I would have thought that after the 15+ years since The Matrix that consumers would be less and less dazzled by visual effects in film, but apparently I was the only one to take the red pill and see beyond the illusion of this movie. Sure you'll get otherworldly visuals and some pretty neat future-tech in Jupiter Ascending but that's where the takeaway stops.
The story is a classic one where a seemingly insignificant individual, in this case Jupiter Jones (Kunis), is suddenly thrust into a much larger and complicated universe than her day-to-day as a maid. As fate would have it, she happens to be the reincarnation of the matriarch of an extremely powerful dynasty that controls a vast industrial empire in the galaxy. The oldest heir to the mother's inheritance is none other than Oscar-nominee Eddie Redmayne, who for whatever reason has difficulty speaking and doesn't want Jupiter to claim what is rightfully hers.
I'll give the Wachowskis that they they've created an incredibly elaborate alternate universe that is equally rich in scope and potential, but they fail to generate the least bit of depth to their characters. Every person you meet is a one-dimensional caricature you'd find in some other sci-fi story.
Honestly the scope is too ambitious to warrant any initial investment in Jupiter or any of the other supporting actors like Channing Tatum and Sean Bean. It's literally just 2 hours of zero-tension action sequences and clichéd dialogue that lead to a resolution that the audience couldn't care less about.
Sure the tech is pretty cool and I was pleasantly surprised by the design of the ships and planetary locales, but the novelty of seeing Channing Tatum ice-skate around the air fighting aliens that pose little threat wears off after the first scene. It's like watching the Jedi take on the droids in the Star Wars Prequels. Why even bother putting them in the way if they don't pose the slightest inconvenience to our protagonists?
I can appreciate science fantasy that dazzles and delights in an original universe, but eventually the tunnel-vision wears off and you realize that there is very little to keep you invested in the story. The planet Jupiter might actually be the most ironic and appropriate metaphor for this movie since - sure it's pretty to look - but then you realize you're just looking a big ball of the two most common gasses in the universe.
Read the expanded version and other reviews on the Drive-In Zeppelin website
The story is a classic one where a seemingly insignificant individual, in this case Jupiter Jones (Kunis), is suddenly thrust into a much larger and complicated universe than her day-to-day as a maid. As fate would have it, she happens to be the reincarnation of the matriarch of an extremely powerful dynasty that controls a vast industrial empire in the galaxy. The oldest heir to the mother's inheritance is none other than Oscar-nominee Eddie Redmayne, who for whatever reason has difficulty speaking and doesn't want Jupiter to claim what is rightfully hers.
I'll give the Wachowskis that they they've created an incredibly elaborate alternate universe that is equally rich in scope and potential, but they fail to generate the least bit of depth to their characters. Every person you meet is a one-dimensional caricature you'd find in some other sci-fi story.
Honestly the scope is too ambitious to warrant any initial investment in Jupiter or any of the other supporting actors like Channing Tatum and Sean Bean. It's literally just 2 hours of zero-tension action sequences and clichéd dialogue that lead to a resolution that the audience couldn't care less about.
Sure the tech is pretty cool and I was pleasantly surprised by the design of the ships and planetary locales, but the novelty of seeing Channing Tatum ice-skate around the air fighting aliens that pose little threat wears off after the first scene. It's like watching the Jedi take on the droids in the Star Wars Prequels. Why even bother putting them in the way if they don't pose the slightest inconvenience to our protagonists?
I can appreciate science fantasy that dazzles and delights in an original universe, but eventually the tunnel-vision wears off and you realize that there is very little to keep you invested in the story. The planet Jupiter might actually be the most ironic and appropriate metaphor for this movie since - sure it's pretty to look - but then you realize you're just looking a big ball of the two most common gasses in the universe.
Read the expanded version and other reviews on the Drive-In Zeppelin website