After Earth: The Brothers of Destruction

Author(s): James Somerton
Location: Canada

“After Earth: The Brothers of Destruction”

Directed By: Tim Burton
Written By: James Somerton & Tim Burton
Produced by: James Cameron

Principal Cast:

Johnny Depp as Prince Salcazar
Johnny Depp as Prince Eridos
Meryl Streep as The Desert Witch
Elijah Wood as Colbyoto; The Military Commander
Christina Ricci as Tayleen; The Queen of the Inklings
Nicole Kidman as Senika; The Watchful Aunt

Tagline: “The End Was Only The Beginning”

Synopsis:

The History: Billions of years ago, the galaxy was forged out of the heart of King Link, a forgotten prince from another cosmos. Now heartless, he knew that he could not care for his creation and so he created two races to do so for him. From his right eye he forged the Inklings and from his left eye he forged the Linkinks. But his left eye was half blind and so the Linkinks came out dark and impure. And then from his loins his bore a son, Meldor, to be king of the galaxy. With these in place, KingLink vanished. The Inklings took the planet of Neptune and the Linkinks took Uranus, while Meldor set up his fortress on Mars, where he was able to watch as the population of Earth slowly destroyed it’s home. Soon he will have to have children after he dies…

The galaxy is in turmoil. Planet Earth has imploded, creating the beginnings of a star, the population of Uranus is growing hostile toward Neptune, and the queen is pregnant. When she gives birth on Mars, she is confronted by the terrifying presence of The Desert Witch. The witch kills the queen and her husband before taking hold of both children. Using her mind powers, the Witch confuses the staff into believing that she is the guardian of the children. This also means that she is in control of the galaxy until the children are of age.

Twenty years later, the princes, Salcazar and Eridos, reach the legal age to be crowned king. However, since they are twins, no one knows who is to become king. The witch, believing that Salcazar is the weaker minded of the two, sends Eridos off to Uranus to watch over the mining of Uranium, the galaxy’s number one source of energy. Salcazar becomes king but when the witch mysteriously dies, everyone realizes that Salcazar is terribly incompetent. Colbyoto, the military commander, secretly begins to do the decision making while Salcazar takes the credit.

Meanwhile, Eridos is growing ever more furious on Uranus. He is always being watched by the Linkinks, who constantly compare him to his grandfather, who they consider a failure due to their faulty creation. He recruits a vast army of Veraclose, the terrifying beasts used to mine the Uranium, and begins to plan an invasion of Mars to take back the title that rightfully belongs to him. But first, he will cripple the galaxy by cutting off their supply of Uranium. This sends Salcazar into panic and forces him to publicly hand over power to Colbyoto while he retreats into seclusion on Neptune, hiding with the ancient race called Inklings. Their queen, Tayleen, attempts to help Salcazar through his troubles. But time passes slowly on Neptune and Salcazar is completely unaware of what is going on elsewhere in the galaxy.

Colbyoto invades Uranus and all but wipes out the race of Veraclose, making it impossible for Uranium to be mind properly. Eridos escapes the battle, retreating to Mars where he is greeted with cheers. The true leader has returned but Colbyoto and Salcazar are planning to overthrow him. The galaxy has entered the most violent time since it’s creation.

What the press would say:

“After Earth: The Brothers of Destruction” is a science-fiction epic that draws on the likes of Star Wars and The Lord of the Rings to create it’s complex history. One character in particular, Tayleen the queen of the Inklings, played with a subtle perfection by Christina Ricci, is always mentioning things that are not explained in this film. She has lived many lifetimes and this is quite apparent. Her role is small but memorable with her pale blue skin and bright green eyes. Johnny Depp plays both Salcazar and Eridos, bringing a regal air to both characters but in very different ways. Salcazar is the reluctant ruler that would much rather just be a normal person, and Eridos is the neglected brother who has groomed himself to take the thrown but was looked over. The make-up and the performances make it nearly impossible at times to see that these are both the same person. As Eridos, Depp is hidden behind a long mane of hair with piercing, white eyes that glow slightly in the darkness of the Uranium Mines. Salcazar is well kemp with dark eyes and a constant blank stare that never seems to leave his face. They are both brilliant performances from a brilliant actor that may deserve separate award nominations for each character. Another stand out roll in the film is Colbyoto, portrayed with a dark intelligence by Elijah Wood. Wood looks so innocent, even when he is ordering the murder of hundreds of people as the military commander. He also has a harsh metallic tone to his voice that may suggest a past that we’re not privy to here. His already prominent blue eyes are brought to even more prominence with a slight glow that rings the blue iris. Meryl Streep and Nicole Kidman both play watchful characters that keep their eyes on the brothers, although in different ways. Streep’s performance as the unnamed Desert Witch is cold and unrelenting. She reminds us of a Catholic Nun who’s overbearing domineering way is causing everyone around her to worry. Nicole Kidman plays the polar opposite as Senika, the brothers’ aunt who never seems to age. She watches her nephews closely and does everything she can to keep them out of trouble but has to keep hidden from the Witch dare she, like her sister, be killed. Tim Burton directs the film with gothic glee, creating one of the most bleak science fiction settings ever seen on film. There are no bright lights, robotic beeps, or lasers in this movie. People fight with real swords and real guns. Bullets still go through flesh and blades still cut it. This is a gritty, dark, creative, and original science fiction epic that takes advantage of special effects and then makes them invisible. Even creatures that obviously could be nothing but CG, like the terrifying Veraclose, seem real with wounds, age marks, and even sweat dripping from their brow as they battle. The cinematography and set-design is magnificent. It really brings the difference out between the deserts of Mars, the rain forests of Neptune, and the cavernous mines of Uranus. This is science fiction at it’s greatest, with an ending harkening back to the sci-fi serials of the 40’s.

POSSIBLE NOMINATIONS:

Best Picture
Best Director – Tim Burton
Best Actor – Johnny Depp
Best Supporting Actress – Meryl Streep
Best Sound
Best Make-up
Best Visual FX
Best Original Score – Danny Elfman