Examine individual changes

'{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2013}} {{Infobox film | name = After Earth | image = After Earth Poster.jpg | caption = Theatrical release poster | director = [[M. Night Shyamalan]] | producer = {{Plain list | * [[Caleeb Pinkett]] * [[Jada Pinkett Smith]] * [[Will Smith]] * [[James Lassiter]] }} | screenplay = {{Plain list | * [[Gary Whitta]] * M. Night Shyamalan }} | story = Will Smith | starring = {{Plain list | * [[Jaden Smith]] * [[Will Smith]] }} | music = [[James Newton Howard]] | cinematography = [[Peter Suschitzky]] | editing = [[Steven Rosenblum]] | studio = {{Plain list | * [[Overbrook Entertainment]] * [[Blinding Edge Pictures]] * [[Relativity Media]] }} | distributor = [[Columbia Pictures]] | released = {{Film date|2013|05|01|[[Tokyo]] premiere|2013|05|31|United States}} | runtime = 100 minutes<!--Theatrical runtime: 99m 55s --><ref>{{cite web |title= ''AFTER EARTH'' (12A) |url= http://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/after-earth-2013-3 |work= [[British Board of Film Classification]] |date= May 14, 2013 |accessdate= February 8, 2014}}</ref> | country = United States | language = English | budget = $130 million<ref name="indiewire">{{cite web | url= http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/summer-jam-in-a-crowded-blockbuster-season-which-risky-films-will-be-hits-which-will-flop-20130304 | title=In A Crowded Summer 2013 Blockbuster Season, Which Risky Films Will Be Hits & Which Will Flop? | publisher=[[Indie Wire]] | date=March 4, 2013 | accessdate=March 5, 2013 | author=Oliver Lyttelton}}</ref><ref name="mojo">{{cite web|url= http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=1000ae.htm |title=After Earth (2013) |work = [[Box Office Mojo]] |accessdate=June 28, 2013}}</ref> | gross = $243,843,127<ref name="mojo" /> }} '''''After Earth''''' is a 2013 American [[Science fiction film|science fiction]] [[Action film|action]] [[adventure film]] directed by [[M. Night Shyamalan]], which he co-wrote with [[Gary Whitta]], based on an original story idea by [[Will Smith]]. It is the second film (the first being ''[[The Pursuit of Happyness]]'') that stars real-life father and son Will and [[Jaden Smith]]; with [[Will Smith]] also producing via his company [[Overbrook Entertainment]] and the distribution by [[Columbia Pictures]]. The film was released in [[IMAX]] on May 31, 2013. It received very negative reviews from critics, who cited mostly the acting performances and lack of originality. However, the film was a commercial success. ==Plot== In the future, an environmental cataclysm forces the human race to abandon Earth and settle on a new world, Nova Prime. One thousand years later, the United Ranger Corps, a peacekeeping military commanded by General Cypher Raige, comes into conflict with alien creatures who intend to conquer Nova Prime. Their primary weapons are the Ursas: large, blind predatory multi-limbed creatures that hunt by sensing pheromones the human body secretes when scared (they literally smell fear). The Rangers struggle against the Ursas until the impassive Cypher learns how to completely suppress his fear, in effect becoming invisible to the Ursa—a technique called "ghosting." After teaching this act to the other Rangers, he leads the Ranger Corps to eventual victory. Meanwhile, Cypher's son Kitai blames himself for the death of his older sister Senshi at the hands of an Ursa attack some years ago when he was a young child. The father and son have an estranged relationship with Cypher being away on missions. Kitai, younger and smaller than most cadets, trains to become a staunch and respected Ranger like his father. Despite his physical capabilities, his application is rejected due to his emotional behavior, and he has to break the news to Cypher, who's seemingly disappointed in him. Kitai's mother Faia convinces her husband to connect more with their son, and Cypher decides to take Kitai on his last voyage before retirement. During space flight, their ship is caught by an [[asteroid shower]], forcing them to transport through a [[wormhole]] to safety and [[Crash landing|crash-land]] on the [[quarantine|now-quarantined]] Earth. Inside the torn [[fuselage]] of the ship, only Kitai (strapped to a walled row of seats) and Cypher (with both legs broken) have survived. They find the main distress signal [[beacon]] is damaged. Cypher instructs Kitai to locate the tail section of the ship, which broke off on entry to the atmosphere, since inside it is the backup beacon, which they can use to signal the Rangers for a rescue; if he fails, the pair will face a most certain death. Cypher gives Kitai his double bladed [[Cutlass]], a wrist communicator and six capsules of a fluid that enhances oxygen intake so he can breathe in Earth's low-oxygen atmosphere. Cypher warns him to avoid the plants and animals that have grown more deadly since humankind's departure, and to be careful of violent weather thermal shifts. Kitai leaves the ship to find the tail section with Cypher guiding him through the communicator and several camera drones. Cypher's leg is losing arterial blood and he attempts to make a temporary 'shunt' to avoid bleeding out. Shortly after he leaves his father, Kitai is surrounded by giant [[baboons]]. His father tells him not to move. Against his father's orders and out of fear, Kitai hits the leader with a stone causing the baboons to give chase. Kitai manages to escape the large mammals by swimming across a river to safety, but he is bitten by a poisonous [[leech]] while in the water. Kitai administers an [[antidote]] but not before the toxins take effect and his [[nervous system]] shuts down. When Kitai awakens, he narrowly escapes a thermal shift. Upon asking him how many breathing capsules he has left, Kitai lies to Cypher, not telling him that two of the capsules were damaged in his escape. That night Cypher tells his son the story of when he was first attacked by an Ursa. The creature tried to drown them both as Cypher fought back. He realizes that although danger itself is real, fear is a mere illusion created by the mind, and thus he learned to "ghost" himself from the Ursas. The following day, Kitai reaches a waterfall at the top of a high cliff; he must descend to and cross the river below. Cypher once again asks him how many breathing capsules he has left. By monitoring Kitai's condition from the ship 24/7, Cypher sees his son's heart-rate increase when asked about the capsules. Kitai shows him, via the communicator, the two unbroken capsules. Cypher knows the only way for Kitai to continue on with just two capsules would be for him to skydive to the bottom of the waterfall with his built-in flying suit, since taking a ground route would require more oxygen. However, Cypher appears reluctant to allow Kitai to perform the skydive and orders him to abort the mission. Believing his father still sees him as a failure, Kitai becomes angry and tells his father that he is to blame for Senshi's death because he was absent on the day of the attack. In a crying fit, he leaps from the top of the waterfall's cliff to attempt the skydive but is captured by a giant [[eagle]], and his communicator is damaged. Kitai wakes in the nest of the eagle, possibly having been mistaken as one her own chicks, and soon finds himself in another situation: The nest is under attack by large saber-toothed cats. Kitai and the eagle fend off the hunters, luring one of the giant cats into falling through a weak portion of the nest. Though after managing to climb down from the nest, despite the efforts of both him and the eagle, the chicks have all been killed. Spending the night in a cavern with a small molten magma river for heat, Kitai plots his course and calculates how many more kilometers he has to travel in order to reach the tail-end of the ship, taking into consideration how many capsules he has left. He reaches a river and builds a raft to continue along it, the flow taking him along to his destination. Worn and exhausted from his encounters, Kitai falls asleep on the raft, and dreams of his dead sister, Senshi. She reassures him that Cypher's bitterness is just his own anger for not saving her. Senshi urges Kitai to awaken, and when he refuses, her form suddenly shifts to an Ursa-mutilated version of herself; finally awaking him the moment another thermal shift is beginning. Slowly freezing to death from the change of temperature, Kitai collapses, seemingly succumbing to the cold. Just before he passes out, he is dragged to safety by an unknown individual. Kitai awakens at dawn and escapes from a nest of branches. He notices that the mother eagle has returned and built an enclosure around him, and had lain on top of it, to keep him warm during the night. He thanks the bird before realizing it has sacrificed itself to provide body heat and did not survive the night. Running on his last breathing capsule, which is beginning to wear off, Kitai finally reaches the tail section and retrieves the emergency beacon, along with another communicator, another Cutlass, and more capsules. Because