Friday, June 13, 2008

After Earth: The Rise of Colbyotism

Author(s): James Somerton
Location: NS, Canada

“After Earth: The Rise of Colbyotism"


Directed By: Peter Jackson
Written By: James Somerton and Fran Walsh
Produced By: James Cameron
Score By: Howard Shore
All Digital FX By: WETA Digital

Principal Cast:

Elijah Wood as Colbyoto
Johnny Depp as King Salcazar / Prince Eridos
Christina Ricci as Tayleen
Andy Serkis as Mevon; king of the Bibugals
Alan Rickman as Lanord
Naomi Watts as Amberite

Tagline: "All Beginnings Must Come To An End"

Synopsis: Salcazar is still in hiding on Neptune. Eridos is attempting to amass a new army, and Colbyoto is enjoying the perks of being ruler of the galaxy. A problem is beginning to surface though. With the destruction of the Uranium mines, the galaxy has been forced to dip into its Uranium reserves. But now those reserves are all but depleted and the price of energy is skyrocketing. Colbyoto must now look somewhere else for energy: Pluto.

Pluto is such a distant planet that it has rarely been drawn into the affairs of the rest of the galaxy. But they are also the only planet with another energy source. They have plutonium. Colbyoto refuses to be diplomatic about it though and, at the advice of his father Lanord, takes Pluto by storm. The invading army is met when they arrive on the frozen planet though, by a heard of Bibugals, distant cousins of the Veraclose. But they're smarter, stronger, and able to use the frozen deserts of Pluto to their advantage. Soon, the army is defeated and Colbyoto is taken captive.

Elsewhere, on Neptune, Salcazar is preparing for his return to the thrown. Time passes very slowly on Neptune though and an entire generation has passed without knowing Salcazar as their rightful ruler. Salcazar, on the other hand, has barely aged a year. Eridos has aged nearly two decades but in this time he has been able generate an army large enough to take out Colbyoto's forces. And now that Colbyoto is imprisoned, Eridos has the
perfect opportunity to take the thrown.

The royal army cannot attack without it's commander's order, so with Colbyoto unable to contact them, they must remain immobile. But now the people of the galaxy have formed a Militia are they invade Pluto with just enough force to take out the Bibugals. Now they begin marching toward Colbyoto but Pluto's leader will not be taken hostage and the clock begins to wind down on the planet's existence.

Eridos and Salcazar both arrive at the palace at nearly the same time. A battle almost erupts but they both get the terrifying news. Pluto is destroyed and along with it the galaxy's only source of Plutonium. The Uranium reserves have run out so the brothers but now work together to find a new energy source before the galaxy implodes. They'll have to go back to the dead planet of earth and find the mythical energy source that damned the planet to destruction; Oil.

What the press would say:

It's a rarity in Hollywood when a sequel surpasses the original. Terminator, The Godfather, Lord of the Rings, and now After Earth. "The Rise of Colbyotism" is bombastic roller coaster ride that takes the audience on an amazing sci-fi journey. "The Brothers of Destruction" was weighed down with exposition but "The Rise of Colbyotism" is able to start right away without having to explain much before the story really gets going. Elijah Wood returns as Colbyoto, a brilliant military commander who has taken control of the galaxy away from its rightful ruler and is now in a quandary. He has to find a new energy source for the galaxy before the Uranium reserves run out so he goes to Pluto for it's richness in Plutonium. He doesn't get what he expects though. His army is attacked by Bibugals, fearsome creatures that are just as smart as they are scary. They are led by Mevon, played through brilliant CGI by Andy Serkis, a disgustingly decrepit ancient being that commands his army from the depths of a frozen base. Pluto's leader, Amberite, is as sympathetic as any villain has ever been. She has been able to keep her planet out of the galaxies battles and is furious a Colbyoto for bringing the battle to her. Amberite is played with great gusto and charisma by Naomi Watts who speaks only Plutonion, the language of Pluto. Watts brings this false language to life as if it has been spoken for thousands of years. Johnny Depp is hidden a little bit more in this movie, his characters taking a back seat to Colbyoto. By the end of the movie though, we get the impression that Depp will finally really get his day in the third installment of the series. Alan Rickman has a small cameo as Colbyoto's power hungry father, Lanord. His one scene is pitch perfect. Lanord comes across perfectly as a controlling father figure who wants his son to get the things he never did. We're lead to believe that Lanord may play a larger roll in the series finale. Tim Burton gives up the directing reigns to Peter Jackson, who willingly creates a new king of movie. This is not the gothic sci-fi of "The Brothers of Destruction" but an atmospheric action film.

He doesn't try to copy Burton's direction but instead brings the series in a new direction. The action scenes are spectacular! These make many of the scenes from the LOTR trilogy look like they were shot in a high school film class. WETA creates creatures so life-like and action scenes so realistic that its completely impossible to tell where reality ends and the fantasy begins, must like the topical story of an energy crisis. A perfect cliffhanger leads us into the third, and final installment.

Possible Nominations:

Best Picture
Best Actor - Elijah Wood
Best Director - Peter Jackson
Best Supporting Actress - Naomi Watts
All Tech Categories

No comments: