Call me crazy, but I actually liked the Wachowskis last film- Cloud Atlas. It's one of the reasons I wanted to see this. That and, of course, Channing Tatum is in it. I should have known something was up when there were only 10 other people in the theater on a Friday night. To be fair, it wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be. It's not great though.
Jupiter Ascending is about a young woman named Jupiter Jones (Mila Kunis). She's down on her luck and working as a janitor/caretaker (Mila Kunis as a janitor? I know, I laughed too) but still dreams of bigger things. In walks Caine (Channing Tatum), a genetically engineered former military hunter who has been hired to track her down. Jupiter discovers that she's actually the reincarnation of the Queen of the House Abrasax- who has ruled over every habitable planet for thousands of years. That makes her next in line for an inheritance that could alter the fate of the universe.
I apologize for that terrible plot summary. I struggled to write it because the movie was such a mess. It would jump from one plot to another so quickly that I wanted to yell out, "What the hell???" They didn't even bother to explain everything properly. Not that I need everything spelled out for me but still- I like to have some vague idea of what's going on.
And I feel really bad because the Wachowskis (as with their other movies) tried so hard to create something different from a lot of the crap Hollywood puts out these days. Visually the movie looks beautiful. I especially loved the look of the different worlds and the costumes. I give them a lot of credit. If it weren't for the plot and the terrible dialog I would've given this a much higher rating.
As far as the acting goes, I didn't really care for Mila Kunis as Jupiter. I have nothing against her, she just wasn't who I would've picked for the part. Channing Tatum on the other hand did a good job and it seemed like he actually tried. Plus I really liked his character. Too bad there wasn't a whole lot of character development in this movie.
Another actor that stood out to me, and not in a good way, was Eddie Redmayne. He played Balem, one of the heirs of House Abrasax and serves as the primary villain. This was one of the worst performances I've seen in a long time. And given how many movies I watch that's really saying something. His character has only two ways of speaking- a low monotone that you can't understand or screaming like a psycho. I kid you not. Why do I get the feeling that any chance he had of beating Michael Keaton for the Best Actor Oscar (playing Stephen Hawking) just went right down the toilet?
Jupiter Ascending had so much potential to be great. Would I recommend you rush out to see it? No. Will I have a few drinks and watch it again when it's on Netflix? Absolutely. If you're like me and a fan of science fiction it's worth checking out.
My Rating: 7/10
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