of electrical interference caused by an ionic layer in the atmosphere above Kitai, the communicator allows Cypher to see and hear Kitai, but not for Kitai to hear him. While exploring the wreck of the tail section, Kitai discovers that an Ursa that the ship carried for training purposes, has escaped. Kitai tries to fire the emergency beacon, but the electrical interference above him also blocks the beacon. Kitai comes to realize this, and heads to a nearby volcano to gain height from which to fire the beacon. On the way, he finds members of the ship's crew hanging dead from trees, killed and displayed in this manner by the Ursa in order to trigger fear pheromones in any attempted rescuers. The Ursa begins to track Kitai, who reaches the volcano, where he is injured when the monster attacks. Remembering Cypher's words, to focus on the moment rather than the outcome, and Senshi's words of encouragement from his dream, Kitai is able to control his fear and "ghost" himself from the Ursa long enough to fight back. Kitai uses the Cutlass to repeatedly impale the creature to death before it could throw them both from the mountaintop. He then fires the beacon as Cypher loses consciousness and appears to succumb to his injuries. A rescue team arrives and recovers them both. Kitai enters the medical chamber to see his father still alive while a soldier is watching the footage of Kitai defeating the Ursa. Cypher and Kitai reconcile with a salute and an emotional embrace. Kitai decides not to become a Ranger, and tells his father that he wants to work with his mother instead. Cypher agrees to join them and allows himself to laugh as the ship leaves Earth and heads back home to Nova Prime. ==Cast== * [[Jaden Smith]] as Kitai Raige * [[Will Smith]] as Cypher Raige * [[Sophie Okonedo]] as Faia Raige * [[Zoë Kravitz]] as Senshi Raige * [[Glenn Morshower]] as Commander Velan * [[Kristofer Hivju]] as Security chief * [[Sacha Dhawan]] as Hesper Pilot * [[Chris Geere]] as Hesper Navigator * [[Diego Klattenhoff]] as Veteran Ranger * [[David Denman]] as Private McQuarrie * [[Lincoln Lewis]] as Bo (Running Cadet) * [[Jaden Martin]] as nine-year-old Kitai * [[Sincere L. Bobb]] as three-year-old Kitai * [[Monika Jolly]] as female Ranger * [[Isabelle Fuhrman]] as Rayna (very brief appearance) ==Production== [[Will Smith]] conceived this story when he was watching the television show called ''[[I Shouldn't Be Alive]]'' with his brother-in-law [[Caleeb Pinkett]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZqY22qmAkSM|title=AFTER EARTH: Comic Con 2012 press panel with screenwriter Gary Whitta|publisher=YouTube|author=Movie Metropolis|date=July 16, 2012|accessdate=March 13, 2013}}</ref> It was originally not a science fiction story but about a father and son crashing their car in the mountains or some remote region, with the son having to go out and get rescue for his father. Smith then decided to change the setting to 1000 years in the future, which imposed a higher budget. The film was also intended to be the first in a [[trilogy]].<ref>[http://www.thewrap.com/movies/article/can-will-smith-turn-his-son-jaden-next-fresh-prince-hollywood-94201 Can Will Smith Turn His Son Jaden Into the Next Fresh Prince of Hollywood?]</ref> Smith had his production company [[Overbrook Entertainment|Overbrook]] contact [[Gary Whitta]] (who was then known for his script for ''[[The Book of Eli]]'') with a simple [[log line]] for a film: a father and son crash landed on Earth 1000 years after it had been abandoned by humankind. Impressed with his idea and excited about the opportunity to work with him, Whitta fleshed out Smith's idea and pitched it to him, subsequently becoming the first employee on the project. A month after the release of ''[[The Last Airbender]]'', Smith contacted [[M. Night Shyamalan]] on August 6 to wish him "[[Birthday|Happy Birthday]]" and to persuade him to direct his film with his son [[Jaden Smith|Jaden]] as the star.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://daily.bhaskar.com/article/ENT-after-earth-was-born-on-my-birthday-says-filmmaker-m-4276546-NOR.html|title= "After Earth was born on my birthday" says filmmaker M. Night Shyamalan|author=Kanchan Thakur|work=[[Dainik Bhaskar|Daily Bhaskar]]|date=May 28, 2013|accessdate=May 28, 2013}}</ref> Smith and Shyamalan had planned to work on a film before but it never worked out. Impressed with the entire script, Shyamalan officially made this project—then entitled ''One Thousand A. E.''—his next directorial effort on October 20, and quietly shelved his own secret untitled project with [[Bruce Willis]], [[Bradley Cooper]], and [[Gwyneth Paltrow]] loosely attached.<ref name="THR-2010-10-20"/> There was another starring role for an adult male, but sources indicated that Smith would not be taking it on. [[Sony Pictures Entertainment]] has a first-look deal with Overbrook, so it was expected to be the studio home for ''A. E.''<ref name="THR-2010-10-20">{{cite news|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/blogs/heat-vision/exclusive-m-night-shyamalans-new-31696|title=EXCLUSIVE: M. Night Shyamalan's New Project is 'One Thousand A.E.'|date=October 20, 2010|work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|author=Borys Kit|accessdate=March 16, 2013}}</ref> Shyamalan later suggested the film would feature other members of the Smith family, and that it would not be in 3D but he had "an idea for something kind of technically interesting".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://moviesblog.mtv.com/2011/01/14/m-night-shyamalan-one-thousand-ae-3-d-smith-family/|title=M. Night Shyamalan Says 'One Thousand A.E.' Won't Be 3-D, But May Feature The Whole Smith Family!|date=January 14, 2011|publisher=MTV|author=Tom DiChiara|accessdate=March 16, 2013}}</ref> In December 2011, [[Columbia Pictures]], a subsidiary of Sony, signed Will and Jaden Smith to star in the film with Shyamalan directing. Shyamalan, who co-wrote the screenplay with [[Gary Whitta]], produced the film with Overbrook's [[James Lassiter]], Smith, Ken Stovitz, and [[Jada Pinkett Smith]]. [[Doug Belgrad]], president of Columbia Pictures, made the announcement and said, "Night is an outstanding filmmaker who has a tremendous vision for this science-fiction adventure story and we couldn't be more excited to be working again with Jaden after our experiences on ''[[The Pursuit of Happyness]]'' and ''[[The Karate Kid (2010 film)|The Karate Kid]]''," and added "We're thrilled to have the two of them together on this project." Shyamalan also added, "The chance to make a scary, science-fiction film starring Jaden and Will is my dream project."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/will-smith-son-jaden-star-174388|title=Will Smith, Son Jaden to Star in M. Night Shyamalan Sci-Fi Movie|date=April 4, 2011|work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|author=Mark Cina|accessdate=March 16, 2013}}</ref> Will Smith's decision to take on the starring adult male role required him to step aside in producing and starring in the Hurricane Katrina drama ''The American Can'', and offered the lead role to [[Denzel Washington]] instead. The shooting of the movie was also pushed back from September 2011 to January 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.vulture.com/2011/06/will_smith_denzel_washington_a.html|title=Will Smith Wants Denzel Washington for His Katrina Drama, The American Can|date=June 28, 2011|author=Claude Brodesser-Akner|publisher=[[Vulture (blog)|Vulture]]|accessdate=March 16, 2013}}</ref> On July 25, 2011, Smith traveled to [[Costa Rica]] accompanied by an entourage of about 20 people, including Shyamalan, to scout for locations to shoot the film.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/MysteryReview/statuses/97804725285683201|title=Mr. (Will) Smith Goes to Costa Rica|date=July 31, 2011|author=Lynn Farris|publisher=Examiner.com|accessdate=March 16, 2013}}</ref> They visited sites like the [[Arenal Volcano]], hot springs and a lake, and some beaches.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.google.com/hostednews/epa/article/ALeqM5hTc17W2t8TH2SAG0SyFf3aLVFdsA?docId=1577231|title=El artista Will Smith visita zonas turísticas de Costa Rica|publisher=[[EFE|Agencia EFE]]|date=July 27, 2011|accessdate=March 16, 2013}}</ref> In September, Columbia committed to a June 7, 2013 release date.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://collider.com/1000-ae-release-date-wanderlust/113633/|title=Will Smith's 1000 A.E. Scheduled for June 7, 2013; WANDERLUST Pushed Back to February 24, 2012|date=September 7, 2011|author=Brendan Bettinger|publisher=Collider.com|accessdate=March 16, 2013}}</ref> Shyamalan also scouted locations in Philadelphia. 50% of the filming was to take place at the new Sun Center Studios in Delaware County (Chester Township). Other locations would be in Costa Rica, Utah and Northern California.