So, Will smith can act. He can do a range from comedy to action, to the difficult to make work action/comedy. He can even do drama (try Pursuit of Happyness, 2006 or Seven Pounds, 2008 if you missed Smith in something dramatic...and good).

Unfortunately, Smith being a capable actor placed next to his kid who can't act makes it REALLY obvious that his kid can't act. (Incidentally, Jaden WAS also in Pursuit of Happyness and, apparently, more capable at 6 years old than in his terrible roles since).

Mainly, this movie was annoying. I felt bad the Smith's character and for Smith himself. Jaden's character is a brat that doesn't really have to grow and evolve. Based on the few pictures I've seen of Jaden when I googled the film, it looks like Jaden is just playing...Jaden.

This movie is entirely forgettable. Jaden is the main character and Will Smith is support. Jaden just doesn't have the chops to make that arrangement work. Add in the fact that Jaden's character is just terribly written (probably so he didn't have to actually act much) and that the premise of the movie combined with the somewhat forced finale is just meh, at best.

Skip it. If the premise of a parent and child operating together on a dangerous, uninhabited planet and trying to find a way off interests you, I recommend Prospect (2018). That movie is not as flashy, not as big budget and is more slow burn, but ultimately has better characters and a more interesting story than the flashy "my daddy put me in a movie" garbage that "After Earth" serves up.

was told i would hate this movie. i liked this movie. lesson learned, don't take opinions too seriously. so i won't recommend it to you and be a hypocrite. but i myself a lonesome dove out on a limb all by my self defending this movie, did like it.

I Do Not Understand Why So Many Disliked this Film - personally I though the premise of the film was brilliant, esentially being a kind of "coming of age" film where truly, Jaden Smith is coming of age in many way including his acting career - I can respect and admire that! I especially like the idea of a Father & Son film played by an actual Father & Son - what better way to convey such a familial path that all of us have gone though, some even having gone through both sides of that equation! Well Done Smiths, well done!

I know this movie got panned, big time, when it was released, but I just don't get it. I thought it a terrific movie. Good plot with a few interesting twists, terrific special effects without being silly or rediculous, and EXCELLENT acting by Will Smith and Haden Smith. They were believable and real. I cared about their characters, believed their emotions and didn't detect any over-the-top acting.
This is a sci fi action film with plenty of action and on the edge of your seat moments. I was fully engaged through the entire movie, even during the quieter moments and the ending was satisfying. I recommend this movie to fellow Sci Fi lovers as well as Will and Jaden Smith fans. Five thumbs up ... Uh, five stars.

This movie did not do so well and got alot of flak by movie critics. My son and I still watched it regardless because I think Will Smith is a great actor. It is a slow paced movie and do not expect action packed scenes throughout the whole movie. We enjoyed it and think there are some great messages that are being portrayed in each of the characters. I recommend any parent to watch this with their child and talk with them about what they learned and understand about the movie.

I'm a sucker for aliens and hostile planet movies but somehow this movie fell flat for me. I thought the two main characters were okay although when Jayden was on the screen it felt like he was never quite in the scene the way Will seemed to be able to do.

Overall though, my biggest disappointment was I don't think the aliens and hostile planet were given their due. For example, there's a chase scene near the beginning where Jayden's character panics and incurs the wrath of a mob of large baboons. They're clearly physically superior to him in every way and each cut of the chase ends with him being only feet ahead of them yet somehow they never quite catch up. It ends when Jayden's character runs into some shallow water. Since all primates can swim and every creature on this planet was exclusively evolved to kill humans this scene, which was supposed to demonstrate how dangerous the planet is, instead made it clear Jayden was never going to be in any danger as he was protected by "main character" armor.

Overall, it felt like a lot of potential got left out of the movie in favor of focusing on character development and I don't think it worked out well. Probably would make a great video game.

Sci-fi fun. I love Will Smith in every movie I've seen him in. I originally watched this film in the theater when first released, and my review was annoyed, because frankly, I was angry over the nepotism of his son getting the lead because he's, well, the son. Now years later, watching it again by rental, I enjoyed all of it. I would have just liked more threats to overcome. Really cool premis of domineering father hamstringed, dependant upon his son for survival. 'Fraidycat son was interesting to see grow into his confidence. Sci-fi animals awesome, just wanted more. Again, Sci-fi FUN!

Everything in this movie felt SO VERY CONTRIVED! SPOILERS, if possible, ahead. Where to start? The pilots of their ship acted like it was their first time out. They were completely clueless. Everything almost immediately went to hell. Meteor storm. The ship broke apart and fell *thousands of feet through the atmosphere to the ground.* And was still at least somewhat intact and functional! And somehow, ONLY the "General" and his son survived, out of all the people in the ship. Having seen what happens to an airplane that crashes, I wouldn't have expected anything or anyone to be intact after that crash. But... They carried emergency oxygen liquid, but apparently only enough for a few people, and only capable of helping you breath in an atmosphere, that already had oxygen, apparently. In space, I guess you're just screwed if the ship springs a leak. The planet (Earth, predictably) was a giant rain forest, but it apparently wasn't producing enough oxygen for a couple of humans to breathe. Geese, sparrows, vultures, apes, lions, etc seemed to be fine, but humans? Nah. Advanced aliens who designed big mutant monsters to kill people, but made it *blind*, and dependent on *fear pheromones* to track people. I mean, even freaking *mosquitoes* can find us by our exhaled CO2 stream. Or... sound... or heat... or bio-electricity... or *something*? Wouldn't something like an engineered virus *cough*Covid*cough have been more efficient? And on a ship full of soldiers, no ranged weapons, like a gun or missile launcher or a flame thrower? Nope - just "nano swords" or whatever they were. *sigh* Not very practical. And drones? Sure - a dozen - but only for recon; nothing armed. And oh - a broken bone has severed an artery? Nano-clotting agents, anyone? Anyone? Nope. Just stick a tube between severed ends and hope it stays. Not even a tourniquet...? And if you have an interdicted world with beacons in orbit announcing the fact, wouldn't they also maybe... ping home and say, "Hey - there are intruders here!"? Apparently not. Acting was wooden as possible. There's stoic, and then there's having all the emotional affect of a 2x4. By the end, I really didn't care of either of them survived all that much. I just felt sorry for the bird and her chicks.