Review of Upside Down (2012) by Jonny P — 04 Aug 2013

"Upside Down" may be the coolest movie concept that I have ever encountered, but it doesn't get very far beyond conception. Throughout the film, it often feels like the story gets in the way of the awesome atmosphere instead of enhancing it.

This is apparent from the very start when a voice-over (that lasts at least five minutes) explains the concept in documentary form, rather than allowing the audience to discover the physics of these planets through the storytelling.

The film often hints at being an action film but keeps coming back to a romantic story which only allows for a few brief chase scenes (one of which is suddenly cut short when the main character ducks into a stairwell and his escape is unexplained).

Jim Sturgess doesn't give his greatest performance but he is good, Kirsten Dunst is alright, but the biggest surprise is Timothy Spall. He steals the show as Bob, a secondary character that exists only to extend the plot.

Even though he has very little screen time, he is the character that I looked most forward to coming back each scene. The special effects are absolutely stunning throughout the film, from the low camera angles that show a character with an upside-down world where the sky belongs, to the scene when Sturgess sheds his weights and falls through the sky from one atmosphere to the other.

"Upside Down" could have done many things better, particularly the development of the love story and the ending, but it will still be one of the coolest visual experiences of your life.