Review of Jupiter Ascending (2015) by Thequietgamer — 15 Aug 2015

Flashy visuals and snazzy action can't save this film. That's because we are left with an underdeveloped plot and a lack of compelling characters. There's a world worth exploring here and what little lore is discussed will make any sci-fi fan dive right in. Especially when they get a look at all of these cool alien races and different fractions. I truly found myself dying to know how they all connected together and interacted with one another. Unfortunately this universe goes unexplored and under-explained while the film focuses on it's own self-contained plot taking place in this fascinating galaxy.

The lack of backstory hurts the core story of this movie as a result. For example we are given no reason as to why the intergalactic police force known as the "Aegis" is really supporting our lead actress during this. At least not in the grand way that they do. By fleshing out the world and it's players more the film's main plot could have been more compelling overall. However it would have still suffered due to it's bland characters.

Too much of the film rests on the back of Mila Kunis who shows once again that she is not a strong enough actress to really be left with a leading role. Unfortunately here she is given the main one as she is really the only actual hero character. Channing Tatum is there, but all he is really given to do is growl, shoot stuff, and rescue Kunis. He's more of a vehicle for the action as opposed to an actual character. That's why the romance at the heart of this film falls flat. "Jupiter" just sort of falls in love with him for literally no reason other than for the sake of the film having a romance, and vice versa.

As for the character Jupiter herself, she's flat and boring. The Wachowskis (the writers and directors) try way too hard to make her likable by trying to make her funny. She isn't. The poor attempts at humor here are delivered through groan-inducing one liners that try too hard to play off of the character's naivety she has regarding her new, bigger world and her Cinderella-esque story. The only way you'll chuckle at these moments is if you are amused by how bad they end up being.

The action in the movie is pretty entertaining at first due to cool technology and some pretty visuals. However without a reason to invest in the characters or their conflict I found myself quickly losing interest. The final third of the film devolves into the same bombastic, destruction and fight scenes we've seen so many times before in countless action blockbusters. The originality inherent in the rest of the film is sorely lost here.

Where the film's plot does succeed is in it's the main antagonists. Eddie Redmayne, Douglas Booth, and Tuppence Middleton give fantastic performances even if their character's motivations aren't fully fleshed out. I wish the element of their power struggle amongst themselves had received more attention. By that I mean really any attention at all.

The movie is really a mass of wasted potential. With a more fleshed out world, characters, and central plot this could have been something truly great. Unfortunately even with a running time of over two hours the Wachowskis can't get all of the storytelling they need to into the film. The result is a pretty but hollow shell that deserves to be filled with the rich potential of the galaxy created here. I would love to see them return to it in the future with more backstory, better characters, and a more compelling plot. The potential isn't realized here and what we are left with is disappointment and a glimpse at something that could have been great.

I give this movie a 4.5/10.