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Released
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July 01, 2014
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Running Time
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26:17
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Link
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Will Smith: (played by Malcolm Ray) Fear is not real. The only place that fear can exist is in our thoughts of the future. It is a product of our imagination, causing us to fear things that do not at present and may not ever exist. That is near insanity. Do not misunderstand me, the danger is very real. Fear is a choice.
Jaden Smith: (played by Gideon Ray, Jr.) (beat) Well, Dad, can't I choose not to be in a [M. Night] Shyamalan movie?
Will: DENIED! Now get your stupid space suit on, Jaden!
Jaden: Oh, this is like being in [The] Karate Kid with no karate in it.
Will: I heard that!
(We then get our intro and fade into NC)
NC: Hello, I'm the Nostalgia Critic. I remember it so you don't have to. Today, we look at-- (The logo for After Earth comes up; NC groans in frustration, laying his head on his desk) No! No! No, no, no, no, no! (Clips of the movie play) Oh, God, not that one! Not that one! Oh, b-- Come on! It's so stupid and dumb! J-- I-- What with the flying, and the-- (grumbles) Ah... (beat) So let's take a look.
NC: (vo) Something important to keep in mind this time around is unlike his other films, Shyamalan is not entirely to blame for this one. Will Smith's son, Jaden, was something of a rising star. So to cement his status, Will took it upon himself to write a story starring his son that would hopefully lead to a sci-fi franchise. There was just one problem.
Kitai: (played by Jaden Smith) That sucked.
Cypher: That is correct.
NC: (vo) Oh, it sucked, all right. It was reported that this film started out as number one on opening day, but word spread so fast that it slipped down a slot the next day, and was so bad that it slipped down another slot the next. Yep, the film was so bad that the public felt a civic duty to alert as many people as quickly as possible about it's horrible-ness. But like I said, even though the movie has Shyamalan's seal of horrendous-ness, you can't ignore the ego hand job that the Smith family is obviously giving itself. For example, get a load of Will's intro over Jaden's narration.
(Cut to the first scene with Kitai lying on the ground, with his face all swollen)
Kitai: (vo) (with accent) I've heard stories of Earth. (Clips play, showing how the planet became uninhabitable) A paradise, until we destroyed it. The founding of the United Ranger Corps, one thousand years ago, was a global military effort. An evacuation of Earth.
NC: Dude, what's with the accent? Was your mother Matthew McConaughey?
Kitai: (vo) The aliens released the Ursa.
(A giant alien creature attacks the screen)
NC: (vo) Oh, yeah, quick side note: did we forget to mention there's aliens in this world? There's aliens in this world. Quite pointlessly, to be honest, as we never see or find out anything about them. Hell, we don't even know what they're called.
NC: They're just referred to as "aliens".
NC: (vo) It'd make sense if they had them be the ones that destroyed the Earth, but then we couldn't get our "man anal fucks environment" message that I'm sure this film is the first one to introduce. (Posters of movies like FernGully: The Last Rainforest, An Inconvenient Truth, Once Upon a Forest, Avatar, and WALL-E appear)
(Alien ships drop the Ursas onto Nova Prime)
Kitai: (vo) Technically blind, the Ursa sees humans based on the pheromones we secrete when frightened. They literally smell our fear.
NC: (vo) So, the Ursa-- (onscreen) Wait a minute, they named the pets of the aliens, but not the aliens themselves? (beat) JESUS, GUYS! (vo) --start wiping the human race out, but then a lone hero writes himself into the story.
(Cut to battle scene, with Cypher Raige (yes really) (played by Will Smith) walking calmly past the troops fighting an Ursa, until he's close enough to it, attacking with his cutlass)
Kitai: (vo) And that answer came in the form of the Prime Commander, Cypher Raige.
NC: (stifles laugh) I'm sorry, what was that totally run-of-the-mill average name again?
Kitai: (vo) The Prime Commander, Cypher Raige.
NC: (trying to hold in laughter) Was Lieutenant "Man Awesome" already taken?
NC: (vo) Look at this shot! It's like the penis compensation of introductions; the Hummer, pick-up truck, and convertible all rolled into one.
Kitai: (vo) He's believed to be so completely free of fear, that to an Ursa, he's invisible.
