You have to hand it to Lana and Andy Wachowski:
Jupiter Ascending is a wholly original sci-fi film. It's not based on a comic book or a TV show or anything else. (Well, it's definitely inspired from older sci-fi films like
Star Wars and
Dune.) But in an era of play-it-safe blockbusters,
Jupiter Ascending is undeniably bold.
Now, here comes the bad news: It's pretty terrible. Because the Wachowskis always have a sense of grandeur about their projects,
Jupiter Ascending feels unabashedly epic, which can make for fascinating viewing. I flipped for the divisive
Cloud Atlas, but I just sat there shaking my head with their new film. I reviewed
Jupiter Ascending for
Screen International.