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.wmgk.com/shows/cyndy-drue/blogentry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10286409|title=Update about M Night Shyamalan's next film|date=September 8, 2011|author=Cyndy Drue|publisher=[[WMGK]]|accessdate=March 16, 2013}}</ref> Shyamalan also visited [[Valley Forge Military Academy and College|Valley Forge Military Academy]], known for being the filming location of ''[[Taps (film)|Taps]]'', for research of the film, then entitled ''After Earth'', as Jaden Smith would be playing a military cadet of the future.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mainlinemedianews.com/articles/2011/09/27/main_line_suburban_life/news/doc4e823124778c2667339081.txt|title=Video: M. Night Shyamalan visits Valley Forge Military Academy to research upcoming movie|date=September 27, 2011|author=Pete Bannan|publisher=Mainlinemedianews.com|accessdate=March 16, 2013}}</ref> The screenplay by Whitta and Shyamalan was later [[Script doctor|polished]] by [[Stephen Gaghan]]<ref name="Variety">{{cite news |url=http://www.variety.com/article/VR1118045980|title=Gaghan polishes Shyamalan's ''A.E.'' |first=Jeff |last=Sneider |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |year=2012 |accessdate=January 31, 2012}}</ref> and [[Mark Boal]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/TheInSneider/status/156900081004589056 |title=Twitter / TheInSneider: FUN FACT: S. GAGHAN isn't the |publisher=Twitter |accessdate=May 29, 2013}}</ref> [[Jonathan Young (psychologist)|Jonathan Young]], PhD, from the Joseph Campbell Archives, polished the mythic journey structure.<ref>{{cite web|url=https:www.screenwriterssb.org/|accessdate=January 3, 2014}}</ref> Principal photography for ''After Earth'' began in February 2012. Much of the filming took place in [[Costa Rica]], [[Humboldt County, California|Humboldt County]], and [[Aston Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania|Aston]]. ''After Earth'' became the first film from Sony to be both shot and presented in the emerging 4K digital format.<ref name="first4K">{{cite news|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/31/after-earth-hd-footage_n_3368043.html |title='After Earth' HD Footage Puts Movie in Exclusive Club |work=Huffington Post |accessdate=June 2, 2013 |date=May 31, 2013}}</ref> It was primarily shot with [[Sony]]'s [[CineAlta]] F65 camera, which was shipped in January 2012.<ref>{{cite news | url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/m-night-shyamalan-another-earth-sony-f65-camera-295476 | title=M. Night Shyamalan Shooting 'After Earth' on Sony's F65 Camera as Studio Launches Training Program | work=The Hollywood Reporter | date=February 27, 2012 | accessdate=April 10, 2012 | author=Giardina, Carolyn}}</ref> However, a skydiving sequence required a smaller sized [[Canon Cinema EOS]] C500 4K camera mounted on the helmet of a professional skydriver.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/behind-screen/cine-gear-canon-c500-used-561458|title=Cine Gear: Canon C500 Used for 'After Earth' Skydiving Sequence|author=Carolyn Giardina|work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|date=June 1, 2013|accessdate=June 2, 2013}}</ref> The cinematographer [[Peter Suschitzky]] who picked Sony F65 digital camera for the movie over other digital and film cameras, argued that benefits of film are lost when shown in theaters with digital projectors, as many are today.<ref name="first4K"/> On April 19, 2013, Shyamalan announced that the release date had been moved a week earlier to May 31, 2013<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/MNightShyamalan/status/325299005447872512 |title=Twitter / MNightShyamalan: #AfterEarth is being released |publisher=Twitter |accessdate=May 29, 2013}}</ref> in North America and Korea, which put it against ''[[Now You See Me (film)|Now You See Me]]'' and ''[[The Purge]]'', scheduled to open in the United States in the same week. A few days later, the U.S. release of ''The Purge'' was rescheduled for June 7, 2013,<ref>{{cite news|title=Release Date Change for The Purge|url=http://dailydead.com/release-date-change-for-the-purge/|accessdate=April 25, 2013|publisher=dailydead.com}}</ref> taking over the slot vacated by ''After Earth''. On May 3, it was revealed that [[Korean American|Korean-American]] singer [[Jay Park]] would be participating on the official soundtrack of the film in [[Korea]], with a song titled "I Like 2 Party". On May 5, a 30-second snippet of the song was released with a trailer.<ref name=jaypark>{{cite web|last=Park|first=Jay|title=AFTER EARTH MOVIE TRAILER WITH I LIKE TO PARTY SNIPPET|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldmI0fP9bYY|publisher=[[Jay Park]]|accessdate=May 5, 2013}}</ref> ==Marketing== The estimated worldwide marketing budget for ''After Earth'' was approximately $100 million in addition to the $135 million to produce the film.<ref name=NYT060213a>Brook Barnes, [http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/06/02/will-smith-and-after-earth-have-dismal-opening/ Will Smith and ‘After Earth’ Have Dismal Opening], ''The New York Times'', June 2, 2013. Retrieved June 6, 2013.</ref> Initial marketing began online with an internet marketing campaign on Facebook and [[Google+]], including a [[Trailer (promotion)|teaser trailer]]. Alongside the Facebook marketing is a [[Web 2.0]] site that lets people "scroll" through different images and paragraphs in a complex dynamic way. An image of Jaden's character in costume was released online on February 15, 2012.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.slashfilm.com/jaden-smith-shows-after-earth-stillsuit/|publisher=/Film|title=Jaden Smith Shows Off His 'After Earth' Costume|date=February 15, 2012|accessdate=February 16, 2012}}</ref> Later in the year, a theatrical teaser was released alongside a trailer for the competing [[Joseph Kosinski]] film ''[[Oblivion (2013 film)|Oblivion]]''. On March 12, a modified version of ''After Earth''{{'}}s theatrical teaser was released as the official trailer.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sonypictures.com/previews/movies/afterearth.xml|publisher=Sony Pictures|title=After Earth}}</ref> The official trailer was broadcast as a TV Spot during late May 2013. The trailer featured the menu music of the video game ''[[Deus Ex: Human Revolution]]'', composed by [[Michael McCann (composer)|Michael McCann]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.behaviormusic.com/projects/after-earth-trailer/ |title=‘AFTER EARTH’ TRAILER &#124; Michael McCann &#124; Composer |publisher=Behaviormusic.com |date=March 7, 2013 |accessdate=2013-06-26}}</ref> In a stark contrast to his previous films, Shyamalan's name was notably absent from trailers, TV commercials, and marketing signage.<ref name="MNightName">{{cite web|last=Lang |first=Derrik J. |url=http://bigstory.ap.org/article/shyamalan-not-orbit-after-earth-marketing |title=Shyamalan not in orbit of 'After Earth' marketing |publisher=Bigstory.ap.org |date=May 29, 2013 |accessdate=June 9, 2013}}</ref> Instead, Sony Pictures opted to feature Will and Jaden Smith prominently in the marketing campaign.<ref>{{cite news|last=Kroll |first=Justin |url=http://variety.com/2013/film/news/m-night-shyamalan-blackout-falls-on-after-earth-1200485989/#!1/673m-the-sixth-sense-1999/ |title=Shyamalan Losing Cachet: Sony Focuses ‘After Earth’ Jaden, Will Smith |publisher=Variety |date=May 22, 2013 |accessdate=June 9, 2013}}</ref> Sony's worldwide marketing and distribution chairman, Jeff Blake, said that "Night is, without a doubt, a world-class filmmaker who we were thrilled to team up with on this project," but "Together, we decided to focus our campaign on both the action and Will and Jaden given that 'After Earth' is an adventure story of a father and son." Alex Suskind of [[Moviefone]] pointed out to Shyamalan that ''After Earth'' was not being marketed on the strength of his name unlike his previous projects, to which he responded, "There's such a specific expectation that comes with a name. It's nice to have people watch the movie and then have them talk about the storyteller; it's a healthy balance."