NC: (vo) Will, everybody already wants to be you. You don't need to build yourself up like this. This is like Hugh Hefner trying to convince us he can shoot lasers from his eyes. (Picture of Hugh Hefner surrounded by Playboy models, as his eyes start glowing red) There's just no need. We're fucking jealous enough! (scene changes to the "Nova Prime Human Settlement" on the "Nova Solar System") So in the Nova training grounds, we see a young group of students wearing the same skintight jumpsuits that are pretty much worn in every fucking future movie.
(Kitai is seen running faster than the other rangers)
NC: (vo, as one of the Rangers) Don't pass him. That's Will Smith's kid! (as the rest of the Rangers) Ah!
Velan: (played by Glenn Morshower) Your test scores were very impressive. In the classroom, you are an outstanding Ranger, but in the field, you collapse.
NC: (vo) Um... how? You never showed us an example of that.
Velan: I'm not advancing you.
NC: (vo) Jesus, I've said this a million times, Shyamalan: show, don't tell! Or at least have what you're showing match up with what you're telling. Based on the two seconds from what we've seen, how is he not performing well? Is it because he cut in line while running? I think an inadequate course could clear that right up! We then see Cypher Raige... (NC is seen with his head down, laughing) ...come home to a world so clearly technologically advanced that apparently, they need rubber bands on their chopsticks.
Kitai: I was not advanced to Ranger.
Cypher: You were not advanced to Ranger...
Kitai: I was not advanced to Ranger, Sir!
NC: (vo) As you can see, Cypher Raige-- (onscreen, laughing) sorry, that will never not be funny-- (vo) is a man who has built his life around having no emotion so he can defeat the enemy... except for this very strange out-of-nowhere spaz-out.
Cypher: Are you asking me or telling me?
Kitai: May I go to my room, Sir?
Cypher: DENIED! SIT DOWN!
NC: (vo) It's weird because he doesn't act like this at all throughout the rest of the movie. Even in scenes where he should be angry, he plays it very bland and dull. Most of his performance is like watching the dead corpse of (shows picture of) Mr. Potato Head, yet for some reason he blows up here.
Kitai: May I go to my room, Sir?
Cypher: DENIED! SIT DOWN!
NC: (as Cypher) You will not make me have an emotion in a Shyamalan film again!
(Cut to Faia Raige (wife of Cypher and mother of Kitai; played by Sophie Okonedo) who is seen assembling what looks like a holographic structure before shutting it off just as Cypher walks in)
NC: (vo) (chuckles) I just love how a random act of no reason or logic suddenly looks futuristic as long as it's a hologram. I mean, what is she doing? We have no idea! But it's all science-y and shit, so I guess we're never supposed to question it.
(Cut to NC sitting down next to Tamara who is moving all sorts of different symbols around on screen)
NC: Hey, Tamara, what you doing?
Tamara: I'm just pointlessly waving my hands in front of these shapes.
NC: Is it a game or--?
Tamara: No, no, just pointlessly waving my hands in front of these shapes.
NC: Huh. (pause before announcing in booming voice) THE FUTURE! (The same words appear on screen as an orchestra/choir flourish is heard)
(Back to the movie)
Cypher: I have a last visit to Iphitos. I'm flying tomorrow, supervising training. And after it's completed, I'm announcing my retirement.
NC: Well, clearly you've retired from this performance, so I think it'd be a very smooth transition.
Cypher: Maybe I'll work with you.
Faia: That boy in there is trying to find you. He's a feeling boy.
NC: (vo) HA!
Faia: He's an intuitive boy.
NC: (vo) I'm sorry! I've seen Pet Rocks that feel more than this kid has!
Faia: He needs a father.
NC: (vo) So, being a feeling boy with a father who wants his family back, they decide to finally look the issue in the eye and confront it... even if it takes hours.
Cypher: Pack your bags. You're coming with me to Iphitos.
NC: (vo, as Cypher) Good talk there, son. Next week, we'll talk about the death of your kitten. Oh, did I forget to mention it? He's dead. (normal) So before getting on the Blackbird, they're approached by a soldier who Cypher Raige... (onscreen, stifled laughter) (vo) ...apparently saved in war.
Veteran Ranger: (played by Diego Klattenhoff) I was on the plateau. You saved me and four others. I just came from seeing my baby girl's face for the first time.
NC: (vo) As you see, it spawned no emotional impact whatsoever.
Ranger: Stand me up.
Cypher: That won't be necessary, Ranger.
