After Earth: Can Will Smith Save M. Night Shyamalan's Career?

by Mike Reyes

The Final Verdict:

Untitled Will Smith, on a good day, with good writers, and limited interference by Shyamalan himself, could probably crank out a modest hit. Which is exactly the problem: it'll take several modest hits to save this director from the level of professional Hell he's created for himself. When people laugh off a trailer simply because your name is in it, it's pitiful. When they do it at ComicCon, it's downright blacklisting. M. Night Shyamalan isn't beyond saving...it's just going to take a string of modest hits, or two or three really good movies, to fix the damage. Personally, I think he should return to the Unbreakable trilogy and finish the story. If he can find money for killer plants and part III of "Will Smith's 'Will Smith Is Jesus'" collection, then he could scrounge up funds to finish the aborted series that this very movie is trying to trade off of. Also, if you're really hankering for some "After Earth" action, why not partake in the film that After Earth inherited its Internet domain from. Yes, that's an extremely thin veiled appeal for you all to watch Titan A.E. at home. It's cheaper than seeing this, and it's actually a pretty good film.
Contributor
Contributor

Mike Reyes may or may not be a Time Lord, but he's definitely the Doctor Who editor here at What Culture. In addition to his work at What Culture, Mr. Reyes writes for Cocktails and Movies, as well as his own personal blogs Mr. Controversy and The Bookish Kind. On top of that, he's also got a couple Short Stories and Novels in various states of completion, like any good writer worth their salt. He resides in New Jersey, and compiles his work from all publications on his Facebook page.