<ref>{{cite web|last=Susman |first=Gary |url=http://news.moviefone.com/2013/05/29/m-night-shyamalan-after-earth-interview/ |title=M. Night Shyamalan on Bad Reviews and Tackling Sci-Fi – The Moviefone Blog |publisher=News.moviefone.com |date=May 29, 2013 |accessdate=June 9, 2013}}</ref> On April 24, [[X Prize Foundation|XPRIZE]], Sony and Overbook launched the XPRIZE After Earth Challenge, a robotics competition to promote the May 31 release of ''After Earth''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.xprize.org/press-release/sony-pictures-entertainment-overbrook-entertainment-xprize-join-forces-to-launch |title=Sony Pictures Entertainment, Overbrook Entertainment & Xprize Join Forces To Launch Robotics Competition |publisher=XPRIZE |date=April 24, 2013 |accessdate=2013-06-26}}</ref> Dr. [[Peter H. Diamandis]], chairman and CEO of XPRIZE said "''After Earth'' is not only a spectacular science fiction adventure but it also underscores the importance of protecting our planet, something we value deeply at XPRIZE. We are pleased to partner with the visionary team at Overbrook to present a complimentarily themed educational competition focusing on the sustainability of the Earth." Eligible teams (2–5 students between the ages of 13 and 17 with 1 adult captain) were able to register for the two-stage competition by visiting www.XPRIZEAfterEarth.com until June 7, 2013. In the first stage, teams create a 2–3 minute video essay that answers targeted questions and describes their thinking on the importance of space exploration, and the relationship between sustainability and survival. Ten teams selected for phase 2 of the contest are then given a [[Lego Mindstorms]] robotic kit and a [[Camcorder|Sony Handycam]] HDR-PJ230 camcorder to design and build a playfield for their robot to complete a series mission tasks in one or more of four thematic areas: (1) Natural resources, (2) Renewable energy, (3) Agriculture, and (4) Shelter/Protection. The winning team will be announced on August 9, 2013 and featured on the U.S. Blu-ray Disc of ''After Earth'', and all members of that team will receive a signed Blu-ray and other prizes. The film [[Film premiere|premiered]] on May 29 at [[Ziegfeld Theatre]] in New York City, with a wide variety of celebrities attending including [[Bruce Willis]], [[50 Cent]], [[Spike Lee]], and [[Justin Bieber]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.moviefone.com/2013/05/30/after-earth-nyc-premiere_n_3359366.html |title='After Earth' NYC Premiere: Will and Jaden Smith Mingle With Some Famous Friends (PHOTOS) |publisher=News.moviefone.com |date=May 30, 2013 |accessdate=June 2, 2013}}</ref> Canadian comedian [[Russell Peters]] who made fun of Shyamalan when accepting the [[Golden Raspberry Award|Razzie Award]] on his behalf for ''[[The Last Airbender]]''<ref name=toruntosun.com>{{cite web |url=http://www.torontosun.com/entertainment/movies/2011/02/27/17425591.html |title=Shyamalan cleans up at Razzies |author=Bruce Kirkland |work=Toronto Sun |date=February 27, 2011<!-- 1:49&nbsp;am-->}}</ref> also attended and even posed with Shyamalan.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/therealrussellp/status/339956232607649792 |title=Twitter / therealrussellp: #AfterEarthMoviePremier Jada |publisher=Twitter |accessdate=June 2, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=By M. Night Shyamalan @MNightShyamalan |url=https://twitter.com/MNightShyamalan/status/339951341587808256 |title=Twitter / MNightShyamalan: Hanging out with @therealrusselp |publisher=Twitter |accessdate=June 2, 2013}}</ref> [[Sony Electronics]] hosted an exclusive 4K screening of ''After Earth'' at the Paramount Studios Theater on Friday May 31 during the 2013 Cine Gear Expo in Hollywood.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.4rfv.co.uk/industrynews.asp?id=162282 |title=Hollywood, Geared Up |publisher=4rfv.co.uk |date=May 7, 2013 |accessdate=June 3, 2013}}</ref> The event was held for registered Cine Gear Expo attendees and Sony guests from 6:30-9:30 pm<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cinegearexpo.com/category/seminars/full-schedule/ |title=Full Schedule |publisher=Cine Gear Expo |date=June 2, 2012 |accessdate=June 3, 2013}}</ref> followed by a panel discussion with the filmmakers and production team. After guests filled the 500-plus-seat theater,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://twitter.com/SonyProUSA/status/340648140329873408 |title=Twitter / SonyProUSA: Packed house for the "After |publisher=Twitter |accessdate=June 3, 2013}}</ref> a second screening was held on Saturday June 1 to accommodate additional guests<ref>{{cite news|author=12 HRS |url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/behind-screen/cine-gear-earth-4k-draws-561643 |title=Cine Gear: 'After Earth' in 4K Draws Crowd; Why iTunes Will Go Ultra HD Before TV Nets |work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=February 6, 2013 |accessdate=June 3, 2013}}</ref> from 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm. On June 6, the [[European Space Agency]] (ESA) partnered with Sony Pictures International to support the release of the film, stating that it shares common themes in the film of concern for Earth's future and educating the next generation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.esa.int/ESA/Competition/Explore_After_Earth_with_us |title=Explore After Earth with us |publisher=[[European Space Agency]] |date=2013-06-06 |accessdate=2013-06-26}}</ref> ESA and Sony are holding the ''After Earth'' competition to win the opportunity to go to [[Bordeaux]], France and have a 'space experience' in weightlessness on a 'parabolic' flight on Novespace's ZERO-G aircraft. The winner will receive paid travel expenses to and from Bordeaux and one night's accommodation for two people, and will only be eligible to participate in the [[reduced gravity aircraft]] on October 25 following a medical exam.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.esa.int/ESA/Competition/After_Earth_competition_rules |title=After Earth competition rules |publisher=[[European Space Agency]] |date=2013-06-06 |accessdate=2013-06-26}}</ref> ===Books=== {{Prose|date=February 2014}}<!-- WP:WHENTABLE --> Several books were released as supplemental tie-ins for the film. {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="width: 100%; text-align: center; " |- !No. !Title !Author !Illustrator !Format !Publisher !Release Date !Serial Number |- |rowspan="2"|1 |style="background: #f0f0f0"|After Earth: The official novel of the epic film ''After Earth'' |[[Peter David]] | |Paperback (416 pages) |[[Del Rey Books|Del Rey]] |May 28,&nbsp;2013 |ISBN 978-0345543202 |- |colspan="7" style="text-align: left; padding-left:10px;"|Contains an expanded story of the film and supplemental stories |- |rowspan="2"|2 |style="background: #f0f0f0"|After Earth: Innocence |[[Michael Jan Friedman]]; [[Robert Greenberger]] |Benito Lobel |Comic book (36 pages) |Del Rey |November&nbsp;14,&nbsp;2012 |ISBN 978-0345537256 |- |colspan="7" style="text-align: left; padding-left:10px;"|A prequel comic book to After Earth. |- |rowspan="2"|3 |style="background: #f0f0f0"|After Earth: United Ranger Corps Survival Manual |Robert Greenberger | |Hardcover (144 pages) |Insight Editions LLC |May&nbsp;21,&nbsp;2013 |ISBN 978-1608872350 |- | colspan="7" style="text-align: left; padding-left:10px;" |An illustrated manual that describes the After Earth universe from the history of the United Ranger Corps, to humanity's exodus from Earth, and the ongoing battle against the Skrel. Contains the secrets of ghosting, the mastery of the cutlass, a schematic of the Ranger base, a complete guide to the highly evolved animals of Earth, and even a handwritten journal entry from Cypher Raige. |- |rowspan="2"|4 |style="background: #f0f0f0"|After Earth: Kitai's Journal |Christine Peymani |Jason A. Katzenstein |Paperback (144 pages) |[[HarperCollins]] |May&nbsp;21,&nbsp;2013 |ISBN 978-0062268570 |- |colspan="7" style="text-align: left; padding-left:10px;"|A book with black-and-white illustrations for younger readers. |} ==Box office== During its opening weekend, ''After Earth'' took in $27.5 million in box office receipts in North America and $2.5M in [[South Korea]].<ref>[http://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?page=weekend&id=1000ae.htm After Earth (2013) – Weekend Box Office Results – Box Office Mojo<!-- Bot generated title -->]</ref> Sony Pictures projected a launch of around $38 million, but the actual number was 17% lower than the lowest pre-release expectation of $33 million.<ref name=NYT060213a/><ref name=LAT053013a>Amy Kaufman, [http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/envelope/cotown/la-et-ct-box-office-after-earth-fast-furious-20130530,0,946475.story 'Fast & Furious 6' to speed past 'After Earth' at the box office], ''Los Angeles Times'', May 30, 2013. Retrieved June 6, 2013.</ref> It finished in third place behind ''[[Fast & Furious 6]]'', an [[action film]], and ''[[Now You See Me (film)|Now You See Me]]'', a [[caper film]].<ref>{{cite web|author=Movies |url=http://www.thewrap.com/movies/article/now-you-see-me-beats-after-earth-thursday-box-office-94701 |title='Now You See Me' Beats 'After Earth' at Thursday Box Office &#124; The Wrap Movies |publisher=Thewrap.com |accessdate=June 7, 2013}}</ref> Taking into account the popularity of principal actor Will Smith, the disappointing finish led ''The Wall Street Journal'' to call it a "[[Box office bomb|flop]]".<ref name=WSJ060213>Ben Fritz, [http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324423904578521542174762344.html Will Smith's 'After Earth' Flops at Box Office], ''The Wall Street Journal'', June 2, 2013. Retrieved June 3, 2013.</ref> Ray Subers of [[Box Office Mojo]] noted the $27 million weekend placed it between two sci-fi flops of [[2012 in film|2012 films]] with 200 million-plus budgets, ''[[Battleship (film)|Battleship]]'' ($25.5 million) and ''[[John Carter (film)|John Carter]]'' ($30.2 million), and also drew half of the co-stars' previous openings, [[Will Smith]]'s ''[[Men in Black 3]]'' ($54.6 million) and [[Jaden Smith]]'s ''[[The Karate Kid (2010 film)|The Karate Kid]]'' ($55.7 million).