Ranger: I said stand me up. (the two soldiers standing on both sides of him do just that)
NC: (vo) Um... Will? Could you explain why, in your story, a man who can still use one leg is in a wheelchair when clearly he should just be using crutches?
Cypher: DENIED!
NC: (reacts in surprise) OKAY, OKAY! (vo) So while on the ship, Jaden walks through a toothbrush door-- because, you know... (in booming voice) THE FUTURE! (The same words appear on screen as an orchestra/choir flourish is heard.) (vo, normal) --as it seems they trapped an Ursa on the ship.
Security chief: (played by Kristofer Hivju) (steps in front of Kitai) Hey! Authorized personnel only.
Private McQuarrie: (played by David Denman) Might wanna go easy on him, Sarge. That's the prime commander's son right there.
NC: (vo, as Sergeant) Oh! Well, in that case, I better scare the living shit out of him. Maybe it'll give me a promotion!
Security chief: Your blood is filling with adrenaline right now… whether you know it or not. Your heart’s beating fast. It’s getting a little harder to breathe. Your neuro-biological system is telling you to run, but your knees are too weak to move.
(Cut to NC, who sings a bit of Michael Jackson's "Thriller" as the screen flashes to the music)
NC: (sings) You close your eyes / And hope that this is just imagination!
(Back to the movie, where the Ursa makes a noise that scares Kitai. The security chief appears behind him)
Security chief: She sees you, kid! (the other soldiers laugh)
NC: (vo) But Daddy senses a great disturbance in the dull.
Cypher: What's the last known position of the closest asteroid storm?
Hesper Navigator: (played by Chris Greere) Two-thousand kilometers to starboard at plus-four-five declination.
Cypher: I detected gravitation vibrations in the hull.
Navigator: How?
Cypher: Gravitation buildup could be a precursor to mass expansion.
NC: (vo) You know, I'm sure the actors on Star Trek have no idea what they're saying, but at least they act like they have some idea what they're saying. You sound like a Will Smith GPS!
Cypher: The pull of our own gravitation weight could set the thing off. That storm could be on us in minutes.
Hesper Pilot: (played by Sacha Dhawan) But, sir, mass expansion is one in a million.
Cypher: Let's just hold course and hope I'm wrong.
NC: (vo) So, just to go over our choices, it's either alter the course slightly or risk every single person's life on this ship! (as Hesper pilot) Eh, the button's all the way over there. (A green arrow points downward to the screen on the right where there's a lot of buttons next to the Hesper pilot)
(The ship starts rumbling)
Hesper Pilot: Engines one and two are off-line! We're losing her!
Cypher: Can you travel us out of here?
Hesper Pilot: Where?
Cypher: The Anchorage, Lycia. It's closest.
Hesper Navigator: No confirmation signal, sir!
Cypher: Travel us now.
NC: (vo, as Cypher) As you can see, I've been trained to emotionally detach myself from any intense situation. Just don't ask to leave the table before finishing dinner. I will deny you! (normal) So they find the nearest planet to land on--which is, of course, Earth--as the ship is split completely in half and everything inside is almost totally destroyed...except for our hero who doesn't have a single solitary scratch on him.
(Kitai is seen among the wreckage until an elastic material covers the screen)
NC: (confused) What the fuck?
(The material disappears. Kitai is seen putting his oxygen mask on to breathe before the same elastic material covers the screen again)
NC: (vo) Ah. Let me translate this scene for those of you who don't speak Shyamalan. (clears throat) (big red text "NOTICE MY DIRECTING!" begins flashing on screen as NC speaks dramatically as Shyamalan) NOTICE MY DIRECTING! NOTICE MY DIRECTING! I KNOW THERE'S A CHARACTER AND STORY YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO CARE ABOUT, BUT NOTICE MY DIRECTING! (vo, normal) What the hell is that thing even supposed to do? Zip-Loc your child actor so they don't become even more spoiled? (booming voice) THE FUTURE! (The same words appear on screen as an orchestra/choir flourish is heard.) (vo, normal) Oh, don't worry, kid, Papa Smith won't leave any time soon. Yeah, as he just happens to be the only other person who survived this crash. What a fucking coinky-dink!
Cypher: Confirm the Ursa is contained.
Kitai: The back of the ship is gone.
Cypher: (through communicator) Rangers, count-off!
