Gareth von Kallenbach (980 KP) rated After Earth (2013) in Movies
Aug 7, 2019
Set 1000 years in the future, mankind is fighting for survival against a race of creatures known as Ursa, who hunt humans down by smelling fear. The human Special Forces are led by General Cypher Raige played by Will Smith. Smith is a legendary ranger and revered among mankind because of his ability to “Ghost” which is to suppress his fear completely so the Ursa cannot sense him. Meanwhile his son Kitai, played by Will Smith’s real life son Jaden Smith, is desperately trying to impress his father by following in his footsteps. Kitai’s real test comes when the two crash land on the abandoned Earth and Kitai must face his crippling internal fear to save himself and his father.
Will Smith plays perhaps one of his most subdued roles of his career. No wise cracks, no bravado. He is very much the stern and stoic military man. As if to showcase his ability to completely control his fear his character also shows no other emotion either. This is a risky play for an actor who is known for his charisma. And without a doubt many will be turned off by it. But it works to help elevate Jaden’s performance, especially since Will speaks most of the dialog in the film by giving stern orders not only as commanding officer but as a father to son.
Jaden Smith’s performance starts out mediocre. He is not the over confident stupid youth you would mostly expect to find in this type of role, but rather he is the unassuming, emotional and somewhat weak character. From the time the characters crash land on earth he becomes the lead. At first his character is somewhat annoying as he is crippled by fear and emotions. But at the point when he starts to conquer those fears, we too get carried by his performance. He becomes stronger and I found myself actually involved in his journey. No longer trying to figure out what new obstacle he must face next, but rather in watching him grow from boy to man.
Visually the film is beautiful and refreshing. The sci-fi aspects of the film are unassuming which helps to not take away from the story being told. It was reminiscent of some of the 80s sci-fi films that were futuristic but limited and instead focused on story. The first act of the film is slow, however once the scene shifts to earth, the pacing of this film is excellent. It is one dangerous thing to the next in a race against time.
In the end I found myself enjoying this film more than I thought I would. I was surprised by Will Smith’s limited role but I was pleasantly surprised by Jaden’s growth on screen. The film had less visual sci-fi then I was expecting however in the end I did not seem to mind as I found myself more interested in the coming of age story. It is far from perfect and does not feel right being released during the summer blockbuster season. However in the end, it is worth a trip to the theater, even if it is only a matinee.
For the Love of Money: A Memoir of Family, Addiction, and a Wall Street Trader's Journey to Redefine Success
5.0
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Jasmine's Journey to Jesus
10.0
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Jasmine’s Journey to Jesus is a powerful and inspirational story of survival, hope, growth and...
Fiction Coming of Age Christian Fiction
Some Hell: A Novel
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A wrenching and layered debut novel about a gay teen's coming-of-age in the aftermath of his...
Lyndsey Gollogly (2893 KP) rated Chasing the Cure ( Caitlin Chronicles book 5) in Books
Apr 18, 2022
Kindle
Chasing the Cure ( Caitlin Chronicles book 5)
By Daniel Willcocks and Michael Anderle
⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Madness is coming, and this time it’s personal.
Fueled by the tiny scatterings of a puzzle left behind, Caitlin journeys into the wilds to seek the elusive Helena in order to find the cure for the Madness and stop its spread once and for all.
Which is made all the more important when those closest to her are facing their toughest battles yet.
With Jaxon, Kain, and Mary-Anne by her side, Caitlin must tread farther from home than she’s ever been, risking capture, torment, and the Mad, all in the name of finding the truth behind the Madness.
Time is ticking, and the Madness is closer now than it’s ever been.
Set within the wonder of the Kurtherian Gambit Universe, discover the chaos and insanity of the Age of Madness—a time when the world turned on its head, and nothing is as it appears…
I enjoyed this book more than the last! But I’m unsure of all the new developments it all seems a bit strange. The more I think about it the more it baffles me especially the fact that these people are now flying over to Europe to find a cure! Very strange
Lord of the Flies: With an Introduction by Stephen King
Stephen King and William Golding
8.0
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Since it was first published in 1954, William Golding's classic debut novel has remained a stark...
Running on Red Dog Road: And Other Perils of an Appalachian Childhood
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"Mining companies piled trash coal in a slag heap and set it ablaze. The coal burned up, but the...