Kidzworld reviews the sci-fi adventure After Earth, starring Jaden and Will Smith. Now available on Blu-ray & DVD!
A crash landing leaves teenager Kitai Raige (Jaden Smith) and his legendary father Cypher (Will Smith) stranded on Earth, 1,000 years after cataclysmic events forced humanity’s escape. With Cypher critically injured, Kitai must embark on a perilous journey to signal for help, facing uncharted terrain, evolved animal species that now rule the planet, and an unstoppable alien creature that escaped during the crash. Father and son must learn to work together and trust one another if they want any chance of returning home.
The Bottom Line
After Earth is a classic sci-fi survival story, and at its heart is a story about how difficult situations not only test the bonds of any relationship, but also cement them - especially when it comes to family. Will Smith penned the story as a possible trilogy so that he could star in a film alongside his son Jaden (once again), so the father and son moments in this film are as touching as watching, well, a real father and son! Bringing on M. Night Shyamalan to direct was a nice touch by Smith senior, although fans of the director probably won't find this film as surprising as Unbreakable or The Sixth Sense.
As with any sci-fi movie, there's always going to be some fantastic extras to get your imagination way out in to outer space, so if you're a space nut or a science buff you'll enjoy seeing how they created the landscapes in "The Nature of the Future" and the "Building a World" featurette, and all the special effects that were amazing on the big screen will be sharper and cooler on blu-ray. This film won't be for everyone, but for those who are already on board the DVD is well worth checking out.
Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack Special Features:
- “A Father’s Legacy” featurette – Will and Jaden Smith on and off screen
- “1,000 Years in 300 Seconds” featurette – On Location with the Cast
- “The Nature of the Future” featurette – A look at the landscapes and creatures of the film
- XPRIZE After Earth Robotics Challenge winning video – The reveal of the winning team's video, with an introduction by Jaden Smith as Kitai Raige
Blu-ray Exclusives:
All the added value on the Blu-ray/DVD Combo Pack, plus:
- A Never-Before-Seen Version of the Film’s Opening Sequence
- “Building a World” featurette – A glimpse into the creation of the After Earth universe
- “Pre-Visualizing the Future” featurette – A next-generation approach to action sequences
- “The Animatics of After Earth” featurette – Never-before-seen storyboards and animatics
After Earth Blu-ray + DVD Rating:
After Earth is now available on Blu-ray + DVD!