(Clip from Mighty Morphin Power Rangers TV series is shown)
Black Ranger: Mastodon!
Pink Ranger: Pterodactyl!
Blue Ranger: Triceratops!
(Back to the movie as Cypher struggles to sit up and a holographic structure is opening)
NC: (vo) With both his legs broken, he tells his son that he has to do Daddy a solid by travelling all the way across a shit-ton of "what the hell" to set off the emergency beacon.
Cypher: Every single decision you make will be life or death. Everything on this planet has evolved to kill humans.
NC: (vo) With all that nasty wildlife out there, he gives his son the best firearms a futuristic soldier would have...
Cypher: Take my cutlass.
NC: (vo) ...or a double-edged steak knife. Um, Will? Again, I hate to keep bringing this up but can you tell me why a future obviously filled with these high-tech laser guns has a kid-friendly version of a Klingon sword as the only weapon to fight against giant killer animals?
Cypher: DENIED!
NC: (shrugs slightly) Yeah, okay.
Cypher: (vo, from Kitai's radio) Take a knee. Root yourself in this present moment now.
NC: (vo) So inspired by his father's strong words, nothing can stop this determined, motivated machine of bravery...except a spider. Ew!
(Kitai slips off the mountain he's climbing after he tries to get a tarantula off his hand)
Cypher: What happened?
Kitai: I'm fine.
NC: (vo) Oh, yeah. This is gonna go great. (Kitai is seen walking in the forest) But it doesn't take long for Jaden to find trouble.
(Kitai's suit turns completely black)
Kitai: My suit's turned black. I like it, but I think it's something bad.
NC: (shakes his head) Sorry, that line was so stupid. Delayed reaction. What?
Kitai: I like it, but I think it's something bad.
NC: Who the fuck cares if you like it, kid? What are you, Coco Chanel?
NC: (vo) I think that might actually be the dumbest thing Shyamalan has ever written, and that's saying a lot!
Kitai: I like it, but I think it's something bad.
NC: (vo) Dipshit, fashion is not a priority here! Does Shyamalan think most soldiers bring wardrobe appeal into their combat scenarios?
(Cut to NC and Malcolm in a war room dressed as army generals)
Malcolm: Soldier, what is your status?
(Cut to Tamara in an urban environment dressed as a special ops soldier)
Tamara: The enemy has us outgunned and outnumbered, sir!
NC: What kind of garments are they wearing, soldier?
Tamara: Fashionably outdated VP cam boots, sir!
Malcolm: Is their camouflage from the Ranger Joe catalog or the RothCo catalog?
Tamara: Ranger Joe, sir!
(NC and Malcolm groan)
NC: Don't they know that Ranger Joe is so last season?!
Malcolm: Please tell me your top combats their blasé fashion sense!
Tamara: Sir, I've got on a black SWAT vest and a black standard issue top!
NC: What about the bottom, soldier?
Tamara: (Camera pulls back to reveal she's wearing...) I've got a beautiful Bohemian Banana Republic skirt and a pair of wonderful flower shoes!
NC: Do the shoes match, soldier? Do the shoes match?!
Tamara: Yes, they do, sir!
(NC and Malcolm give sighs of relief)
Malcolm: Good. (Gets out a drinking flask while NC gets a bottle of Smirnoff) For a second there I thought we were going to be under-dressed.
(The sound of a gunshot comes over the walkie-talkie)
Tamara: I'm hit!
NC: But at least you died fabulous. (Knocks bottles with Malcolm before they both take a big drink)
NC: (vo) So it turns out the suit he likes senses danger. Danger in the form of bloody baboons!
Cypher: Do not. Move. Recognize your power. This will be your creation.
NC: (vo) (sighs) You know, Will, you could give the epic talk a little break and maybe speak a bit simple. Like, don't throw rocks at them. Don't encourage them to get reinforcements. Don't make noise while swinging your bullshit stick. And don't run away enticing them to chase you.
NC: I'm just saying it might work better if you don't speak (air quotes) "Trailer-ese".
NC: (vo) He outruns them despite how clearly slow he is and that they always just look a few steps behind him, and he does it just in time to listen to--I know you are excited for this--more bland dialogue!
Cypher: (very monotonous) I go for my cutlass. [Ursa] Shoots its pincer... right through my shoulder. Next thing I know we're over the cliff... falling... thirty meters.
