They began with The Matrix that broke many grounds in film-making and is number four in my all-time list. That success ended up being a trilogy which ended up dividing audiences.
Then came Speed Racer, which I found to be highly enjoyable but in the box-office was a bit of a bomb.
In 2012, they released the supposedly un-filmable Cloud Atlas which was originally an awarding novel. It ended wowing me and many others despite being highly snubbed in the major awards. It is currently number two in my films of this decade and I will never bored of watching it.
Now, we see the Wachowski's back with more sci-fi in Jupiter Ascending.
Firstly, the Wachowski's gives us a story that paints us an interesting future. The first fifteen minutes are a lot to take in. But it is just the Wachowski's introducing to you to their universe.
A bit like James Cameron, the Wachowski's have a talent for creating worlds that feel complete and heavily detailed.
It is clear to see their intention and ambition. You could easily make spin-offs due to the amount of characters and creatures that we are introduced throughout the film.
In terms of ideas, the Wachowski's are on top form as usual. However, the story does not seem to be as hefty as the world it is put in.
It was a shame to see a story that was pretty simple, wasted on such a wonderfully crafted world.
The film was originally going to be released last August. But there were delays in the visual effects, and that was by far the films biggest strong point.
It is not only the story, but the script is lacking and therefore the characters do not seem as interesting as they should have been. There are heavy backgrounds for each character, but the way they were delivered just seemed to pass me by and I was simply not interested.
The leads Mila Kunis and Channing Tatum were disappointing. Tatum has his moments, but Kunis for me was totally uninteresting, and for a lead that is hugely surprising. Out of the minor roles, the only one I would mention is Doona Bae. I'm only mentioning her I was really happy to see back on the big screen after her glorious performance in Cloud Atlas a couple of years ago.
Eddie Redmayne playing the villain performed his role in such a camp way, that he would give Ming The Merciless a run for his money.
Speaking of Ming, this film had a real feeling of Flash Gordon to it, but a lot more serious. You see a lot of interesting creatures. Flash Gordon has Brian Blessed with wings, Jupiter Ascending has Dragon Lizards with a bad attitude.
Overall, it is a bit of a mixed bag. Even with the little character development and the pretty basic script, it is not a total loss. The film still manages to be enjoyable with good action, cool gadgets and wonderful special effects that will forever be its high-point. One thing that I always admire with The Wachowski's is their imagination and there is a lot of it.
Yes, the fan-boy in me is giving probably giving it a better mark then a neutral person would. But I still feel that there is enough in there for your average film-goer to enjoy.
I am glad this got moved from August to February. It is not just because we got the visual effects that the film-makers wanted, but I think this would have got lost in what was a stellar summer for films last year.
Rating: 7/10
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