After Earth - Fear is a choice

Controlling your fear is one of the greatest challenges any one person could overcome. Everyone fears something different, it's imprinted into our minds. Hell, I'm afraid of spiders. When I see one, I scream and run leaving a trail of urine behind me. But spiders are a universal fear...they're just creepy. I don't know what I'm afraid of. Sure, if a large predator is in front of me I'll be afraid. But that could be said about anyone. I fear failing I suppose, letting those I care about down. That's real fear for me. Facing your fear, and overcoming it is what After Earth is about. This film starred Will Smith and Jaden Smith. The director came as a shock to me, it was M. Night Shyamalan. I didn't know it was him until we were walking by the movie poster and someone pointed it out. This guy is one of the worst directors I have ever seen, but I keep giving him chances for redemption. This chance was an accident. This film was...underwhelming at best. It was something I expected so much more from. I didn't have it on a pedestal or anything, I just expected more. The acting was underwhelming. Will Smith is a seasoned actor, a great actor, and I expected more. Jaden, yeah you can cry on command...so what? You're not good enough to do shit without your daddy. Hey, Will, come wipe your son's ass and tell him to try again. Maybe Karate Kid 2 will be good. This movie felt short. I wanted to see more of the life on Earth and interactions with it. I didn't get enough of it. I was fascinated to see what could be. The story was underwhelming as well. This film could have done without the alien concept. Two things that did bother me that I had to bring up. One, you mastered space and time and the best weapon you had was a sword? Shenanigans! Two, Earth had been untouched for a thousand years, no pollution, just lush green forest covering the land. Why did they have trouble breathing? Maybe I wasn't paying attention when they were explaining both of these concepts. This film is just there. It doesn't impress, nor does it completely disappoint. I give After Earth a 2 out of 4. Fear is only the thought of the future, of what will happen if you allow yourself to be controlled by the fear. However, if you focus on the current moment, there will be nothing to fear.