NC: (vo) God! I am so sick of this Shyamalan speak! The slow talking, the blank stare, the fact that nobody ever uses any goddamn contractions!
Cypher: We are all telling ourselves a story.
Kitai: I am dedicated!
Cypher: This will be your creation.
Kitai: (narrating) We were not alone.
Faia: You do not know.
Cypher: You cannot leave. / Do not move.
Faia: He does not need a commanding.
Cypher: Do not misunderstand me.
NC: Why are you afraid of the apostrophe?! (apostrophe appears) What did the apostrophe ever do to you?! Did the apostrophe kill your family?! (picture of Bruce Wayne and his murdered parents from Batman Begins) Did the apostrophe have you cosign on a loan that you knew you could never pay back?! (picture of two women signing loan papers) TELL ME, SHYAMALAN! TELL ME SO I CAN FINALLY START FUCKING UNDERSTANDING THIS STUPID DUMBASS SHIT THAT YOU PUT IN YOUR MOVIES!! GOD, IT'S SO TERRIBLE! (lays head down on his desk) (static as Will Smith appears onscreen)
Will Smith: Cadet, you will get through with this movie!
NC: I'm trying, Will Smith, but you just chose the dumbest-ass director you could for this project! God, help me get through this!
Will Smith: It's all right, Cadet. I know the story's a young adult book for five-year-olds. I know it's directed by the most egocentric fop since Brett Ratner. But you will get through this movie.
NC: But it's so hard, Will Smith. You just made it so stupid.
Will Smith: All right, take a knee.
(NC tries, but ends up hitting his face on his desk because he's already sitting)
NC: Ow!
Will Smith: You can run. And you'll live, at least for a while (NC looks up) and dying on your bed many years later. But would you be willing to trade all the days, from this day to that for one chance, just one chance, to come back here and tell your enemies that they may take our lives...
NC: That's Braveheart.
Will Smith: What?
NC: Braveheart. You're quoting Braveheart.
Will Smith: (beat) The night is darkest just before the dawn.
NC: That's The Dark Knight.
Will Smith: Do or do not...
NC: That's Star Wars.
Will Smith: Do unto others...
NC: That's the Bible.
Will Smith: Do wah diddy...
NC: That's gibberish.
Will Smith: Two plus two...
NC: That's basic math. You have nothing original to offer, do you? You are every wise, tough mentor that has ever existed in anything ever, aren't you?
Will Smith: How about this one? 2 eggs, a cup of sugar, a half a cup of butter...
NC: That's a recipe for cake.
Will Smith: Then yeah, I got nothin'.
NC: Leave the story to the storytellers. (Reaches to turn Will's connection off)
Will Smith: Wait, I have two other kids to promote!
(NC turns him off)
NC: (Looks to his left) Nepotism.
(The camera moves to reveal Rob Walker standing to his left)
Rob: [I know,] Right?
Commercial Break
(cut back to Kitai, who finally made it to the halfway point: a waterfall)
NC: (vo) So Jaden makes his way to a cliff, which he thinks he can manage through, but Cypher Raige-- (onscreen, laughs) Okay, I'm just gonna have a puppet me say it, 'cause it's the only way to fully embrace the ridiculousness of it. (NC holds up a NC puppet) (clears his throat) But- (puppet voice) Cypher Raige-- (vo, normal voice) thinks it's too dangerous for him to jump.
Cypher: Abort mission. Return to the ship.
Kitai: ... (voice breaks) No, Dad!
NC: Pfft- The hell was that?
Kitai: (voice breaks) No, Dad!
NC: What, did Christopher Walken go through puberty backwards?
Kitai: (voice breaks) No, Dad!
NC: (Christopher Walken impression) No, Dad!
Kitai: You wouldn't give any other Ranger that order!
Cypher: You are not a Ranger.
Kitai: You're wrong! (wipes tears) I'm not a coward! You're the coward! (beat; Kitai is practically now addressing the camera instead of his father) I'M NOT A COWARD!
NC: (reacts) AH!
Kitai: I'M NOT A COWARD!
NC: (as Jaden Smith) You hear that, audience?! I don't need an adult to get me through a movie! ...Unless it's Jackie Chan, Keanu Reeves, or my own friggin' dad. Twice! (pictures pop up from The Karate Kid, The Day The Earth Stood Still, After Earth, and The Pursuit of Happyness)
Kitai jumps off the waterfall, opening gliding flaps on his suit, soaring down the side of the cliff face.
