Warning my Jupiter ascending review will contain some spoilers (but they are not that bad).
Having read and watched dozens of reviews for Jupiter Ascending, I was a little worried about going to see it for our annual trip to the cinema on Valentine’s day (thanks for babysitting mum!).
We watched it in 3D and in the IMAX cinema. I needn’t have worried, I LOVED it!
The reviews warned about watching it in 3D. Seriously? It was brilliant. At the beginning there was a bit where a woman was on a flying bike. It was like being there!
The story
This was my kind of story. An intergalactic space opera with unknown ordinary person taking an integral part on the plot.
An unappreciated cleaner with early starts and low wages needs some money and tries to donate some eggs to get some quickly. Her genes are picked up by aliens when tested at the clinic. They then try to kill, kidnap and marry her. Her genes are the same as a matriarch who had died a while ago. Unfortunately her predecessor wrote her in to her will which the family didn’t appreciate so the plot unfolds with some or all trying to kill her to get her/their inheritance.
There was politics in the film but you need it to understand the backdrop. Without it you would be stumbling in the dark getting annoyed at the motivations of the characters. It wasn’t as bad as Star Wars.
Jupiter
I was really dreading what this character was going to do after hearing what the critics had to say about this character.
I found the character to be believable. Before you say but she didn’t ask too many questions etc., put yourself in the character’s shoes. You have spent your entire life as a cleaner which is not that stimulating (I’ve done the job in the past), and you are suddenly a queen in charge of worlds and some people are clearly trying to kill you. Are you suddenly from nowhere going to get a full potted history of the family, politics and the skills of a Karate black belt? Huh? No, you are going to go along with what seems to be the most reasonable thing anyone says while you observe and learn.
As to her intelligence, she reads up on information as soon as she can get it and uses it at the first opportunity she can.
I also got the impression she’s a wimp from the reviews but she slaps someone early on and kicks the butt off her ‘son’ later on. She’s no shrinking violet!
The love interest
If you are ever in danger this is the guy you want on your side. Sure his emotional range is limited but he is someone who is part wolf. Put yourself in the character’s point of view. He’s not a lovesick puppy, he’s a battle scarred wolf!
Other characters
Ok, the guy who used to own Earth is quite weird but then he is from a different culture. Sean Bean is awesome but then he always is and I quite liked the ‘daughter’ even if she was morally reprehensible.
In conclusion
I loved it and couldn’t recommend it enough. I needed a good action film where the fight scenes didn’t go on and on and on… This was it. It was an intelligent movie where you have to listen to what the characters say to get the best out of it. It was bright, brash and most of all fun. The best sci-fi I’ve seen in a long time.