Wachoski Sister-Brother Combo Fails To Ignite Space Opera That Fizzles And Descends Into Mediocrity
By Alan Samuel
Space is a strange frontier. Leave it to those ahead of their time Wachoskis to up the stakes considerably in the trendsetting Jupiter Ascending. Hot off their less than stellar Cloud Atlas setback Warner Brothers is all systems go in this rousing yarn. Better head down to your favourite Cineplex Odeon IMAX haunt to enjoy the spectacle.
Heros and villains need he right story to appeal to he masses and these famed visionary directors have written a Clever tale of danger, Intrigue and deception. Homegrown Jupiter Jones leads a pretty tame life. Down on Earth Mila Kunis learns the hard way about the immigrant process coming from a poor East European family. Little does she know that she may have royalty in her blood lines which are a far cry from her current cleaning duties.
Imagine the shock,that comes this woman’s way when a group of aliens come after her. Forget about cuddly space beings. Jupiter winds up in a battle for survival pitting her against the fiendish Balasex Brothers. Cast as Balam and Titus, a dynamic duo of evil if there ever was one, in a stoke of sheer genius are Eddie Redmayne (The Theory of Everything) and Douglas Booth.
Sneers aplenty go round as we are whisked skyward in a futuristic colony where the battle is joined. Complete with grotesque monsters, swift spaceships and the odd helping hunter Jupiter Ascending rocks. Feast your eyes on a beefy Channing Tatum (Foxcatcher) whose questionable allegiance sparks a lot of turmoil in this action-packed space soap opera.
Cheesy dialogue and spectacular chases and fight to the death battles add to the appeal of this 209 minute escapade that’s a perfect wintry treat.