NC: (vo) He jumps off gliding through the air until a giant eagle picks him up and feeds him to her young...who apparently doesn't believe in cutting up her food. (a mountain lion then appears over the nest) But because pacing is an urban myth in this movie, a group of mountain lions immediately attacks after he wakes up.
One of the mountain lions starts to eat the hatchlings.
Kitai: No! Leave them alone!
NC: (vo, as Kitai) Yeah, come on! They were trying to eat me!
Mountain lion leaps for Kitai, but Kitai jumps out of the way, knocking the mountain lion through a loose hole in the nest with his cutlass.
NC: (vo) So, even though he tried to save them, the lions killed all the baby chicks which means dinner for one, I guess.(the eagle screeches at Kitai, then takes off) (Kitai climbs down the tree) Or she just lets him go... Hmm, what was that line from earlier again?
Cypher: Everything on this planet has evolved to kill humans.
NC: (vo) Unless it's kind of ethically taboo. I mean, come on, these animals have appearances to keep up. Screw years of survival instinct and primal hunger; if word got around that this eagle killed a food source who unsuccessfully saved her kids-- (onscreen) Well, she'd just get dirty looks at her book club. (vo) Jaden puts a raft together after losing communication with his father and starts dreaming about his sister whose death he felt like he caused years ago when he was auditioning for the role of "Annie." (shows picture of Quvenzhané Wallis in 2014 adaptation of the movie)
Kitai: I was just about to come out that day.
Senshi: No, you weren't... but you did the right thing.
Kitai: Why couldn't you ghost?
NC (vo): You are aware you're asking that question to a ghost, right?
Senshi: Now you've got to get up.
Kitai: I memorized some of "Moby Dick."
Senshi: Kitai, get up.
Kitai: "All that most maddens and torments..."
Senshi: Kitai, wake up.
Kitai: "...all that stirs up the lees of things--"
Senshi turns around to reveal her Ursa-mutilated face.
Senshi: WAKE UP!
Kitai wakes up. Cut to clip from episode of "Seinfeld."
George: She's a Two-Face.
Jerry: Like the Batman villain?
George: If that helps you. (audience laughter)
Back to the movie.
NC: (vo) As soon as he wakes up, he finds that his warm summer within seconds is transformed into a deadly winter. Dah--please; in Chicago, we call that Thursday. (Kitai, freezing cold, collapses to the ground) He seems done for until something seems to pull him into a warm spot. As the winter melts the next morning--somehow not killing any of the green plant life; can I get a...
Cypher: DENIED!
NC: (vo) ...that's what I thought--he takes a gander at who came to his rescue. (Kitai stands there, looking at the dead eagle) Aww... I guess the eagle cared so much about being morally cleansed that she gave up her years of natural evolution that would adapt to the cold that occurs every night.
NC: We appreciate your heroic, totally nonsensical sacrifice.
NC: (vo) He finally comes across the ship where he discovers the emergency beacon... but, even more important... more goddamn sharpy things! Thank God this ship had no firearms whatsoever in case their giant man-killing alien beast escaped--oh, look! Their giant man-killing alien beast escaped!
(A trumpet note is heard as NC comedically shrugs)
NC: (vo) To make matters worse, the beacon doesn't seem to work unless it's on higher ground, and his father--
NC: (puppet voice) Cypher Raige--
NC: (vo, normal voice) --is hoping he'll figure that out. But seeing how he can now see him but can't communicate with him, what does he use to point him in the right direction?
Cypher: Take a knee. (Kitai is seen kneeling)
NC: (confused) ...the commonly known psychic connection between father and son.
Cypher: The peak. You must fire the beacon from the peak of that mountain.
NC: (vo) Okay--I guess you can claim this is all coincidence that his son just happened to take a knee when his father said that and just happened to notice the mountain when his father said as well, but come on! We all know they're pushing some sort of bond as connecting them across hills and valleys to keep helping him on his quest. Why don't you just put little wings on the bastard and have him go...
Clip of Kitai looking around is shown as Cypher's head with little wings is overlaid over it and moved around wherever Kitai looks.
Navi: Look! Hey! Hey! Look! Look! Hey!
