Jupiter Ascending

[Mr Light]

I'm sure I'm going to hold the unpopular opinion here, but I loved Jupiter Ascending. It definitely had some problems. But it's just so refreshing to see an actual sci-fi movie with actual aliens in it. (GOTG being the obvious recent exception) Random weird looking aliens in the background AND foreground. Hell, there's a dragon guy. And a elephant man.

Movies nowadays are always so terrified of being true sci-fi. They're always 'grounded' and 'gritty' and 'realistic'. As much as I like the new Star Trek movies, they go out of their way to avoid showing 'funny' aliens and do anything that doesn't look modern day.

Jupiter wasn't afraid to show some imagination. Or to have complications in their story. This isn't Rebels vs Empire. There's three different factions of the royal family/corporation. And then there's the cops. And bounty hunters. And a neutral bureaucracy. I loved the layers. I loved how there was so much more story than what they could fit into the movie.

The action scenes were of course eye-popping, though nothing revolutionary on the level of The Matrix. There was something damn exciting about Channing Tatum sky-skating around the entire time though.

My major complaint would be in the primary villain, who isn't really portrayed to my tastes. Ironically this fellow is up for Best Actor at the Oscars this year, but I really didn't like the choices here. He throatily whispers all his dialogue EXCEPT THE COUPLE TIMES HE SHOUTS LIKE A MANIAC. I was much more interested in the other siblings.

It's a shame the box office failure means we won't get the story continued. I'd really love to find out what happens next. To find out more about the royal brother and sister whose loyalties we never really learned.

This is one of the movies people will love to pick apart and attack... but I prefer to appreciate something for what it is, rather than what I would rather it be.

 

[sojourner]

It was a "serious" retelling of Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Jupiter is Arthur Dent. She saved Earth from being destroyed for a hyperspace bypass.

Considering how many times she was saved from falling, they should have called it Jupiter Descending.

Oh, she loves dogs. Ewwwww.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

It's looking like it might make a mark with the overseas box office. I'm curious about it as the Wachowskis made some interesting visual spectacles with Speed Racer and Cloud Atlas. If they failed, at least they were interesting and ambitious failures. I figure it might be worth seeing on the big screen just for the visual aspect alone if nothing else.

 

[Aldo]

I'm sure I'm going to hold the unpopular opinion here, but I loved Jupiter Ascending.

I loved this movie too, I haven't been steered wrong by the Wachowski's yet. Though I will admit it was slightly overshadowed by watching Speed Racer the movie later that day (for the first time, no less) which I felt was a much stronger movie from the Wachowski siblings.

I heard a bit was cut from this movie before being released to theaters, I hope they reinstate it for the inevitable bluray release since there were a few moments that probably should have been explained a bit better, but it didn't detract from the movie in any way.

Plus it's nice to see Mila Kunis in something different.

 

[Mr Light]

Yeah I'm going to need a second viewing to take it all in, preferably with closed captions. I had trouble understanding the accents sometimes. Particularly the bad guy who just loved whispering everything.

Spoiler

I'm not clear on the loyalties of the three siblings. Was the sister relatively good? Obviously she's complicit in harvesting but she seemed to have a conscience about it. And the pretty boy brother didn't actually believe in wanting to stop harvesting, that just a lie, right? And why did evil brother kill their mom? He said he loved her and didn't want to do it but she asked him to? Was that the truth? Why would she ask that? Guilt over the harvesting? Or did he just kill her to inherit her holdings?

I wonder if some of these things were set up for a sequel. The way the first Matrix was a standalone but clearly set up things like the Oracle and Smith being somehow different from the other Agents.

 

[the G-man]

It's looking like it might make a mark with the overseas box office...

It'll have to be one hell of a big mark, given how poorly it did in the US in relation to its budget.

 

[urbandefault]

I've only seen the tv ads for the movie. Since it's tough for us to get out to movies these days, I'll probably have to wait for the cable or video release.

Heck, just this morning I saw parts of The Dark World that I hadn't seen before.

 

[Mr. Adventure]

I loved this movie too, I haven't been steered wrong by the Wachowski's yet. Though I will admit it was slightly overshadowed by watching Speed Racer the movie later that day (for the first time, no less) which I felt was a much stronger movie from the Wachowski siblings.

