Friday 6 March 2015

Jupiter Ascending (2/5, Bad)

Announced as the promising return of the Wachowskis, we could have expected an intense script with great compelling dramatic and philosophical content along with stunning action sequences. Mission accomplished? Not really!

This is the story of Jupiter Jones (Mila Kunis) who lives a monotone life as a house cleaner along with her family. Being told by her mother that she would be destined to great things in life, she cannot but only cope with her daily life. Everything changes when a genetically engineered ex-military (Channing Tatum) comes to planet Earth to look for Jupiter Jones. Her genetic-signature marks her as the next one to inherit many planets to rule them. In a infinite universe where other powerful and greedy people like Balem (Eddie Redmayne) wants more power, she will have to face many dangers in her path that will change her forever.

The Wachowskis used to entertain us with "The Matrix" trilogy where a mister-nobody became the One that could alter a whole set system of institutions and perceptions of this world. Jupiter Ascending is the same topic: to discover the inner you and spread your wings (or your firework as Katy Perry would say). Therefore there is a feeling of déjà vu. You might expect something new coming up from these already-used elements in the film. Sadly, we didn't get any satisfaction.It actually gets worse: foreseeable ending, cheesy scenes (and not even to mention the dialogues...) and gaps in the script. Another relevant failure: Mila Kunis. Terrible acting.














What are the highlights of the film? First of all, the special effects and the production design. Both are just excellent. We have never seen SFX with such visual impact for a long-time (not as revolutionary as The Matrix but still). The production design with influences from Magic Fantasy and the Sci-fi genre are evident and could be thought as an homage. The other pillar is Eddie Redmayne who plays very well the bad guy. He is scary but somehow we also feel empathy with his character. Only a good actor can do that.

Considering we expected so much from The Wachowskis, we are disappointed by this film.Nevertheless if you want an entertaining film with good action sequences and with stunning visual shots, then this is the right film for you. Good to watch a Sunday night. However we cannot but lament the fall in The Wachowskis filmmaking. They revolutionize the sci-fi genre in the 2000s. Today they look like regular sci-fi film directors.

Trailer: 



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