Review: ‘Jupiter Ascending’ features too much story to tell in the time it has

Posted on February 13, 2015

By MARK VIOLA

In my preview last week for the Wachowski sibling’s “Jupiter Ascending,” I said I tend to like their movies more than most.

Of course, they hit the cinematic jackpot with 1999’s “The Matrix,” which became a pop culture sensation. The two sequels that followed greatly divided audiences, but I enjoyed them. “Speed Racer” was pretty much panned, but again, I had fun with the over-the-top style. And “Cloud Atlas,” I don’t care what anybody says, was an incredible experience that, though not perfect, was still well worth the effort.

As for “Jupiter Ascending,” the Wachowskis have created a fascinating world populated with intriguing creations and compelling questions, but it is a story and universe so vast, there is no way they could have properly delivered it in only two hours. And sadly they don’t, even though there are enough kernels of the larger story that let you see what could have been.

It really feels like this should have been a lengthy novel instead of a movie, and “Jupiter Ascending” feels like the kind of adaptation you get when somebody tries to condense a heady book into a film. I’m not sure if another hour of runtime would have been enough, but I would love to see the three-hour version of this movie.

But again, that is not what we get. And thus, the action is forced to move from one moment to the next so quickly that the film ultimately feels more like a series of vignettes and the pace never slows down enough for the audience to digest the heavy and, quite frankly, fascinating questions raised by larger story in play.

There can still be enjoyment to be found in the movie, and it’s not a terrible one by any stretch, but is definitely not a great one either. If you’re a fan of sci-fi and willing to watch a flawed movie to see an quite interesting story, it’s probably worth watching. Otherwise, it’s best you pass.

The film is rated PG-13 for some violence, sequences of sci-fi action, some suggestive content and partial nudity.

(This is a shortened version of the full review available in our printed or e-edition papers.)

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