“Jupiter Ascending,” directed by Lana and Andy Wachowski, is a sci-fi action film that targets adults, adolescents and lovers of action movies. It captivated movie goers with the actors’ performances, the visual effects and the intense action.
The movie tells the story about how the Earth and several other planets have been “seeded” by alien royalty so that they could be harvested in order to create “youth serum” and make their kind live forever.
However, Jupiter Jones (Mila Kunis), an unsuspecting human caretaker for her family in Chicago, discovers that she is royalty and the new heir to Earth. During a visit to the doctor, Jones is trapped by aliens who are disguised as doctors and they test her to see if she is the new heir.
Caine Wise, played by Channing Tatum, a genetically engineered warrior and ex-military hunter, saves Jupiter from the alien army that sought to kill her.
Balem Abrasax is played by “Theory of Everything” star Eddie Redmayne. Abrasax is the antagonist of the film. He wants Jupiter, the new heir to Earth, dead in order to claim the planet for himself. With the aliens targeting Jupiter, Wise has a duty to protect her and ensure the Earth’s survival.
Kunis’ performance in the film was full of passion when she played Jupiter Jones. During the climactic scene, her character confronts Balem about saving her family. Fighting him showed that Kunis was dedicated and would not give up, which made her performance more convincing.
Tatum’s performance demonstrated his commitment to his character as well. The “22 Jump Street” star made his character, Caine, look fierce and realistic. He wore a mouthpiece while wearing his costume in order to make his jaw appear smaller. This also makes it difficult for a person to speak.
The story about an heir to planet Earth and a person discovering who she really is was interesting, but also average.
Although their characters were in love with each other, Kunis and Tatum showed a lack of chemistry in their performances. During the final battle scene where Jupiter was trying to save her family, Tatum and Kunis kiss. There was little emotion between the two during this scene.
The visual effects of the movie, however, had the audience glued to their seats. The spaceships traveling from one planet to another and the explosions on the planet Jupiter during the climactic scene of the movie made the film intriguing. The battle in Chicago and the intergalactic battle scenes in the movie demonstrated intense sci-fi action.
Aside from the one red flag about the lack of chemistry between the actors, “Jupiter Ascending” is a must see movie for those who are interested in Kunis, Tatum and intense sci-fi action.
