While moviegoers have eagerly anticipated the latest creation from “The Matrix” writing-directing duo of Lana and Andy Wachowski for quite some time, they are in for quite a disappointment.
In “Jupiter Ascending,” Channing Tatum and Mila Kunis play two of the most boring characters in what is easily the dullest film from the Wachowskis. Despite an interesting premise and a solid visual aesthetic, the movie falls flat on almost every other level of its execution.
The movie opens with a monotone voiceover from its titular protagonist Jupiter Jones (Kunis), a young girl looking to the stars hoping to escape her dismal life. Her father is killed prior to her birth, and she grows up in the Chicago suburbs with a lower class Russian immigrant family.
As the film plays on its Cinderella-like fairytale plot, Jupiter is swept away from her misery when an ex-space warrior named Caine Wise (Tatum) rescues her from alien assassins. From here, she learns of her royal lineage on an intergalactic scale, and how members of her bloodline seek to kill her in order to steal her claim to Earth.
The Wachowskis have never shied away from tackling ambitious material in their films. “The Matrix” takes a clever spin on the concept of artificial intelligence, while also delivering some of the most memorable action sequences in cinematic history. They took it a step further in 2012 with “Cloud Atlas,” which people either loved or hated for its enormously complex narrative.
With “Jupiter Ascending,” the sibling filmmakers display the same level of ambition. The way they merge various elements of classical mythology with modern-day science fiction is certainly intriguing, but ultimately they fail to deliver a quality level of storytelling.
As mentioned previously, the lead characters are as flat and underdeveloped as one can imagine. Tatum spends the entire movie running around as an emotionless, brooding guardian, while Kunis bears a look of confusion the whole time (along with audiences). The romance that ensues between this pair is entirely forced and without any semblance of chemistry.
Oddly enough though, the most laughable performance comes from Oscar nominee Eddie Redmayne as the film’s caricature of a villain Balem Abrasax. Playing one of the three siblings seeking to destroy Jupiter, the only thing Redmayne does is imitate the iconic Voldemort whisper every time his character speaks. Whether this was his choice or the Wachowskis’, the result is a disaster.
The biggest problem with the film, though, is the pacing. It unfortunately moves way too slow for a major blockbuster, making it easy for viewers to quickly lose interest in the story and its characters. Even the action scenes are slow and uninspired. Each time Caine saves Jupiter, it’s lazily executed and conveniently at the last minute.
This is especially disappointing because the film displays some impressive visuals. Not only is the CGI strong, but the Wachowskis provide elaborate details when constructing this unique universe. Everything from the costume designs to the look of each planet is on par with what one would expect from an effects-heavy space opera.
With a string of other bad movies on their resume such as “The Matrix” sequels and “Speed Racer,” the Wachowskis might’ve benefitted from collaborating with other movie producers on this film. Had another writer or director helped them flesh out their vision for “Jupiter Ascending,” there could’ve been fewer problems.
Sadly, though, what viewers are left with is a sci-fi movie that’s even duller and more overstuffed with political nonsense than the worst of the “Star Wars” prequels. Despite its title, “Jupiter Ascending” doesn’t even make it to the surface level of good filmmaking.