Jupiter Ascending

I love "Jupiter Ascending". I've seen it once and I'm going to go see it again.

It had my heart pounding and my blood racing. On the Hershkowitz meter where 1 sucks and 10 is great, this movie is a creative, brilliant, imaginative and original nine.

Others have commented on the stunning visual design of this movie. I urge you to go see it on the big screen. This is what the Wachowski siblings do best. The colors and imagery are unbelievably wonderful. 

The special effects are well rendered and definitely not cheesy. The sight of Channing Tatum skateboarding through air is fantastic. There's a great spaceship fight over the city of Chicago that had my heart racing, and ended with a giggle. Go see for yourself!

The music is by Michael Giacchino. If you don't recognize that name, you should. He composed the soundtrack for Star Trek, Ratatouille and Up!, among others. He's a great composer. Lots of orchestra and chorus accompany this fantastic space opera movie.

And space opera it is indeed. The Wachowski siblings are nothing if not visual and they pay stylistic homage to all of the best works in the space opera genre including but not limited to: 

- The Foundation by Asimov (The great central planet Trantor. Or was it Vogon)

- Dune by Herbert (The great house of Abrasax! Really ☺) 

- GravityAlfonso Cuarón (Floating around in space)

-The Lost fleet series by Jack Campbell (Portals and Hyperspace)

- Startide Rising by David Brin (We are not alone)

- Etc., etc.

Boy is this movie exciting. It got my heart racing and my blood pounding. It also had funny moments and touching moments. I thought the scenes with Mila Kunis and her family were very effective and moving. 

The actors did a very credible job holding space on screen in the middle of this full on full-blown space opera action movie. And Sean Bean doesn't die☺

Lots of Channing Tatum with his shirt off and Mila Kunis in skimpy outfits aren't hard to watch.

The Wachowski siblings wrote the screenplay and it has gotten a lot of criticism. I think people don't understand it. In my mind, it's not much different from a Star Wars movie. It's a fairytale and an adventure story and it works. 

I love 3-D and I think it is used very well here. I love it when that fourth wall fades away and I'm flying through outer space. That's a very personal and subjective opinion. I know other people hate 3D. The movie has been released in both 2D and 3D. I'll probably see in in 2D when I see it again this weekend.

The fight scenes probably go on for a bit longer than I like but I can say the same about most of the movies made today including mega-hits like Ironman and The Avengers.

Jupiter Ascending is a heart stopping popcorn munching spectacular 9.

Go see it!