share the strain with. Only then will controlling the robot be successful. The movie talks about trust, bond, and connection we have with one another. Sacrifice and love is also present but not entirely the romantic kind of love, rather, the love you give a person out of respect and admiration.
Being a sci-fi film, the success of the movie would also rely on the effectiveness of CGI and editing. Proud to say that the movie did not disappoint. I really love the design for both the Jaegers and the Kaijus. The Jaegers, or the robots, seem to have a character of their own. It's a given they have their own nationality depending on the country that built them but other than that, the way they move and fight in battle is very enticing and jaw-dropping. The pilots and the robot are synchronized and sometimes, you would even forget that there are human beings controlling it. The kaijus on the other hand are my favorite. Guillermo del Toro himself said he didn't want to make the monsters look post-modern. He wanted them to be different and unique. I like how each monster has a characteristic of their own and how each of them is inspired by an animal such as sharks and gorillas. The film is very pleasing to the eyes its grandeur would never go unnoticed. Of course, there were a few mishaps as well. One that really bugged me off is the fact that ajority of the fight between the Jaegers and the Kaijus are during the dark and when it's raining. I don't know if they really did it on purpose with the idea that monsters come out at night but it did not work with me. It made the kaijus more menacing in a way but you would not be able to fully appreciate its design unless they're well lighted. There were also instances where the scenes can be very messy and chaotic. But I guess you couldn't blame them since it's a monster and a robot fighting after all.
Since I started talking already about the bad parts, might as well continue.
One major disappointment in this film is it prioritized action over characterization. If you've been reading a few of my reviews before this, you would know how specific I am with the characterization. This is not the movie to watch when you're looking for character depth and development. Even in 3D, the characters are nothing but cardboard cut outs given lines and asked to deliver them. What really irks me off is the fact that it teases you at the early part of the film about the characters. It gives you hope that you would have that connection with the character but it leaves you hanging until the end. On the bright side, it has some memorable characters, but the bad news is that these memorable characters don't even have the lead roles. Charlie Day, Ron Perlman, and Burn Gorman who serves as the comic relief of the movie outshine the lead characters.
The acting was mediocre. They're good at crying though but the deliveries of some lines were off and felt stiff. However, Idris Elba, who played the commanding officer, was really good. I wouldn't want him for a commanding officer if ever the world really came to this. He knows his character and he is able to act it well. He doesn't need to tell you who he is. You just know that he is the guy who you wouldn't want to mess with.
Overall, the movie is great in terms of visual appeal and action sequences but fails miserably in the characterization department. The movie can be a bit draggy in some parts but it would eventually know how to wake you up when you end up dozing off.
Rating: 3/5
Not even close to Die Hard but good try.
U.S. Capitol Police officer John Cale (Channing Tatum) dreams of being part of the Secret Service to protect President James Sawyer (Jamie Foxx). However, he doesn't get the job for not meeting the standards of what it takes to be a Secret Service agent. On that same day, he takes out his daughter Emily, who is a big nerd for politics, on a tour of the White House in hopes of building a better father and daughter relationship and to not let her down because of the bad news about his job interview. A typical day which could have ended normally is disrupted by a group of mercenaries who seize the white house and kill all of the Secret Service agents. It is now up to John Cale to save his daughter and the president before the attackers get what they want.
A somehow similar film was also released just recently which is Olympus Has Fallen, which I haven't watched yet, but they obviously have the same premise: the White House under attack. What makes a concept like this cool yet in the danger of being unrealistic is the fact that a highly secured place such as the White House can be breached. But I guess since Die Hard, almost everybody can now be fooled that terrorists can pretty much do anything they want and how they want it done. Let me repeat and clarify, this may not have been as good as Bruce Willis' Die Hard but that doesn't mean it was bad. White House Down has a share of its own strengths and weaknesses. But being the person that I am, I really prefer focusing on the weaknesses since it's easier to write a review that way :)
One of the questions that popped into my head during the first part of the movie, but eventually didn't bother with anymore, was whether the movie was an action-comedy film. I saw the trailer for this movie a long time ago and there were already a few punchlines in it but I didn't expect the entire film to be drowned in it. An occasional punchline here and there is acceptable. I understand that these punchlines serves as a comic relief to ease the tension and relax the audience so they won't feel burdened with the heavy action scenes but this film had one too many. Bad part is that some of them are not even funny. It tries hard to make the audience laugh, some of it works but some miserably fails.
The plot is actually interesting. On the surface, you see a man trying to save his daughter and the president from invaders. But if you actually analyze the plot and dig deeper, you would see that it is a character-driven plot with slight touches of politics. The protagonist and the antagonist have their own reasons for their actions and decisions. These reasons make the characters alive and would eventually get the entire movie running. Technically speaking, it has great potential for pulling off a great character development but sadly, it fell short. Character development was present but barely noticeable. In addition to critiques with regards to the plot, the build up was dull and half-baked. It didn't give you the feeling of excitement. Most often it was even cliche and predictable. All you need to do is just wait for the characters to do what you have already thought.
