[6]

Jupiter Ascending is probably the last big-budget studio picture from Andy & Lana Wachowski, the creators of The Matrix trilogy and some other movies that failed to live up to expectation. I admire the Wachowski’s ambition and I appreciate how they always try to push the envelope with content and execution. It’s not always a success, unfortunately. Jupiter Ascending is a huge, epic story about a woman (Mila Kunis) who discovers she’s actually alien royalty, and heir to the entire planet Earth. Problem is, there are three royal siblings all vying to get the deed to the planet from her so they can harvest Earth’s population for what’s essentially a fountain of youth. (Essence of Earthling keeps the intergalactic wrinkles away?)  Mila’s protector through this adventure is a warrior with part dog DNA and anti-gravity boots — he’s played by Channing Tatum, and thank God the Wachowski’s are smart enough to get his shirt off for a few scenes.

The movie moves at lightning speed, reminding me of when David Lynch crammed Dune into two hours and change. Even if you’re paying attention to the plot points, the character beats come a bit too abruptly at times. If you just go with it, it’s not a bad movie. There’s just enough of a relationship between Mila and Channing to hang your hat on, there’s a healthy sense of humor about the proceedings, and I enjoyed seeing an original sci-fi/fantasy story on the big screen. I just wish the Wachowski’s had simplified the tale a bit and took a few more grace notes in the telling. Michael Giacchino offers up a rousing score, the sets and costumes are pretty nifty, and I love how exotic creatures fill the edges of the frames of times — reminded me of the exotic quality of Star Wars back when Star Wars was exceptional. Eddie Redmayne is (painfully?) over the top as one of the big bad guys, and the ubiquitous Sean Bean is also on the roster. Look for director Terry Gilliam in a wonderful cameo role.