It is said that lightening doesn’t strike twice and The Wachowski siblings are experiencing that with their latest intergalactic sci-fi adventure, Jupiter Ascending. The Wachowski siblings changed the sci-fi movie universe forever when they released The Matrix in 1999. They broke ground in special effects and fight sequences and rewrote how a sci-fi movie could be experienced and explained. It was the perfect combination of timing, innovation in film and a story that was sci-fi gold, a complete lightening strike.
Now the siblings are left with the task of constantly living up to The Matrix and their recent films haven’t done so, Jupiter Ascending included. The film is visually beautiful at times and tries to tell a grand sci-fi tale but falls shorts because of confusing plot lines, lack of character development and absence of any emotional connection to the story.
Jupiter Ascending was originally supposed to be released last summer but was pushed back in order for the special effects to be finalized. The decision is a good one because the movie relies heavily on the special effects and at times they are extraordinary but it is not enough to make this movie complete.
Jupiter Ascending tells the story of Mila Kunis, Jupiter Jones, who has been living on Earth and is completely unaware of her actual origin within the galaxy. Kunis quickly learns that she is much more powerful than ever imagined. Off in a distant galaxy, the Abrasax siblings, Balem, Kalique and Titus, played by Eddie Redmayne, Tuppence Middleton and Douglas Booth, are on a mission to find Jones and have her help advance their personal and corporate goals because of this intergalactic family battle, Channing Tatum, Caine Wise, must protect Jones as she is discovering who she is in a world beyond earth. The family conflict between the Abrasax siblings feels like an eposide of Game of Thrones but without the intensity or dramatic flare.
Both Kunis and Tatum impress with their acting ability but could do more with the characters if the story allowed them to develop more. The storyline feels rushed and characters are quickly introduced and little is resolved as the film move forward.
Image courtesy of INFphoto.com
Best Actor nominee Redmayne is a disappointment because of extreme lack of character development and odd voice choice for his character. For fans of the Harry Potter franchise, they might remember that Lord Voldemort played by Ralph Fiennes has a very similar voice for his leading villain. It is distracting and takes away from Redmayne’s performance because it feels clichéd and unoriginal. Redmayne is incredible talented but this role didn’t utilize his talent or embrace that he is one of the best young actors coming up in the industry today.
In the end, it’s hard to become emotionally invested in the story because it moves too quickly and relies entirely on special effects to transport the audience into this new world. The special effects are impressive but with audiences recently seeing films like Intersetllar and Gravity, expectations about seeing space on screen have skyrocketed and Jupiter doesn’t have that feel that transports audiences from their theater seats into outer space.
The most frustrating part of Jupiter Ascending is what the movie could have been. The Wachowski siblings are brilliant and fully immerse themselves into these sci-fi worlds they create but this falls short on every level. Fans are craving an original sci-fi story in a world full of reboots and sequels and this even though it tries, Jupiter doesn’t come close to being a success for the siblings.
The Wachowski siblings will have to continue their search to find “The One” to bring back their reputation in cinema because Jupiter isn’t their saving grace.
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