4. Skyping Will Smith
One of the glaring issues I take with After Earth is that it takes its best element--Will Smith--and puts him in the role of Skyping passenger. Throughout the misadventure, Will is confined to a single room while Jaden gets to have all of the fun. I gather the conflicted father/son relationship that M. Night was trying to build, but when all focus is placed upon a dull, obnoxious character like Kitai instead of someone like, y'know, Will Smith--there's a problem. When the more talented of two actors is given the short straw in regard to on-screen involvement, a director needs to make sure that not only the actor taking center stage can pull it off, but that the character he's portraying also embodies depth and compelling features needed for an audience to root for him. Kitai isn't an engrossing character, nor is Jaden old enough to carry the weight of a movie like this.