On the bright side though, I really liked the chemistry between Channing Tatum and Jamie Foxx. Although I wasn't really convinced in the beginning, they grew on me as the film progressed. Despite the fact that not all jokes are funny, the humor of Tatum and Foxx rarely fails. Watching the two of them together is already amusing. More than that, they complete one another and is a perfect couple. No this isn't a gay film but what I mean is that because one of them is a president while the other is a police officer, they have their own strengths and weaknesses which might get them killed if they're by themselves but unstoppable when together. However, the duo's likability is not present with the other characters. I really don't like the antagonist of the movie. Some say that when you hate the villain, then that character is the perfect villain. I beg to disagree. Though not really related to the movie, for the sake of debate, let me give a few villains that are loved: Hugo Weaving's Agent Smith from The Matrix, Heath Ledger's Joker from The Dark Knight and of course, Ralph Fiennes' Voldemort from...well I'm sure you know. Case closed. The villains of White House Down were a complete letdown. One is a common thief; another is out for revenge, and finally, a mastermind who is morally challenged. Each of the villains has a specific purpose of their own and are only connected to one another by a thread that can easily be broken.
On the technical side of things, I appreciate the use of CGI but there was a heavy use of it throughout the movie. It was also a bit questionable in terms of looking realistic. They looked too fake at times. But being a Roland Emmerich film, I guess it isn't much of a surprise anymore. So I'll let this one slide but one thing I won't is its lighting. I wasn't even halfway in the movie and I was already complaining a lot with the lights already. There were scenes wherein they were too dark that you can barely see the faces of the characters anymore. I don't know if they did that on purpose but I didn't like it.
White House Down is a good movie if you wanna see what the White House looks like before and after it's bombed and seized. Expect a few laughs and giggles but remember, not all laughs are good, some laughs are for the sake of ridicule and insult.
Rating: 2/5
After Earth is a movie than runs on a paper thin plot and with CGI animations that barely pass above average.
After Earth is a movie that takes place after the humans left the earth since it was deemed no longer fit for living. As the remaining of the human population venture into space, they find the planet suitable for existence and call it Nova Prime. The humans are not alone in the planet though. The humans find themselves against an alien species called the S'krell who wishes to conquer Nova Prime. The S'krell's secret weapons against the humans are beastly creatures called Ursas, blind and rabid creatures who hunt with the use of their sense of smell. They hunt by smelling their prey's fear and once they get hold of the scent, escape is almost inevitable. Enter the hero, General Cypher Raige (Will Smith) who was able to suppress his fear, a process called ghosting, which enabled him to save the world. His glory does not come free though since he loses his daughter to an Ursa after it attacked their home. A witness to his daughter's death is his son Kitai (Jaden Smith) whom his daughter chose to save and die for. Kitai, having witnessed her sister killed right before his very eyes is ridden with guilt and aims to be a Ranger like his father but fails to do so. Cypher is about to retire as a ranger and as he sets up for his last mission, his wife convinces him to take Kitai with him so they can bond like father and son. Aboard the ship, they encounter an asteroid shower which causes their ship to split into two and crash on the now evolved earth. With Cypher wounded, his son must now go to the other half of the wrecked ship to retrieve the emergency beacon. Along the way, Kitai faces danger in the unfamiliar world and to make matters worse, the Ursa they carried on board the ship is set loose and hunts down the remaining survivors.
This movie soared high but crashed and burned. Star Trek Into Darkness just came out less than a month ago and it definitely set the bar high for any upcoming sci-fi films to follow its lead. What After Earth lacked that Star Trek had was the grandeur of what a sci-fi film should look be. We expect to see futuristic gadgets, spacecrafts combined with an action pack adventure. After Earth was nothing more than just a boy running for his life in a jungle that was supposed to have evolved drastically but can be barely seen in the movie.
The story of After Earth was written by Will Smith after being inspired from a show he watched on tv about a father and son stuck on a mountain. Originally not a sci-fi, Smith thought it was a good idea to have the same concept in a movie set 1000 years into the future. Sadly this film might not even be remembered for the next five years, how much more a thousand.
The entire movie is cold. From the story to the characters. It does not have an emotional attachment to its audience the way Avatar (James Cameron) or Star Trek has. From the beginning till the end, all we see is Jaden running for his life and fighting off animals. The characterization of Kitai and Cypher is poorly executed as well since it's not given much importance. A grave mistake such as this will only make the audience apathetic and distant. The story of your life can be playing right in front of you but you will wonder if it really is your life on the screen.
Don't get me started on the acting. Jaden's acting would not exactly be something to be proud of. I don't know what his father might think but I'm certainly not convinced. Such a pity considering the name his father made in the business. I cannot help myself from wincing every once in a while whenever Jaden has a big act to deliver. Nepotism really has its price. Will was the one who personally chose Jaden to act along side him.
In terms of CGI animation, it was okay. More than satisfactory at most but not great. The newly evolved earth was promising but unexplored. It's actually fun thinking of what the earth will look like a thousand years from now and I'm sure that the writers of the script had fun thinking about it too.What I don't understand is by the time the movie is out, all I saw were bigger animals and moving plants. Lots of moments that you would actually forget that the story takes place on earth after a thousand years. A few effects were also a bit unrealistic. It was as if they were still under post-production.
Director M. Night Shyamalan is not doing well for his past few films. The Last Airbender was a complete failure and the only reason why I still watch his works are because of his previous films. The last film he made that was worth watching was probably the 2010 film 'Devil'. To be fair, After Earth can be considered as a good stepping stone. This was by far a bit...just a bit better than the others he made.
In conclusion, After Earth is a movie that fails to entertain. Cheap shocks, mediocre editing and poor characterizations is not really something to be proud of. To be clear, It wasn't a good movie but it wasn't all that bad. I've seen worst movies and After Earth can be the last on that list.
Rating: 1.5/5
