Summary

The 2015 film "Jupiter Ascending," directed by the Wachowskis, is argued to be an underrated and highly entertaining space epic that deserves more recognition despite its initial critical and box office failure.

Abstract

Despite being panned by critics and underperforming at the box office, "Jupiter Ascending" is now being reevaluated as a film that offers a unique and enjoyable viewing experience. The Wachowskis' space opera, which tells the story of Jupiter Jones discovering her intergalactic nobility and fighting to protect Earth, was initially met with scathing reviews and a poor audience turnout, leading to a significant financial loss for the studio. However, the film's imaginative world-building, compelling visuals, and a cast that includes Channing Tatum and Mila Kunis, have contributed to its growing cult status. The movie's grand scope and attention to detail have garnered it a second life on streaming platforms like Netflix, where viewers can appreciate its quirks and the Wachowskis' ambitious vision.

Opinions

Critics initially gave "Jupiter Ascending" harsh reviews, with some comparing it unfavorably to other space operas and noting its poor dialogue and plot holes.
The film's box office performance was disappointing, failing to recoup its substantial production budget and contributing to a decline in the Wachowskis' industry clout following previous commercial failures.
Despite its flaws, the movie is considered highly entertaining, with its eccentricities and grand scale contributing to its charm.
Channing Tatum's performance as Kane, a genetically enhanced human with canine DNA, is praised for showing a range of emotions and humor.
The film's world-building, including its imaginative technology, fashion, and

It is Time for Jupiter Ascending to Get the Love It Deserves

Having landed on Netflix this summer, the Wachowskis’ film may finally get its due.

The Wachowskis’ 2015 space epic, Jupiter Ascending, was a failure by any metric you want to use.

It was widely panned when it premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.

Critics raked the film over the coals mercilessly, and it currently has a 27 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes.

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Here is a taste of some of the brutal reviews:

Where were the Guardians of the Galaxy when we needed them? If only they had prevented the disastrous atrocity that is “Jupiter Ascending” from infiltrating Earth’s movie theaters before it was too late!

— Ricard Roepoer

Jupiter Ascending is inane from first frame to last — the dialogue is so clunky, I wondered if George Lucas had been brought in to do the rewrite.

— David Edlestein

Don’t even get me started on the aliens, many of whom would have been turned away from the cantina door in Mos Eisley.

— Christopher Orr

It was also a massive flop at the box office.

Jupiter Ascending made $184 million worldwide against a budget that was estimated to be as high as 200 million. The failure of the film essentially ended the goodwill the studios had extended the Wachowskis since the Matrix films, particularly since it was their third (massively expensive) flop in a row after the failures of Speed Racer (2008) and Cloud Atlas (2012).

If you’ve never seen Jupiter Ascending and you researched the film to see if it was worth watching, everything you read about it would tell you to stay away.

Here’s the thing, however, Jupiter Ascending is highly entertaining. It is nonsensical, batshit crazy, and clearly has more plot holes than the law should allow, but it is entertaining none the less.

And sometimes being entertaining is all you need to enjoy a film.

If you don’t know what the movie is about, here is the official synopsis:

A young woman discovers her destiny as an heiress of intergalactic nobility and must fight to protect the inhabitants of Earth from an ancient and destructive industry. Jupiter Jones was born under a night sky, with signs predicting that she was destined for great things.

If you read that a thought: WTF?

Don’t feel bad; it’s just as crazy as it sounds.

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The movie works and doesn’t work for the same reason: it is so out there, so grand in scope that it doesn’t have the time to develop all of its characters and plot threads fully, but does just enough to make it an enjoyable watch.

Channing Tatum who plays Kane, a genetically enhanced human whose DNA has been spliced with a dog (known as a splice), does one of his better-acting jobs in this film. Not known for his ability to emote, he’s alternately fierce, vulnerable and funny.

Mila Kunis does a passably good job as the titular character Jupiter Jones. She’s neither bad nor good but doesn’t ruin the film with her “meh-ness.”

The supporting cast is filled with many familiar faces, from Sean Bean (Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings (2001)) as Stinger, Kane’s friend and former commander to Gugu Mbatha-Raw (Belle (2013), Beyond the Lights (2014))as Famulus, a splice assistant to one of Jupiter Jones’ royal children.

What makes Jupiter Ascending so fun, however, has little to do with the cast and everything to do with the world the Wachowskis’ built. There are carriages pulled by humans, Sims, humanoid robots, who serve as everything from assistants to royal wedding attendees, a government office that will make you appreciate the DMV and spaceships the size of cruise ships that come complete with statues of Greek Gods.

The costuming is stunning, much of it would shine on any red carpet, and for reasons I have yet to figure out, almost everyone in space speaks with a British accent.

There are so many amazing little details in Jupiter Ascending that it takes several viewings to catch them all. It is very easy to see where the $200 million went. I can imagine studio executives popping antacids every time the Wachowskis suggested just one more thing the film needed.

Ultimately, Jupiter Ascending is a movie that’s made to thrive on Netflix. It is the definition of a good, bad movie and is perfect to watch with the family after dinner or on a lazy weekend.

So, go ahead and stream it; Jupiter Ascending is worth every minute of its two hour and seven-minute running time.

I promise you won’t be disappointed.