Jupiter Ascending

25 January 2016

Jupiter Ascending 2015

• Directors: Andy Wachowski and Lana Wachowski
• Based on book: no
• Cast: Channing Tatum, Mila Kunis, Sean Bean, Eddie Redmayne, Douglas Booth, Tuppence Middleton, Nikki Amuka-Bird, Maria Doyle Kennedy
• Personal “oh yeah him/her” reaction, i.e. have seen this actor in:
• Mila Kunis – Black Swan, The Book of Eli
• Channing Tatum – Public Enemies, Battle in Seattle
• Sean Bean – The Island, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, North Country, Troy, Golden Eye, Equilibrium, Stormy Monday
• Eddie Redmayne – The Theory of Everything, Les Misérables, My Week with Marilyn, The Pillars of the Earth, The Other Boleyn Girl, Elizabeth the Golden Age
• Douglas Booth – Great Expectations
• Tuppence Middleton – Friday Night Dinner
• Nikki Amuka-Bird – Coriolanus, Small Island, The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency
• Maria Doyle Kennedy – Downton Abbey, Tara Road, Moll Flanders, The Commitments
• Why? Eddie Redmayne, sci-fi
• Seen:  22 January 2016       

       In dramatic start Jupiter is born after her father, an astronaut with a fascination for the planet, is murdered by the Russian Mafia.

       Then suddenly we’re in a futuristic society on some far off planet ruled by beautiful ruthless aristocrats who own Earth.

       On Earth Jupiter and her mother make their living in Chicago through cleaning jobs. Jupiter: ‘I hate my life.’

       Another gang of aliens. Bounty hunters or something.

       Oh well, let’s just watch the film.

       It’s a mixture of comedy, high tech space stuff, romance with a hunky freedom fighter against an evil Eddie Redmayne and his fellow bad aliens.

       A nice long chase scene of space ships and anti-gravity boots gives me the chance to take a little snooze.

       It’s silly and gender-stereotyped and the macho hero is completely un-sexy. The dialog is awful. But it’s unusual in its way and amusing at times. It’s fun to see a not-at-all nice Eddie Redmayne, but he won’t get an Oscar for this role.

       A lot of talent went into making this film. Too bad it wasn’t worth it. It has some similarities to Star Wars. That is not a compliment. Most of the SW films were awful.

       But it’s fun. At times.

2 * of 5