<ref name=BOM060213>Ray Subers, [http://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=3687 Weekend Report: 'Fast' Falls, Magicians Make Will Smith Disappear], Box Office Mojo, June 2, 2013. Retrieved June 3, 2013.</ref> Scott Mendelson from ''[[Forbes]]'' argued that Sony made a mistake of hiding<!-- not hiring --> [[M. Night Shyamalan]] as they promoted the film because for better or worse, the general public knows who he is and "His name on the marquee reflects that you’re not going to get a conventional genre film, that there may be something else up its sleeve."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.forbes.com/sites/scottmendelson/2013/06/05/why-sony-was-wrong-to-hide-m-night-shyamalan-while-marketing-after-earth/ |title=Why Sony Was Wrong To Hide M. Night Shyamalan While Marketing 'After Earth' |publisher=Forbes |date=April 18, 2012 |accessdate=June 9, 2013 |first=Scott |last=Mendelson}}</ref> Sony Pictures spokesman Steve Elzer said a weekend take of about $30 million in the United States and Canada would be a solid number for a movie that is not a branded sequel.<ref>{{cite news|last=Sinha |first=Piya |url=http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/31/entertainment-us-afterearth-idUSBRE94U1A520130531 |title='After Earth' leaves critics cold ahead of competitive weekend |agency=Reuters |accessdate=June 7, 2013 |date=May 31, 2013}}</ref> Sony distribution chief Rory Bruer said "Certainly we would have liked to have done more, but this was always going to be a worldwide play."<ref>{{cite news|last=McNary |first=Dave |url=http://variety.com/2013/film/news/now-you-see-me-pulls-28-mil-plus-rabbit-beating-after-earth-with-27-mil-1200491051/ |title=Box Office: ‘Now You See Me’ Beats Will Smith Film ‘After Earth’ |work=Variety |date=June 2, 2013 |accessdate=June 7, 2013}}</ref> ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'' reported Sony insiders estimate a potential loss at about $20 million if the film does not gross high overseas, though estimates of top executives at several rival studios are much higher.<ref name=THR060513>Kim Masters, [http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/will-smiths-earth-apocalypse-who-562668 Will Smith's 'After Earth' Apocalypse: Who Loses Most], ''The Hollywood Reporter'', June 5, 2013. Retrieved June 6, 2013.</ref> On ''[[Jimmy Kimmel Live!]]'', Will Smith admitted he was also disappointed with the box office performance and joked "Here's how I think about it Jimmy, let's be honest. Three is the new one. You know how many ones it takes to make a three?" and "It's been almost, like, two decades since I had a movie that wasn’t number one! ... That's over now, buddy! Thanks!"<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/07/will-smith-disappointed-after-earth-box-office-video_n_3400751.html |title=Will Smith Disappointed In 'After Earth' Box Office: It's Been Two Decades Since I Wasn't Number One (VIDEO) |work=Huffington Post |accessdate=June 7, 2013 |first=Jason |last=Hughes |date=June 7, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Beard |first=Lanford |url=http://popwatch.ew.com/2013/06/07/will-smith-after-earth-jimmy-kimmel/ |title=Will Smith talks to Jimmy Kimmel about 'After Earth' disappointment &#124; PopWatch &#124; EW.com |publisher=Popwatch.ew.com |date= |accessdate=June 9, 2013}}</ref> On the worldwide release the following week, ''After Earth'' took in an estimated $45.5 million in 60 overseas markets, narrowly beating ''Fast & Furious 6'' estimates of $45.3 million for the No. 1 spot at the international box office.<ref>{{cite web|author=Movies |url=http://www.thewrap.com/movies/article/after-earth-rebounds-tops-overseas-box-office-455m-96211 |title='After Earth' Rebounds, Leads Overseas Box Office With $45.5M &#124; The Wrap Movies |publisher=Thewrap.com |date=May 8, 2013 |accessdate=June 10, 2013}}</ref><ref name="screendaily">{{cite web|last=Kay |first=Jeremy |url=http://www.screendaily.com/news/box-office/after-earth-edges-out-fast-6/5057155.article?blocktitle=Latest-News&contentID=1846 |title=After Earth edges out Fast & Furious 6 at international box office &#124; News &#124; Screen |publisher=Screendaily.com |date= |accessdate=June 9, 2013}}</ref> Including the film's launch in South Korea, ''After Earth'' made an estimated total of $48.6 million at the international box office, bringing its worldwide gross to an estimated $95,192,000. Sources for [[Sony Pictures Entertainment|Sony Pictures International Releasing]] said the overall launch was bigger than debuts in the same territories of [[Oblivion (2013 film)|''Oblivion'']] ($45.1 million), ''[[The Last Airbender]]'' ($42.7 million) and Jaden Smith vehicle [[The Karate Kid (2010 film)|''The Karate Kid'']] ($32.3 million).<ref name="screendaily"/> Sony distribution chief Rory Bruer said that Sony was happy with the overseas opening and expects much of the film's ticket sales to come from international markets and "It definitely was the exciting start we were looking for internationally."<ref>{{cite news|last=Grover |first=Ronald |url=http://in.reuters.com/article/2013/06/09/box-office-idINDEE95807A20130609 |title='The Purge' scares off 'Fast & Furious' crew to take box office lead &#124; Reuters |publisher=In.reuters.com |date=June 5, 2013 |accessdate=June 9, 2013}}</ref> ==Reception== ''After Earth'' was panned by most critics. [[Rotten Tomatoes]] gives the film a score of 11% based on 180 reviews, with the site's consensus: "''After Earth'' is a dull, ploddingly paced exercise in sentimental sci-fi – and the latest setback for director M. Night Shyamalan's once-promising career."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/after_earth/ |title=After Earth |publisher=Rotten Tomatoes |date= |accessdate=2014-02-18}}</ref> [[Metacritic]] gives it a score of 33/100 based on 41 reviews, indicating "generally unfavorable reviews".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/movie/after-earth |title=After Earth Reviews |publisher=Metacritic |date= |accessdate=2014-02-18}}</ref> The film earned a B grade from audiences surveyed by [[CinemaScore]] on opening day.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/box-office-shocker-will-smiths-561460 |title=Box Office Shocker: Will Smith's 'After Earth' Narrowly Loses Friday to 'Now You See Me' |work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=January 6, 2013 |accessdate=June 2, 2013 |first=Pamela |last=McClintock}}</ref> Under CinemaScore, a C grade is the equivalent of a failing grade, and a B grade signals general satisfaction.<ref name="goldstein20091013">{{cite news | date = October 13, 2009 | last = Goldstein | first = Patrick | url = http://articles.latimes.com/print/2009/oct/13/entertainment/et-bigpicture13 | title = CinemaScore's box-office swami | work = [[Los Angeles Times]] | accessdate = June 3, 2013 }}</ref> <!-- Negative reviews --> [[Joe Morgenstern]], film critic for ''[[The Wall Street Journal]]'', opened his review by asking: "Is ''After Earth'' the worst movie ever made?" His answer was "Maybe not; there's always ''[[Battlefield Earth (film)|Battlefield Earth]]'' to remind us how low the bar can go."<ref name=WSJreview>Joe Morgenstern, [http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324412604578515000854294308.html FILM REVIEW: Muddle-'Earth'], ''The Wall Street Journal'', May 30, 2013. Retrieved May 31, 2013.</ref> Like Morgenstern, [[Manohla Dargis]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' made note of the film's use of central themes in [[Scientology]] before concluding the film was nothing more than a "big-screen vanity project".<ref name=NYTreview>Manohla Dargis, [http://movies.nytimes.com/2013/05/31/movies/after-earth-starring-will-smith-and-jaden-smith.html MOVIE REVIEW: A Father-Son Outing Goes Terribly Wrong], ''The New York Times'', May 30, 2013. Retrieved May 31, 2013.</ref> ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' reviewer Betsy Sharkey wondered how the elder Smith could have gone from the charismatic performance in the serious film ''[[The Pursuit of Happyness]]'', also co-starring his son, to the performance in ''After Earth''. She also saw compounding problems in the creative process leading to a lack of subtlety and nuance: "The script has no nuance, none. And when Shyamalan moves into the director's chair, the script problems are magnified."<ref name=LATreview>Betsy Sharkey, [http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-after-earth-review-20130531,0,5520934.story Review: 'After Earth' crashes on take-off], ''Los Angeles Times'', May 30, 2013. Retrieved May 31, 2013.</ref> Both Dustin Putman and Scott Foundas of ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' opined that the film was further proof that Shyamalan had become a "director-for-hire", with "his disinterest palpable from first frame to last".<ref>Scott Foundas, [http://variety.com/2013/film/reviews/after-earth-film-review-a-nasty-planet-1200489562/ Film Review: ‘After Earth’], ''Variety'', May 29, 2013. Retrieved June 2, 2013.