I need to see it on DVD/Blu because it's has so much color and movement that my cable's HD compression blows up on it with a ton of macroblocking.

 

[Mr Light]

Speed Racer was surprisingly fun. I need to watch it again. As I recall my only complaint was the final race was too boring and straight forward. I also really, really loved Cloud Atlas.

 

[Aldo]

As for the sister:

Spoiler

I think she was more or less oblivious to everything that was going on. She claimed she didn't know what the revitalizing gel was made from, and she probably preferred it that way

 

[Mr Light]

you have to start it as [spoiler = ] (no spaces)

 

[Aldo]

Thanks, I got it

 

[DWF]

I really enjoyed Jupiter Ascending, visually it's an outstanding film and I did like the storyline. I would hope there'd be sequels but a release this early in the season will probably mean there won't be any.

 

[The Wormhole]

Horrible movie. That plot is in broad strokes a Matrix retread, just with Mila Kunis in the Keanu Reeves role and Channing Tatum in the Carrie-Anne Moss role. You got someone who lives a crappy life unwittingly sucked into the "real world" and learning they are the chosen one. It turns out life in the regular world is run by evil douches, who can manipulate the world around them, to the point they can tear a city apart and instantly put things good as new.

I was also annoyed there were no 2-D options where I live. I decided to go for it anyway since at the very least the Wachowskis are technical experts so maybe they can do something impressive with the 3-D. But no, most of the time, you can't even tell it is 3-D. The only proof was when I took the glasses off and the picture got all blurry. And since this movie had dark lighting, the 3-D glasses created a serious sunglasses effect.

 

[Ssosmcin]

My wife and I loved it. It was actually a good "date night sci-fi" flick. It wasn't the slightest but original with story points going back to, among others, Star Wars and Cinderella. However, I had checked my brain at the door on the way in, so all I was hoping for it that it was visually interesting and fun. I got that and more. Awesome visuals, decent acting (I found breathy speaking guy to be good toward the end when everything was coming to a climax) and an outstanding Michael Giacchino score.

A few threads I saw dropped I assume would be explained in the longer cut. A couple of characters just kind of vanish halfway through the story. But I go on a roller coaster for the ride, not to hear the life story of the people in the other cars. This was a fun diversion.

 

[Gaith]

This one's a "might rent" for me, though probably not. As always, though, one can count on io9's Charlie Jane Anders to get to the heart of the matter:

And in the end, this movie doesn't have the courage of its convictions. It may pay lip service to rooting for Jupiter, with her humble background and her determination to remain herself even after becoming royalty, but its sympathies are firmly with the self-indulgent royals who want to kill her. (They, after all, are the ones who've most completely taken the "red pill" in the context of this film.) In its heart, Jupiter Ascending is on the side of the bad guys.


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[Mr Light]

I really, really don't agree with that review. And the final statement that the film's sympathies lie with its villains makes absolutely no sense and they don't give any supporting evidence in the review.

Also, it's spelled Lotus Eaters, not Lotos Eaters...

 

[Yanks]

I saw Jupiter Ascending this weekend in 3D. (a mistake in the purchase on the 3D side. Really don't like movies in 3D).

I had read some grumblings and didn't have my hopes too high going in.

I enjoyed it. Is it, or will it be considered a classic? ... probably not, but the visuals alone made it worth the price of admission.

Kunis' performance was better than I had predicted. I think she's a pretty good actress and has the beauty side of it down too. Very good with facial expression.

I never once thought of "The Matrix" while viewing this.

I won't get too much into the story, but there are a couple head scratchers (bees for one), but it IS science FICTION so it's not all that bad.

My thoughts on the ending.

Spoiler

I would rather had seen her take her place in this society if for nothing else than to do what she could to stop harvesting. She could have taken her family with her.

At first I didn't care for the "whisper guy", but his performance improved throughout the movie.

 

[Mr Light]

I was confused about the bees as well, but they said that Sean Bean was spliced with bees so that's why he lives with them. And then Jupiter controlling the bees.... cuz... she's a queen, get it????

 

[Yanks]

I was confused about the bees as well, but they said that Sean Bean was spliced with bees so that's why he lives with them. And then Jupiter controlling the bees.... cuz... she's a queen, get it????

Yup... guess they can sense "royalty" you know...