One word: Deep.

 

If asked to describe After Earth, the new Sci-Fi adventure starring father and son duo Will Smith and Jaden Smith, that is the response I would give.

.Will Smith’s After Earth

The synopsis reads, “A crash landing leaves Kitai Raige(Jaden Smith) and his father Cypher(Will Smith) stranded on Earth, 1,000 years after events forced humanity’s escape. With Cypher injured, Kitai must embark on a perilous journey to signal for help.”

 

However, this film is so much more than that! It is packed with symbolism and touches on a variety of subjects: the environment, family, the perception and treatment of animals, trust, instinct, and many more.

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.Will Smith’s After Earth

I usually only do 3 discovered points, but there were 4 with this one, so here they go! 🙂

 .Will Smith’s After Earth

One

There are times in life when we think we want certain things or want to be in a certain position or status. We may yearn for it simply because we see other people that we admire possess them (or in the position). But:

1. We are only seeing what we want from the outside, so we are totally oblivious of everything that it took for them to get to where they are, and all that it takes for them to stay there or keep what they have (in other words, we want the glory, but we don’t know the story).  And:
2. Although it might be attainable for us, when everything’s said and done, it may either not be for us; or we may find that it is not what we really want after all.

.Will Smith’s After Earth

Two

Traumatic experiences from our past have the ability to incapacitate us and making us afraid to pursue what we want in life. We keep holding on to the memories and emotions, allowing them to keep haunting us. It is important that we break out of our box of pain, release those experiences and let them go. We must operate fully in the present moment, not the bad experiences of the past, nor the fear of the future.

 .Will Smith’s After Earth

Fear is a choice – it is only what we place inside ourselves. It is the story that we tell ourselves.

 .Will Smith’s After Earth

Three

Nothing in life comes easy. There is a lot of treacherous terrain and conditions along life’s journey to the mountain top. Battles will have to be fought, and the unexpected will always arise. When it all becomes too much, we need to pause ourselves, as Cypher says “take a knee” (pray, meditate) and do an evaluation of ourselves and an assessment of the situation at hand. Doing so will result in clearer thinking, thus better decisions.

 ..Will Smith’s After Earth

Four (and my biggest takeaway from the film)

Our Higher Power never ever leaves us or forsakes us. It is always there for us, watching over us—even in our darkest moments and times when we feel most alone. Even in those moments of life when we call out and we do not hear an answer, our Higher Power is still there, watching out for dangers seen and unseen to help guide us: letting us know when to move, when to ‘stand down’(stand still), when threats are present and when we are “running from nothing.”  This is strongly symbolized by Cypher (Will Smith). To me, the entire interaction between Cypher and Kitai (Jaden Smith) in the film is very deeply rooted in Psalm 23 of the Bible:

 

 He makes me lie down in green pastures,

 He leads me beside quiet waters,

 He refreshes my soul.

He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil,

for You are with me;

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. {ps. 23:2-4 NIV}

 

Additionally, the name ‘Cypher’ means circle, and the name ‘Kitai’ means hope. We (represented by Kitai) are hope. Our Higher Power (represented by Cypher) is the circle of protection and guidance that surrounds us.

 .Will Smith’s After Earth

Bottom line:

• Be Fearless
• Be Relentless
• Be Connected

. .Will Smith’s After Earth

See…..I told you it was deep! 🙂

 ..Will Smith’s After Earth

Now for the rest:

From a theatrical perspective, After Earth is decent overall. The performance of Will and Jaden–particularly their ‘disconnect‘–is stellar(I know it took a lot to pull that off since they are so close). To me, it was a “Star Trek” meets “Jurassic Park” type of film. So if these types of movies are not your fancy (such as the case with me), or you are not a die-hard fan of Will and Jaden Smith, you may find it a little difficult to be ‘entertained’ while viewing this film. However, if the above does not apply to you, and you like movies that have depth and meaning and are not just an overload of larger-than-life, over-the-top  special effects, then After Earth is one to add to your ‘to see’ list. Sure, you may not leave the theater feeling blown away, but it is an enjoyable film and you will leave with a different perspective of your own life’s journey.

..Will Smith’s After Earth

Are you planning to see the film After Earth? Are you surprised of the symbolism in the movie? If you have already seen it, did you notice the ‘discoveries’ above? Did you find some life lessons in the film that you can apply to your own life? Share with me below or drop me a line at: melisasource@yahoo.com.

 Will Smith’s After Earth