NC: (vo) So he climbs the giant volcano to get a better signal but is attacked by the Ursa, who seems to just be a more cartoony version of the bug from "Men in Black."
Edgar (vo, from "Men in Black"): YOU IDIOTS! YOU DON'T GET IT! I'VE WON!
NC: (vo) Jaden makes it to the top of the mountain, but the Ursa catches up and thus Jaden finally gives in to what every Shyamalan actor has to give into: surrendering all emotion.
(Kitai is seen getting up off the ground slowly as the Ursa circles around him)
NC: (vo, as Kitai) I have been Shyamalized. I show emotion to none but, more importantly, care not for what everybody thinks about my work. That is the Shyamalan way.
(Kitai proceeds to cut one of the Ursa's legs off with his cutlass before throwing it at his thigh, making it turn around)
NC: (vo, normal) Will Smith does his interpretation of the audience's interest.
(Kitai screams and leaps on the Ursa's back with his two cutlasses, stabbing his neck)
NC: (vo, as Cypher) Boooooriiiiiiing...
After the Ursa is killed, Kitai grabs the emergency beacon and fires its signal into the sky.
He-Man (vo): I HAVE THE POWER!!!
NC: (vo) So the beacon is sent, an emergency team is sent, the... movie takes a minute to buffer, and his father turns out okay.
Cypher: Stand me up.
Emergency ranger: General--
Cypher: I said, stand me up.
NC: (vo) Oh, look-- it's just like that earlier scene with that guy, who we now clearly realize was only in the movie to give us this scene like that earlier scene with that guy! Well, wasn't that so cleverly woven in?
Kitai: (hugs Cypher) Dad...
Cypher: Yeah?
Kitai: I want to work with Mom.
NC: (vo, as Will Smith) Why do all my kids who film something with me say that?
The ship is seen flying over the ocean, ending the movie.
NC: And that was "After Earth," better known as Shyamalan Bomb Number 5.
Various clips from the movie play over NC's closing summary.
NC: (vo) I'll give it credit that it's not as bad as some of his other films. I mean--at heart, it could actually be an entertaining kids story and I think Jaden Smith could pull off a good performance if he had a better script. He's certainly done it in the past, but this is certainly not the performance and this is certainly not the script. It reduces one of the coolest actors ever to a lifeless onion ring. It looks and sounds like every sci-fi film you've seen in the past 20 years, and--just like most Shyamalan films--the pacing, acting, and writing are all pretentious, nonsensical, and dull as shit. It makes no sense, it's not interesting, and half the ideas in it are just friggin' insane. (onscreen) Especially that scene with the father/son bond; I mean, how did that add up at all?
Will Smith hologram: Critic... (ghostly appears) You'll go to the Internet and tell all your fans that the movie was great.
NC: Damn it, Will Smith, we're not even father and son! So even by your movie's logic, how does this make any sense?
Will Smith hologram: Through the magic of contrived Shyamalan twists... for, you see-- I am your Father.
NC: No, you're not.
Will Smith hologram: Brother.
NC: Nope.
Will Smith hologram: Sister.
NC: Ew.
Will Smith hologram: Puppy.
NC: Not a person.
Will Smith hologram: French vanilla.
NC: Now you're just naming coffee creamers.
Will Smith hologram: Fine! I'm really... (starts to wave his hand around)
NC: Shyamalan.
Sure enough, the Will Smith hologram, in an explosion, changes to—surprise—Shyamalan.
Shyamalan: Aw, damn it! Am I really so predictable?
NC: How are you even here? I killed you two times!
(Actually, Aang killed Shyamalan first in the Last Airbender review. Satan sent him back to hell in the Devil review.)
Shyamalan: I'm Shyamalan. Nothing with my name on it makes any sense. If you want continuity, go watch a Linkara video.
Shyamalan then does a Woody Woodpecker laugh, complete with moving from left to right and spinning before jumping through the ceiling, leaving dust behind. NC looks at the camera, confused, as the review ends by doing an iris out over Warner Bros. cartoon music and Robert Clampett's "bay-woop!" sound. We then see Shyamalan in a top hat with a cane, dancing and singing behind a "Merrie Melodies"/"Looney Tunes" background of circles with "Merrily We Roll Along" in the background.
Shyamalan: (sings) Why does everybody keep on hiring me? / All of my work is shiiiit!
Iris out. Roll credits.
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Kitai: (voice cracks) No, Dad!