Jupiter Ascending
Directed by Wachowski Brothers
Distrubted by Warner Bros.
Written and directed by the Wachowskis, Jupiter Ascending follows the story of Jupiter, played by Mila Kunis, a young maid who is destined for bigger plans than she could have ever imagined, including being the heir to Earth. She is found by Caine Wise, played by Channing Tatum, and brought to a far-off planet where she discovers a plan that destroys the Earth and more about herself than she thought possible.
Jupiter Ascending attempts an intricate and fantastical world, but tackles more than the film could handle. The story is filled with plot-holes and awkward dialogue that limited the actors. Adding in multiple layers to the plot caused it to drag on and in the end wasn’t worth the additions.
Pairing Mila Kunis and Channing Tatum together was possibly the weakest part of the movie. The two lack chemistry and their love scenes were awkward at best. The comedic material they were given to work with further hindered their time on screen as well. Individually the actors were better but still lacked conviction.
The best person in the cast was the up-and-coming Eddie Redmayne. His character is ridiculous and he had minimal to work with, but his interpretation of the character, for the most part, was the highlight of the movie. The rest of the cast played safe characters and didn’t run with the overtop ideas, making them seem out of place.
Adding insult to injury, Jupiter is a pathetic female heroine. In the majority of the film, she is being rescued by other characters and has passive mannerisms. Her time to show her hero qualities are brief and often involve outside aid.
The film crumbled because it was trying to hard to compete with films that fall within the same category. It attempted adding elements from different famous fantasy stories which caused it to become jumbled and lack originality. Rather than being a unique story about earth and outside life connecting together, it became a movie that reminds viewers of other fantasy movies making it predictable. The costumes, music, and plot line were all too over the top and the actors couldn’t match their atmosphere.
The film on a whole fails to meet the expectations of an action film. The action sequences are few and far between, and they were also drawn out longer than needed. There were a few comedic moments, but these were not strong enough to save the movie. Jupiter Ascending is overall a snooze and is best skipped.