</ref><ref>Scott Foundas, [http://www.dustinputman.com/reviews/a/13_afterearth.htm Film After Earth (2013)], ''Dustin Putman'', May 30, 2013. Retrieved June 2, 2013.</ref> [[Peter Bradshaw]] of ''[[The Guardian]]'' gave the film one star out of five, calling it "another uncompromisingly terrible film ... featuring a triple-whammy of abysmal acting, directing and story" and saying that Jaden Smith "plays the role throughout with a face like a smacked bum" and "Kitai [Jaden Smith's character] must be like his dad: show no fear. Or any emotion. Or any acting talent of any sort."<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/2013/jun/06/after-earth-review |title=After Earth – review|work=The Guardian|first=Peter|last=Bradshaw|date=June 6, 2013 |accessdate=June 7, 2013|location=London}}</ref> <!-- Positive reviews --> Matt Zoller Seitz of [[Roger Ebert|RogerEbert.com]] awarded the film 3.5 stars out of 4 and commented that the movie is "a moral tale disguised as a sci-fi blockbuster. It's no classic, but it's a special movie: spectacular and wise."<ref>{{cite web|last=Winter |first=Max |url=http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/after-earth-2013 |title=After Earth Movie Review & Film Summary (2013) |publisher=Roger Ebert |accessdate=June 2, 2013}}</ref> Jim Vejvoda of [[IGN]] awarded the film a 6.7 out of 10 and commented, "M. Night Shyamalan isn't quite back in top form here, but ''After Earth'' is certainly the best movie he's made in years."<ref>{{cite web|author=Jim Vejvoda |url= http://ign.com/articles/2013/05/30/after-earth-review |title=After Earth Review – IGN |publisher= IGN |date=May 29, 2013 |accessdate=June 2, 2013}}</ref> Charlie Jane Anders of [[Io9]] commented that "Having suffered through [[The Last Airbender|''Last Airbender'']], I can attest that this film is no ''Last Airbender''... ''After Earth'' stays grounded, and manages to tell a pretty decent story."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://io9.com/shyamalans-new-film-is-a-huge-disappointment-because-510631618 |title=Shyamalan's new film is a huge disappointment (because it's not awful) |publisher=Io9.com |accessdate=June 2, 2013}}</ref> John Hayward of [[Breitbart.com]] said the movie is not nearly as bad as its box-office thud and scathing reviews would suggest, Shyamalan does a "solid job in the director's chair", and Jaden Smith is "really a decent actor."<ref>{{cite web|last=Hayward |first=John |url=http://www.breitbart.com/InstaBlog/2013/06/01/Review-After-Earth |title=Review: "After Earth" |publisher=Breitbart.com |accessdate=June 2, 2013}}</ref> <!-- Mixed reviews? --> The [[special effects]] received a mixed response. Rene Rodriguez of ''[[The Miami Herald]]'' said that "the CGI creatures in the film look as fake as the monkeys in ''[[Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull]]''"<ref>Rene Rodriguez, [http://www.miami.com/039after-earth039-pg-13-article 'After Earth' (PG-13)], ''The Miami Herald'', May 30, 2013. Retrieved June 2, 2013.</ref> and Rebecca Murray of [[About.com]] said that the effects "look as though they've been created by someone who just got accepted to film school".<ref>Rebecca Murray, [http://movies.about.com/od/afterearth/fr/movie-review.htm 'After Earth' (PG-13)], About.com, May 31, 2013. Retrieved June 2, 2013.</ref> Charlie McCollum of the ''[[San Jose Mercury News]]'' called them "surprisingly unconvincing, a step or two above the effects in those deliberately cheese ball sci-fi flicks the [[Syfy]] channel shows on Saturday night."<ref>Charlie McCollum, [http://www.mercurynews.com/entertainment/ci_23345339/review-after-earth-planet-avoid Review: 'After Earth' a planet to avoid], ''San Jose Mercury News'', May 30, 2013. Retrieved June 2, 2013.</ref> Michael O’Sullivan of ''[[The Washington Post]]'' called the production design "blandly generic" and the special effects, props and costumes "cheap and slapdash-looking".<ref>Michael O’Sullivan, [http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/after-earth-movie-review/2013/05/30/0372720e-c93e-11e2-9f1a-1a7cdee20287_story.html ‘After Earth’ movie review], ''The Washington Post'', May 30, 2013. Retrieved June 2, 2013.</ref> However, Austin Kennedy of ''Film Geek Central'' said the special effects are "top-notch",<ref>Austin Kennedy, [http://filmgeekcentral.com/2013/05/31/austin-reviews-m-night-shyamalans-after-earff-starring-will-smith-son/ Austin reviews M. Night Shyamalan’s AFTER EARFF, starring Will Smith and son!!!], ''Film Geek Central'', May 31, 2013. Retrieved June 2, 2013.</ref> John Depko and Susanne Perez of ''[[Daily Pilot]]'' said it is "impressive",<ref>{{cite web|author=John Depko |author2=Susanne Perez |url=http://www.dailypilot.com/entertainment/tn-dpt-et-0607-reel-critics-20130605,0,4832399.story |title=Reel Critics: 'After Earth' not quite out of this world |publisher=[[Daily Pilot]] |date=June 5, 2013 |accessdate=June 12, 2013}}</ref> Nathan Duke of ''[[Patch Media]]'' said it is "impressive enough",<ref>{{cite web|last=Duke |first=Nathan |url=http://foresthills.patch.com/groups/arts-and-entertainment/p/this-week-at-the-movies_ec02f17c |title=This Week at the Movies – Arts and Entertainment – Forest Hills, NY Patch |publisher=[[Patch Media]] |date=June 3, 2013 |accessdate=June 12, 2013}}</ref> and Peter Feldman of [[The Citizen (South Africa)|''The Citizen'']] said it is "solid".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.citizen.co.za/citizen/content/en/citizen/movie-reviews?oid=434213&sn=Detail&pid=146826&Survival-in-snooze-mode |title=The Citizen Online &#124; Survival in snooze mode – Movie Reviews |publisher=[[The Citizen (South Africa)|''The Citizen'']] |author=Peter Feldman |date=June 7, 2013 |accessdate=June 12, 2013}}</ref> <!-- Review from notable persons follow. See examples on [[Life of Pi (film]], include reviews from [[Barack Obama]] and [[Anne Hathaway]]. Aldrin's comment of "After Earth is not realistic" highly cited in the news (google for: buzz aldrin "after earth") --> American astronaut [[Buzz Aldrin]] said the movie is "quite action packed" and a "touching father/son story"<ref>{{cite web|last=Aldrin |first=Buzz |url=https://twitter.com/TheRealBuzz/status/339924394275127298 |title=Twitter / TheRealBuzz: Just saw the world premiere |publisher=Twitter |accessdate=June 2, 2013}}</ref> but is not realistic because "there was a lot of noise. In space, you don't get that much noise,"<ref name="Aldrin_AP">{{cite news|url=http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_PEOPLE_BUZZ_ALDRIN_GCLB-?SITE=MABED&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT|title=Astronaut Buzz Aldrin: 'After Earth' was a great drama but noisier than real space|work=Associated Press|author=JOHN CARUCCI|date=May 30, 2013|accessdate=June 10, 2013}}</ref> a quote that is highly cited in the news<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/31/buzz-aldrin-after-earth-isnt-realistic_n_3365051.html |title=Buzz Aldrin: 'After Earth' Isn't Realistic Because There's No Noise In Space |work=Huffington Post |accessdate=June 2, 2013 |date=May 31, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author=John Carucci |url=http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/movies/2013/05/31/aldrin-after-earth/2376733/ |title=Buzz Aldrin says 'After Earth' isn't realistic |publisher=Usatoday.com |date=May 31, 2013 |accessdate=June 10, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=By JOHN CARUCCI Associated Press |url=http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory/aldrin-earth-noisier-space-19291690 |title=Aldrin: 'After Earth' Noisier Than Space Really Is – ABC News |publisher=Abcnews.go.com |date=May 31, 2013 |accessdate=June 10, 2013}}</ref> and misconstrued as him nitpicking<ref>{{cite web|url=http://s1.ibtimes.com/buzz-aldrin-nitpicks-after-earth-scientific-mistake-space-no-one-can-hear-explosion-1289285 |title=Buzz Aldrin Nitpicks 'After Earth' Scientific Mistake: In Space, No One Can Hear An Explosion |publisher=S1.ibtimes.com |date=May 31, 2013 |accessdate=June 10, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Tamarra Kemsley |url=http://www.natureworldnews.com/articles/2262/20130604/buzz-aldrin-points-out-inaccuracies-earth.htm |title=Buzz Aldrin Points Out Inaccuracies in "After Earth" : Space |publisher=Nature World News |date=June 4, 2013 |accessdate=June 10, 2013}}</ref> or panning the film.<ref>{{cite web|author=Trent Moore |url=http://www.blastr.com/2013-5-31/buzz-aldrin-blasts-after-earth-lack-spacefaring-realism |title=Buzz Aldrin blasts After Earth for lack of spacefaring realism |publisher=Blastr |date=May 31, 2013 |accessdate=June 10, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Poeter |first=Damon |url=http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2419809,00.asp |title=Buzz Aldrin Talks Up Mars Colony, Pans 'After Earth' &#124; News & Opinion |publisher=PCMag.com |date=May 31, 2013 |accessdate=June 10, 2013}}</ref> Aldrin was impressed by the set design stating that "the scenes of the cities were really remarkable" but differed significantly from his experience on the moon, which he described as "'magnificent desolation' in contrast to the magnificent experience that humanity could move itself ahead to get to the moon."