After Earth: 5 Reasons We Should Do What They Did To Earth (And Forget About It)

1. Jaden Smith

after earth jaden smith

I'm sorry, but I'm just not a believer in the Bieber-buddy. Much like he did in the remake of The Karate Kid, Jaden continues to display emotion via a constant expression which borders between "who farted?" and "I'm sowwy". Battle to battle, discussion to discussion and moment to moment, Jaden simply looks like a frightened child confused by everything and everyone. Again, I grasp that he's supposed to be naive until the final frames where he "grows into a man", but the constant expression of frightened inquisition becomes tiresome and further renders his personality one-dimensional. What really made my gears grind themselves to dust, however, was his voice. As if speaking like an extra on the set of Django Unchained, Jaden slurs and mumbles his way through dialogue and expository narration. I found it incredibly difficult to understand the fourteen-year old as he utterly lacks the enunciation of his father and blends his vocabulary into an indecipherable whole. I honestly had no idea what the villainous aliens were called until Will Smith addressed them. While he states "Ursa" bluntly, the first description of the beast Jaden gives goes something like this, "Andthat'swhenthaursacameand'attackedever'oneandtheycouldlit'rallyseeansmelly'fear". Later, Cypher states "If we don't activate the beacon, we are going to die. Repeat what I just said" to which Jaden states, "If we don't activate the beacon. . . We gon'die". Where Will Smith has remained (for the most part) a stalwart icon for Hollywood's ever-dwindling positive side by avoiding many of the pratfalls similar celebs alongside him were so accustomed to, Jaden has already become marked by his immense hubris and self-glorification (just watch his "Coolest" video... Then again, don't). He shows slight possibility as an actor, but first, he needs to get over himself and learn to embody a character--not just poorly recite lines and look as if he just lost a rap contract to his ol' buddy Justin.
Contributor

Greetings from The Yentz! The Warrior of the Wasteland! The Ayatollah of Rock and Rolla! I live, eat and breathe film... And videogames... And comics... And, well... Anything that might be considered "nerd related". I consider myself the voice against that of mainstream cinema. While critics might praise the ostentatious drivel supplied by Oscar-pandering films, I enjoy directing attention to less popular gems in hopes of educating people on incredible film experiences that may not be backed by massive studios, nominations and a star-studded cast. Outside of WhatCulture!, I write for Movieweb, assisted BlueCat as a script analyst, have worked on films from the east coast to the west and continue to write, critique and direct here in the lovable land of ol' LA. I hope you enjoy reading my diatribes as much as I enjoy writing them.