After Earth

After Earth, Will Smith and son's 2013 summer sci-fi flick is a miss on most accounts. However, for me it served its purpose. I needed a break from the Olympics and the movie was available "Free" on Starz Network. If I had to pay for a rental, I probably would have chosen something else, but I am a solid science fiction fan and usually enjoy this genre. I have to admit even though there were many flaws to this movie, the time passed pleasantly enough. The flaws were very obvious – Will Smith does not do a very good job of acting. He seemed to be more concerned about his son's debut on the screen, letting the boy try and carry the scenes and much of the story. This is a mistake, the boy is cute and does a decent job, but Will Smith is capable of much more. The story is predictable and somewhat corny in places. The camera angles were strange at times – I found myself thinking how are we suddenly being transported to this point of view. I think it was the unsteady hand of the director, M. Night Shyamalan. I blame some of the stupid dialogue on him as well, he wrote the screenplay. Other than that, there were some redeeming points to the movie. The overall pace and rendering of the story was pleasant and engaging. The computer generated special effects work was nicely done. The sci-fi aspects were cool. I especially liked the idea that the boy was wearing a camouflage/chameleon-like suit that was "smart" and was able to change with the environment/situation. I do applaud Will Smith for looking more closely at the relationship between father and son – a relationship that is often overlooked in today's movies. I don't recommend this as a rental, unless you are a tremendous Will Smith fan, or like me you're looking for something light and sci-fi like to pass the time.

Comments setting changed – now open to everyone!

It has come to my attention that some of my readers have commented on some of my movie reviews and wondered about the status of their comments. The comment feature had been turned-off.

Sorry about that, my mistake... I have now changed the setting so that now anyone can comment on a post, whether you are a subscriber or guest visitor.

As the title suggests, the main purpose of this blog is to give my friends, family, supporters and acquaintances across the Internet an opportunity to read my opinion about DVDs that I watch, and perhaps steer someone away from a bad movie, or towards a good one. I'm not a professional movie critic. I do these reviews just for fun. I try to make my reviews direct and to the point, short, and sweet or sour – depending on the movie.

Thus, this blog is really meant to be a place for sharing opinions, comments or discussion about the movies that are reviewed. I encourage all of you to post your opinion about the movie, whether you agree or disagree with me.

The more opinions the better!

I hope this clarifies how the comments are handled on this blog. If you would like to give me feedback, suggestions or comments directly, please contact me at – rraker@hawaii.rr.com.