<ref name="Aldrin_AP"/> ===4K screening=== Ryan Nakashima of [[Associated Press]] was generally impressed with the film's [[4K resolution]] picture quality, though the visual-effects shots that comprised about a third of the movie were done in [[2K resolution]] to save on cost and time.<ref name="first4K" /> Nakashima commented "I could see details I've never noticed before – the actors' tiny skin imperfections, or Smith's salt-and-pepper whiskers. In a distant shot of Smith's son Jaden running down a riverbed, I was struck by how many small rocks were defined clearly from such a distance. Yet other shots that included computer-generated cityscapes or otherworldly creatures looked less sharp." The cinematographer [[Peter Suschitzky]] was apologetic about that, saying "The movie is only half in true 4K. I'm sad about that. It still looks good."<ref>[http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2013/06/03/after-earth-joins-exclusive-ultra-hd-movie-club.html ]{{dead link|date=February 2014}}</ref> Scott Wilkinson of AVS was similarly impressed by the visual effects (though he did not enjoy the movie itself): "Even sitting too far away, the movie itself looked gorgeous—sharp as a tack with beautiful colors. The smallest details, such as Jaden Smith's character in the far distance, somehow looked clearer than I would have expected under normal circumstances; I got the distinct impression that the image could have been blown up by quite a bit and no detail would have been lost. The CGI animals did look a bit artificial, but that didn't bother me very much at all."<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.avsforum.com/t/1475530/after-earth-screening-in-native-4k |title=After Earth Screening in Native 4K |publisher=Avsforum.com |accessdate=June 3, 2013}}</ref> ==Controversies== ===Perceived Scientology themes=== Some critics were struck by what they saw as parallels in the movie's plot, dialogue and imagery with the [[Scientology]] teachings of [[L. Ron Hubbard]]<ref name=WSJreview/> particularly those in ''[[Dianetics: The Modern Science of Mental Health]]''<ref name="NYTreview" /> and ''Dianetics: The Original Thesis''.<ref>{{cite news|last=Horn |first=John |url=http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-will-smith-after-earth-scientology-20130530,0,4385437.story |title=Will Smith's 'After Earth': Answers to six burning questions |publisher=latimes.com |date=May 31, 2013 |accessdate=June 9, 2013}}</ref> Similarly, [[Peter Travers]] of ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' compared the film to the Scientology-themed flop ''[[Battlefield Earth (film)|Battlefield Earth]]'', describing the film as "an unholy mess of platitudes and posturing" that wastes the talents and charm of Will Smith.<ref name=RSreview>Peter Travers, [http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/reviews/after-earth-20130530 After Earth], ''Rolling Stone'', May 30, 2013. Retrieved May 31, 2013.</ref> Pointing out Smith's alleged ties to Scientology, including his funding of [[New Village Leadership Academy]], a school that uses [[Study Tech]] as its teaching method, Matt Patches of [[Vulture (blog)|Vulture]] declared the movie probably the clearest evidence of Smith's investment in Scientology, and detailed how he saw the film paralleling its teachings.<ref>{{cite web|last=Patches |first=Matt |url=http://www.vulture.com/2013/05/after-earth-will-smith-love-letter-to-scientology.html |title=After Earth: Will Smith's Paean to Scientology |publisher=Vulture |date= |accessdate=June 9, 2013}}</ref> ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'' published a guest-column review written by former Scientology member Marc Headley which pointed out similar parallels.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/a-scientologist-reviews-earth-guest-561310 |title=A Former Scientologist Reviews 'After Earth' (Guest Column) |publisher=The Hollywood Reporter |date=May 31, 2013 |accessdate=June 9, 2013 |first=Marc |last=Headley}}</ref> [[The Sun (United Kingdom)|''The Sun'']] noted an observation made by a former Scientologist that the fictional Rangers Corps is similar to the church's [[Sea Org]] branch, which has its own cadet branch.<ref>{{cite news|last=Rollings |first=Grant |url=http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/film/4965167/will-smith-after-earth-scientology.html |title=Does After Earth prove Will Smith is a scientologist? &#124; The Sun &#124;Showbiz&#124;Film |publisher=[[The Sun (United Kingdom)|The Sun]] |date=2013-06-12 |accessdate=2013-06-26 |location=London}}</ref> [[David S. Touretzky]], a research professor at [[Carnegie Mellon University|Carnegie Mellon]] and a well-known expert on and critic of Scientology dismissed these perceived parallels, saying "I don't see any Scientology content at all in this movie".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://gawker.com/after-earth-is-just-a-shitty-movie-not-scientology-pro-510569401 |title=After Earth Is Just a Shitty Movie, Not Scientology Propaganda |publisher=Gawker.com |date= |accessdate=June 9, 2013}}</ref> He told Rich Juzwiak of [[Gawker]], "The themes of the movie appear to be standard adventure fare: physical courage, coming of age, father/son relationships, battling danger to prove oneself and earn a father's respect. These are not Scientology themes. There is no mention of evil psychiatrists, mind control, [[Engram (Dianetics)|engrams]], etc." Touretzky also addressed multiple points made by the Scientology hypothesis including the film's marketing materials prominently featuring a volcano: "The original version of Dianetics did not have any pictures on the cover. After Hubbard dreamed up [[Operating Thetan|OT III]] around 1967, someone got the idea of putting a volcano on the cover of ''Dianetics'' to 'restimulate the engrams' of us nonbelievers and influence us to buy the book. But most Scientologists don't know anything about OT III or why there is a volcano on the cover of some versions of ''Dianetics''." A parody website ''cheerupwillsmith.com'' has gained some attention in the media,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://news.msn.com/pop-culture/parody-site-seeks-to-cheer-up-will-smith-after-movie-flop |title=Parody site seeks to cheer up Will Smith after movie flop|publisher=msn.com |date=June 7, 2013 |accessdate=June 10, 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Plott |first=Elaina |url=http://observer.com/2013/06/cheer-up-will-smith-scientologists-love-after-earth/ |title=Cheer Up, Will Smith! Scientologists Love After Earth |publisher=Observer |date= |accessdate=June 10, 2013}}</ref> which was created for the purpose of cheering up Will Smith with the perceived failure of ''After Earth''. Flyers were also posted in [[East Village, Manhattan]] requesting Scientology members to see ''After Earth'' a minimum of three times and then upload a positive video for Will Smith on that website.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://evgrieve.com/2013/06/east-village-flyer-tells-church-of.html |title=East Village flyer tells Church of Scientology members that they must see 'After Earth' — 3 times |publisher=EV Grieve |date=2013-06-06 |accessdate=2013-06-26}}</ref> The site has a video [[mockumentary]] of two [[Sea Org]] members, along their way to see After Earth, recorded video praises for Will Smith from strangers and cajoled them into signing a billion-year contract with the Church of Scientology. When they delivered the signatures to a local branch of the church near [[Times Square]], a church representative told them they were impersonating the church and threatened to call the police if they do not leave.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cheerupwillsmith.com/ |title=Cheerupwillsmith.com}}</ref> The video and the site was created by Jason Selvig and Davram Stiefler of the comedy duo ''The Good Liars''<ref name="ddot_scientology">{{cite web|url=http://www.dailydot.com/entertainment/scientology-after-earth-parody/ |title=Did the Church of Scientology silence this "After Earth" parody? |publisher=[[The Daily Dot]] |author=Joe Kloc | date=2013-06-11 |accessdate=2013-06-26}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://cargocollective.com/thegoodliars/The-Good-Liars |title=The Good Liars |publisher=Cargocollective.com |date= |accessdate=2013-06-26}}</ref> who had previously pretended to be [[Time Warner Cable]] representatives asking people how they can make service worse for customers.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130405/14453422602/time-warner-cable-systematically-looking-to-shut-down-parodists-accounts.shtml |title=Time Warner Cable Systematically Looking To Shut Down Parodist's Accounts |publisher=[[Techdirt]] |author=Mike Masnick |date=April 5, 2013 |accessdate=2013-06-26}}</ref> The [[Church of Scientology International]] branded the Scientology claims as "silly nonsense" and a myth launched by a handful of self-promoters.