Let’s say Star Wars meets The Matrix. What comes to mind? An all-out intergalactic battle? Gun-wielding, other-dimensional robots? What the two movies have in common is that they take our imaginations for a ride.
It is undeniable that Star Wars and The Matrix are giant pillars in modern science fiction. Furthermore, they also score high points on technical achievements. So, when the two breathtaking worlds are forced to collide, it’s a CGI sure-fire. And on that front, The Wachowskis’ latest, Jupiter Ascending, has succeeded. Sadly, the muddled narrative ends up ruining its beautifully built fantasy world.
Somewhere in a galaxy far, far away
It is clear that The Wachowskis are trying to jump on the heroine bandwagon with Jupiter Ascending. In this case, Mila Kunis stars as our heroine Jupiter Jones. She starts off as the typical plain Jane, who scrubs toilets and tidies beds for a living. There is nothing particularly special about her life.
However, Jupiter is unaware of the fact that she is secretly intergalactic royalty – an heir to the throne of Abrasax. When the matriarch of Abrasax dies, her three children, Kalique (Tuppence Middleton), Titus (Douglas Booth) and Balem (Eddie Redmayne) go to war over the inheritance, and they need to get rid of Jupiter before she can claim her throne. However, the presence of a lone warrior Caine (Channing Tatum) complicates the royals’ mission as he is determined to help Jupiter ascend to the throne as Queen of the Universe.
We’re not in Kansas anymore
Both Lana and Andy Wachowski have often cited The Wizard of Oz as one of their main inspirations for the creation of The Matrix. They haven’t been subtle about this inspiration: in The Matrix Cypher (Joe Pantoliano) tells Neo (Keanu Reeves), “buckle your seat belt, Dorothy, ’cause Kansas is going bye-bye“, in reference to the original story’s time-traveling tornado. With Jupiter Ascending, the siblings take their love for the 1900’s fairy tale classic to a crazier level.
They fitted the elements of the all-too-familiar tale to Jupiter’s universe. The narrative clearly sets Jupiter Jones up as our modern-day Dorothy: a normal kid who has to save a world she didn’t know anything about. Soon enough, it becomes clear her companion Caine Wise is a character conflation of Scarecrow, the Cowardly Lion, and Tin Man. However, Caine has found his brain, heart and courage and uses them through his weapon-wielding skills. Furthermore, the Abrasax royals’ (Kalique, Titus, and Balem) dysfunctional relationships are very similar to those of the Wicked Witches. Technically, this could all have been fun.
Unfortunately, The Wachowskis got so carried away by matching Jupiter’s universe to that of The Wizard of Oz that the plot becomes confusing, even disorienting. There are some unnecessary subplots which should have been saved for a sequel, like the story of Titus (Booth), who is a fairly insignificant character compared to the other siblings. Nevertheless, Douglas Booth delivers quite a show-stopping performance as Titus, and it hints at a potential further exploration of this character if there was ever going to be a sequel.
Emerald City 2.0
The Wachowskis films seem to live and breathe through special effects. Jupiter Ascending is no exception. Special effects company Method Studio managed to fuse the dark, gritty world of The Matrix and the bright, charming world of Oz into jaw-dropping cinematic scenery. The glimpses of the space kingdom of Abrasax and Balem’s collection of winged, lizard-like henchmen, are simply nerdgasmic.
Not only do the special effects ignite the sets, they also jump-start the action sequences. By combining two of cinema’s greatest action sequences, the aerial battle from Star Wars and slow-motion gunplay from the Matrix, The Wachowskis give us rapid-fire and beautifully orchestrated action scenes. From the first action scenes featuring Caine (equipped with a laser shield and jet-powered roller skates) fighting an army of bounty hunters, to the final showdown, it is clear Jupiter Ascending will be mostly remembered for being action-packed eye candy.
It’s all about Jupiter
In a film as CGI-heavy as Jupiter Ascending, good acting is paramount. On the physical front, Channing Tatum excels. However, when we’re allowed a break from the action, Mila Kunis stands out.
The Ukraine-born actress does not only deliver a believable portrayal of the down-on-her-luck Jupiter Jones, she also adds an air of vulnerability and sense of humor to an otherwise plain character. However, the lack of her participation in battle is glaring and disappointing, it wouldn’t have hurt to have her fire a gun. It’s the opposite for Tatum, who only shines through his action sequences as his half man, half wolf character is unemotional and flat. Nonetheless, he shows he has the potential to become a great action star.
Furthermore, performances by the supporting cast are as mixed as those of the leads. Eddie Redmayne may have shone in the Theory of Everything as Stephen Hawking, but his portrayal as Balem is scenery-chewing. Redmayne attempts to get Balem’s sinister tone right, but instead lands on a whiner. Meanwhile, Sean Bean thrives in the comic relief role of Stinger. It is a departure from his usual villainous or serious roles, but he quickly emerges as one of the more interesting characters in the film. His character was inspired by Han Solo, and everything about Stinger exudes the c*ckiness and manly charm of the Millennium Falcon captain.
Conclusion
Jupiter Ascending has been claimed to be The Wachowskis’ most ambitious project to date, and its technical achievements are on par with The Matrix. However, the narrative is an absolute mess and creating a franchise out of Jupiter would be highly questionable. Even with Mila Kunis’ great performance, if The Wachowskis were planning a sequel, Jupiter Ascending is an awfully messy introduction.
Let me know what you think of Jupiter Ascending!
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