Synopsis: Jupiter (Mila Kunis) has a mundane life cleaning houses unaware that she is genetically linked to a powerful family intent on getting their hands on her and her rightful inheritance.
Stan's thoughts: Was really looking forward to this. Needed some good sci-fi/fantasy action fun after all the intense, thought-provoking Oscar films I've been devouring recently. It has the Wachowski's writing and directing and a superb cast of British thesps supporting Kunis and Channing Tatum in the leads. What could go wrong?
Well the script mainly. The film was just a few minutes in when I was wincing with embarrassment for the actors having to deliver such trite nonsense. The amount of what critic Mark Kermode calls 'Basil exposition' should have set alarm bells ringing - if you need that much explanation of the world you've created and plot set up then something is wrong. Another warning bell is that it felt long and it was only 2 hours 8 minutes long.
While I was watching I couldn't help thinking that all the energy and imagination had gone into creating the fantasy world and the special effects. Well I say imagination there are plenty of Cloud Atlas reference points to spot (and I loved that film). It all felt a bit too much. If they'd stuck with the super humans and splicers - humans spliced with animal and presumably alien DNA then it might have worked better.
The pleasure in watching this was spotting the British thesps - Eddie Redmayne giving a scenery chewing performance as one of the baddies, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Tuppence Middleton, Douglas Booth, Vanessa Kirby, Sam Barnett...I just hope they took home a good pay packet.
Jupiter Ascending feels like the Wachowski's have vomited up 10-course banquet of ideas and as a result you can't see the amuse-bouche for the fish course.
Ratings
- Stan’s 35%
- IMDB 60%
- Metascore 40%
- Rotten Tomatoes 22%
- RT Audience Rating* 52%
* Number of people rating 3.5/5 or higher
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