There was a time when I’d leg it to the cinema at the faintest murmur of the Wachowskis’ involvement.
The Matrix trilogy remains one of my favourite of all time, while the likes of Bound and V For Vendetta are also right up my street.
It’s fair to say that 2012’s Cloud Atlas didn’t reach such heights (in my mind, at least), so I wasn’t as pumped about their latest offering – sci-fi space opera Jupiter Ascending – as I was perhaps expecting.
You can draw a lot of similarities (plot-wise) between this Mila Kunis and Channing Tatum offering and cult 1999 classic, The Matrix.
Normal human fed up with their not-so-remarkable life? Check. Said human is actually a very important person in a world they aren’t aware of yet? Yep. Fast-tracked love story? You betcha.
That’s right, just like Neo, Russian immigrant Jupiter Jones (Kunis – Ted) – who cleans toilets for a living – is actually a queen reborn as she possesses the same genetic code as a powerful galactic matriarch.
It turns out she’s the rightful heir to earth, no less.
That doesn’t go down too well with her supposed royal family Balem (Eddie Redmayne – The Theory of Everything), Titus (Douglas Booth – Noah) and Kalique (Tuppence Middleton – The Imitation Game), who either want to screw her out of her inheritance, or kill her.
Thankfully, genetically spliced ex-military hunter Caine (Tatum – 21 Jump Street), who wears some awesome anti-gravity boots, and his pal Stinger (Sean Bean – Game of Thrones) are out to save her – and the story goes from there.
If that sounds confusing, it’s because it is. The Matrix was a massive mind-bender, but it spoon fed you the details over three films.
Jupiter Ascending was running rings around me from the off and had me scratching my head – which is a shame, as the acting and world building are top notch.
It was a blast watching in 3D too, but it feels like the Wachowskis missed a great chance to build themselves a vast new universe here.
Good fun? Yes. Top film? Sadly not.
Voice Verdict: 6.5/10
+ Kunis, Tatum and Bean
+ Gorgeous looking film
– Confusing
– Repetitive at times
Showtimes at West End Cinema, Boston (Friday, February 13 to Thursday, February 19)
EVENT CINEMA & LIVE EVENTS
TREASURE ISLAND (12A AL) – National Theatre Live
5pm (Wed)
PEPPA PIG: THE GOLDEN BOOTS
10am (not Fri), 11.30pm (not Fri), 1pm (not Fri)
FILMS SHOWING
** FIFTY SHADES OF GREY (18)
2.45pm (daily), 4.30pm (daily), 5.30pm (Fri/Sat), 5.40pm (Sun-Thurs), 7.30pm (daily), 8.30pm (daily), 9pm (Fri),
10.30pm (Fri/Sat)
JUPITER ASCENDING 2D (12A)
Noon (not Mon/Wed), 2.30pm (daily)
JUPITER ASCENDING 3D (12A)
8pm (daily)
**PROJECT ALMANAC (12A)
Noon (Mon-Thurs)
SHAUN THE SHEEP (U)
10am (not Fri), 12.45pm (not Fri), 2.30pm (daily), 5pm (daily), 7pm (daily)
BIG HERO 6 3D (PG)
10am (not Fri), 2.45pm (daily), 5.30pm (daily)
BIG HERO 6 2D (PG)
12.20pm (not Fri)
KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE (15)
2.20pm (Fri), 5.15pm (not Wed), 8.40pm (not Fri)
AMERICAN SNIPER (15)
8pm (daily)
INTO THE WOODS (PG)
Noon (Sat/Sun), 2.15pm (not Fri)
PADDINGTON (PG)
10am (not Fri/Wed)
KIDS’ CLUB
Sat-Thurs 10.30am – Penguins of Madagascar 3D (U)
SILVER SCREEN
Wed 11.30am – American Sniper (15)
** DENOTES FREE LIST SUSPENDED
Website: www.westendcinema.co.uk/SavoyBoston
Box office: 01205 363 639
