Review of Upside Down (2012) by Cumin — 12 Oct 2021

The science is lost on most.

This movie uses a very interesting science fiction premise that is lost on most, judging based on the reviews. In short, it's a Romeo and Juliet story based on two tidally locked, geosynchronously orbiting binary planets, with one planet composed of matter and the other antimatter. There is no scientific consensus for how matter and antimatter interact via gravity, but one theory is that they repel, which is what the movie presumes. The orbital dynamics are sketchy (likely would require a binary star to push the planets together), but the "three laws of inverse gravity" succinctly summarize the net effects as perceived by our protagonists. A) The net force of gravity is in opposite directions for matter/antimatter, B) is a corollary of A, and C) matter/antimatter annihilate each other when they come into contact. C isn't explosive like how most action-oriented sci-fi portrays, and the gradual heating/burning process is actually somewhat realistic. Obviously the writers did their homework first, which is quite rare.

The medical side of the movie that drove the plot isn't nearly as realistic, but used standard movie rules. Beyond that, I thought the plot was entertaining enough. There wasn't as much new ground with the human dynamics, but it's a sci fi/fantasy film with good special effects. The premise kept me pondering while I got to admire some beautiful scenes, with a feel-good plot happening in the background.