Set in a post-apocalyptic* future in which humans have left Earth for a faraway planet*, the movie is essentially a two-character set piece. When their spacecraft crash-lands* on Earth, General Cypher Raige (Will Smith) and his son Kitai (Jaden Smith) must travel 100 kilometers of land filled with carnivorous* beasts to find the electronic distress beacon* that will save them.

    The bad news is: Dad was seriously injured in the crash, and Kitai is an impulsive* and untested kid. The good news? Kitai’s form-fitting space suit is made with high-tech “smart fabric.” Equipped with sensors, video camera and microphone, Kitai sets out, his every move monitored and dictated* by the general. Apart from the presence of man-eating aliens*, it’s a tale of helicopter parenting*.

    And it’s not an especially new, interesting or even eye-catching one. The futuristic production design is generic*, the special effects, props* and costumes* cheap and slapdash*-looking. One exception: a scene in which Kitai dives off a cliff* in a “flying squirrel” wing suit. It’s pretty cool.

    The movie gets a tiny bit better when Kitai accidentally loses the camera and microphone that connect him to his father. The boy was then forced to get by on his own. Unfortunately, Jaden Smith does not have his father’s screen presence or charisma* yet.

    Once Cypher and Kitai’s communications go dead, the elder Smith has little to do in the film, other than attempt some self-surgery* on one of his injured legs. While he waits, Kitai continues his journey, fighting a snake, a giant bird and a pack of angry monkeys on the way.

    The real threat, however, comes from an alien creature that, although blind, has the ability to smell human fear pheromones*. Kitai’s father is famous for his fearlessness — enabling him to become invisible to the monsters. But Kitai has yet to learn this skill.

    “After Earth” only looks like a sci-fi film. At heart, it’s a tale of reconciliation* between a boy and his old man. (SD-Agencies)