In
an age in which the "movie star" in the traditional sense of the word
is falling more and more towards the wayside in terms of being able to draw
audiences solely on their name alone, Will Smith is a notable exception. Others
that join him on the list of bankable movie stars are Tom Cruise, Johnny Depp
(though The Lone Ranger was a recent surprising flop), and Robert Downey
Jr.. Now, moviegoers seem more attracted to sequels and brands than to the
people who are headlining them. For
example, recent Hollywood action movie blockbusters that achieved worldwide
success were Iron Man 3 and World War Z, both of which were
action movies that were sold mostly on the story concept and brand name.
As
one of the three main science fiction movies that debuted between the months of
April and May, After Earth also performed the poorest in comparison to Oblivion
and Star Trek Into Darkness. Even
before the film was released, it had a few things working against it in the
public's eye. For one, it was directed
by M. Night Shyamalan, who has experienced a string of flops in recent years
and has been lambasted by both critics and moviegoers for the diminishing
returns in the quality of his films.
Second, After Earth showcased more of Will Smith's son, Jaden
Smith, than it did him in the trailers.
Third, there were accusations that this film was Will Smith's attempt at
promoting Scientology, of which he has expressed support for in the past.
In
the end, it failed to join the list of Will Smith films that were considered to
be successful science fiction movies, such as I Am Legend and the Men
in Black trilogy. It performed even
poorer than Smith's last bonafide flop, Wild Wild West. However, once you take away its box office
performance, for which it has earned just $60,047,407 in North America, the
film does have some positive qualities, as both a science fiction and action
movie. Its special effects are also
top-notch, and Jaden Smith showcases his potential as a leading man.