It might be hard to imagine Jaden Smith outperforming major Hollywood names like Sylvester Stallone, but surprisingly, there’s one area where he did outshine the Oscar-nominated star: winning the Worst Actor award for an underwhelming performance in the 2013 sci-fi action film.
The films in question are Smith’s After Earth and Stallone’s Grudge Match, both of which were critically panned upon release. However, when it came time to decide who delivered the weaker performance, the dishonor ultimately went to Jaden Smith.
Jaden Smith’s post-apocalyptic survival tale that crashed on arrival
Jaden Smith appeared to be a rising star after his acclaimed performances in films like The Pursuit of Happyness and The Karate Kid. However, he struggled to maintain that momentum in subsequent roles, most notably in the 2013 sci-fi action film After Earth.
Set 1,000 years in a post-apocalyptic world, the movie follows young cadet Kitai Raige and his legendary father, General Cypher Raige, as they crash-land on the now-hostile planet, long abandoned by humanity due to environmental catastrophe.
With his father severely injured, Kitai must embark on a dangerous journey across the planet’s treacherous terrain to recover a distress beacon and save them both. Along the way, he faces mutated creatures, harsh landscapes, and his own fear, all while trying to prove himself to his emotionally distant father.
Despite its star power, the movie ended up becoming a low point in his career. Upon its release over a decade ago, After Earth was a critical failure, earning a mere 12% score on Rotten Tomatoes, which described it as “a dull, ploddingly paced exercise in sentimental sci-fi.”
Despite the critical setback, the movie performed quite well at the box office, grossing $243 million worldwide (Box Office Mojo). Critics called the movie lifeless, dull, and emotionally flat, with many singling out Jaden’s robotic performance as a central weakness.
While a handful of critics acknowledged its attempts at emotional depth or survival drama, the majority dismissed it as a forgettable misfire, justifying its sweep at the Golden Raspberry Awards, including Jaden’s win for Worst Actor.
Jaden Smith beat out Sylvester Stallone at the 34th Golden Raspberry Awards
After Earth was so poorly received that it landed six nominations at the 34th Golden Raspberry Awards, also known as the Razzies, including nods for Worst Actor, Worst Director, and Worst Picture.
The film became the biggest ‘winner’ of the night, taking home three Razzies for Worst Actor, Worst Supporting Actor, and Worst Screen Combo, for the father-son duo of Will Smith and Jaden Smith (via EW). They even ended up beating out Sylvester Stallone for the not-so-coveted Worst Actor title.
Smith was up against Sylvester Stallone, Ashton Kutcher, and Adam Sandler, among others. However, unlike the others, Stallone was nominated for his performances in three separate films, including the 2013 sports comedy Grudge Match.
The film, which stars Robert De Niro alongside Stallone, follows two aging boxing rivals who come out of retirement for one last fight to settle an old feud.
With a 31% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, Grudge Match received its share of criticism, but some reviewers appreciated its nostalgic charm, emotional undertones, and Stallone’s surprisingly vulnerable performance, perhaps softening his chances at a Razzie ‘win.’
In the end, while both films struggled critically, it was Jaden Smith’s role in After Earth that stood out most, just not in the way he might have hoped.
After Earth is available to watch on Netflix in the USA. Grudge Match is available to watch on History Vault in the USA.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