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theglobaldispatch.com/church-of-scientology-responds-to-after-earth-comparisons-calling-it-silly-nonsense-19861/ |title=Church of Scientology responds to ‘After Earth’ comparisons, calling it ‘silly nonsense’ |publisher=The Global Dispatch |date=Jun 9, 2013 |accessdate=2013-06-26}}</ref> The church's director of public affairs, Karin Pouw, stated to ''TheImproper'' magazine that "The film and its story line contain themes common to many of the world's philosophies, not unique to Scientology." While Pouw did not dispute the similarities, she countered that overcoming fear has been a universal theme in stories for thousands of years as well central to countless film plots. She noted the same logic would seemingly make ''[[Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace]]'' a Scientology-themed movie, which includes the dialogue, “Fear is the path to the Dark Side. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.theimproper.com/81372/church-calls-after-earths-scientology-links-silly-nonsense |title=Church Calls 'After Earth's' Scientology Links 'Silly Nonsense'|publisher=TheImproper.com |date=June 8, 2013 |accessdate=June 9, 2013}}</ref> Later, domain registrar and web-hosting company [[Go Daddy]] took down ''cheerupwillsmith.com'' citing "Copyright Infringement, Trademark Infringement, and False Identity", Joe Kloc of ''The Daily Dot''<!-- tedious statement required to avoid [[WP:OR]] issues, an encyclopedia must not "presume" --> presumes the complaints came from the Church of Scientology.<ref name="ddot_scientology" /> ===Nepotism allegations=== There was heavy criticism of [[Jaden Smith]]'s role in the film. [[Christopher Orr (film critic)|Christopher Orr]] of ''[[The Atlantic]]'' stated, "He is entirely lacking in the big-screen charisma that made his father one of Hollywood's major stars."<ref>{{cite web|author=Christopher Orr |url=http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2013/05/the-awful-i-after-earth-i/276417/ |title=The Awful After Earth – Christopher Orr |work=The Atlantic |accessdate=June 2, 2013}}</ref> Gory Wolcott of ''[[Tri-City Herald]]'' commented that "the 15-year old Jaden doesn't appear to demonstrate much talent and has zero charisma."<ref>{{cite web|author=Gary Wolcott, atomictown.com |url=http://www.tri-cityherald.com/2013/05/30/2414432/after-earth-it-leaves-a-bad-movie.html |title=After Earth: It leaves a bad movie aftertaste &#124; Mr. Movie |publisher=Tri-CityHerald.com |accessdate=June 2, 2013}}</ref> Teddy Durgin of Screenit.com added that "the problem is that Jaden Smith is a truly, deeply limited actor."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.screenit.com/ourtake/2013/after_earth.html |title=After Earth &#124; Screenit.Com Artistic Take |publisher=Screenit.com |date=May 29, 2013 |accessdate=June 2, 2013}}</ref> Several reviewers saw [[nepotism]] as the explanation for the casting decisions,<ref>Jason Buchanan, [http://movies.tvguide.com/after-earth/review/551896 After Earth: Review], ''TV Guide''. Retrieved June 2, 2013.</ref><ref>Eric Henderson, [http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2013/05/31/movie-blog-after-earth-only-nepotism-remains/ Movie Blog: ‘After Earth,’ Only Nepotism Remains], ''CBS Minnesota'', May 31, 2013. Retrieved June 2, 2013.</ref> with Colin Covert of the ''[[Star Tribune]]'' calling it: "a peculiar brand of make-believe where influential Hollywood parents present their offspring as stars in their own right, without the heavy burden of developing talent or public appeal"; he concluded that the film is "mind-alteringly awful" for a variety of reasons: "The acting is wooden, the dialogue inane, and M. Night Shyamalan's directing choices are a lesson in sci-fi cliché."<ref name=Stribreview>Colin Covert, [http://www.startribune.com/entertainment/movies/209517811.html 'After Earth' is an apocalyptic failure], ''Star Tribune'', May 30, 2013. Retrieved May 31, 2013.</ref> In response to the nepotism allegations, Gary Susman of ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' magazine argued, "In Hollywood, such nepotism is no sin; in fact, it's often a selling point," and cited ten movies with father-child stars including ''[[Blown Away (1994 film)|Blown Away]]'', ''[[Wall Street (1987 film)|Wall Street]]'', ''[[Zoolander]]'', and ''[[Lara Croft: Tomb Raider]]''.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://entertainment.time.com/2013/06/04/relative-value-10-movies-with-father-child-stars/|title=Family Ties: 10 Movies with Father-Child Stars|author=Gary Susman|publisher=[[Time (magazine)|Time]]|date=June 3, 2013|accessdate=June 9, 2013}}</ref> ''[[HitFix]]'' also published an article which lists ten movies with similar family connections, including ''[[Knocked Up]]'', ''[[This Is 40]]'' and ''[[Rocky V]]''.<ref>{{cite web|last=Bonin |first=Liane |url=http://www.hitfix.com/news/before-after-earth-ten-notable-movies-with-family-connections |title=Before After Earth: Ten notable movies with family connections |publisher=Hitfix.com |date=May 31, 2013 |accessdate=June 9, 2013}}</ref> Abena Agyeman-Fisher of [[Radio One (company)#Other properties|NewsOne.com]] suggested that the allegations were thinly-veiled racism and an example of a [[double standard]] being applied to black people, citing "the obvious favoritism" shown towards the Sheen family when [[Martin Sheen]] directed ''[[Cadence (film)|Cadence]]'', which featured his son [[Charlie Sheen]] and himself, and also when his other son [[Emilio Estevez]] directed and acted in ''[[The Way (film)|The Way]]'' with him.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://newsone.com/2530136/after-earth-movie-review-racism/ |title=After Earth Movie Review Racism: Is Will And Jaden Smith’s ‘After Earth’ Being Sabotaged By Racists? &#124; Breaking News for Black America |publisher=Newsone.com |date=June 4, 2013 |accessdate=June 7, 2013}}</ref> David S. Cohen of ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' pointed out that "putting family members into projects is hardly new, yet it rarely inspires such vituperation. [[Judd Apatow]] puts [his] wife [[Leslie Mann]] in[to] his pictures, for example, and nobody seems to mind."<ref name="variety_analysis">{{cite news|url=http://variety.com/2013/biz/news/after-earth-picking-up-the-pieces-1200495585/|title=How did Will Smith’s bid for a franchise go so wrong in the U.S.?|publisher=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|author=David S. Cohen |date=June 12, 2013| accessdate=June 19, 2013}}</ref> ==Awards and nominations== {{Anchor|Awards|Accolades}} {| class="wikitable sortable" |- ! Year !! Award !! Category !! Nominee !! Result<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1815862/awards?ref_=tt_awd |title= After Earth (2013) – Awards |publisher=[[Internet Movie Database]] |accessdate=June 5, 2013}}</ref> |- | rowspan="2"|2013 || [[MTV Movie Award]] || Summer's Biggest Teen Bad Ass Star || [[Jaden Smith]] || {{nom}} |- | [[World Soundtrack Academy|World Soundtrack Award]] || Film Composer of the Year<br><small>Also for ''[[The Bourne Legacy (film)|The Bourne Legacy]]''</small> || [[James Newton Howard]] || {{nom}} |- | rowspan="6"|2014 || rowspan="6"|[[Golden Raspberry Award]] || [[Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Picture|Worst Picture]] || ''After Earth'' || {{nom}} |- | [[Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Actor|Worst Actor]] || [[Jaden Smith]] || {{won}} |- | [[Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Director|Worst Director]] || [[M. Night Shyamalan]] || {{nom}} |- | [[Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Supporting Actor|Worst Supporting Actor]] || [[Will Smith]] || {{won}} |- | [[Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Screenplay|Worst Screenplay]] || [[M. Night Shyamalan]] and [[Gary Whitta]] (screenplay); [[Will Smith]] (story) || {{nom}} |- | [[Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Screen Combo|Worst Screen Combo]] || [[Jaden Smith]] and [[Will Smith]] on planet nepotism || {{won}} |} ==References== {{Reflist|30em}} ==External links== * {{Official website|http://www.afterearth.com/}} * {{IMDb title|1815862|After Earth}} * {{mojo title|1000ae|After Earth}} * {{metacritic|after-earth|After Earth}} * {{rotten-tomatoes|after_earth|After Earth}} {{M._Night_Shyamalan}} {{DEFAULTSORT:After Earth}} [[Category:2013 films]] [[Category:2010s action films]] [[Category:2010s adventure films]] [[Category:2010s science fiction films]] [[Category:American films]] [[Category:American adventure films]] [[Category:American science fiction action films]] [[Category:Columbia Pictures films]] [[Category:English-language films]] [[Category:Films directed by M. Night Shyamalan]] [[Category:Film scores by James Newton Howard]] [[Category:Films set in the future]] [[Category:Films shot in California]] [[Category:Films shot in Costa Rica]] [[Category:Films shot in Pennsylvania]] [[Category:Films using computer-generated imagery]] [[Category:IMAX films]] [[Category:Post-apocalyptic films]] [[Category:Overbrook Entertainment films]] [[Category:Films about dysfunctional families]]'