Wachowski's Jupiter Ascending - Nice Image

[Ubik]

I would be interested in that but would have trepidation if it was B5. I have enjoyed the W's work. Haven't seen JA yet but certainly enjoyed Cloud Atlas more than what it seemed others did. But I don't know if I want them entering the B5 universe. Even though it could be brilliant.

Yeah I dunno, the possibility had crossed my mind of them being involved with the B5 feature. I'm unsure if the Ws being attached to a B5 film would do more harm than good, as their Hollywood cred has all but run dry as far as mainstream box office films goes.

However, they do still have quite some clout, and could be helpful in the funding department. Given they self funded a great deal of Cloud Atlas, they could definitely help and give pointers with that. Definitely good friends for JMS to have as they're used to deadling with big studios and features.

Actually, who am I kidding, having the Ws attached would give it way more chance of getting made.

[Nastastu]

I really enjoyed Sense8, the Ws seem to work so much better outside the constraints of Hollywood film making. Perhaps they need to team with JMS for an SF feature?!? We might get characters with some depth!

I would be interested in that but would have trepidation if it was B5. I have enjoyed the W's work. Haven't seen JA yet but certainly enjoyed Cloud Atlas more than what it seemed others did. But I don't know if I want them entering the B5 universe. Even though it could be brilliant.

[Ubik]

You have to admit that it is visually astounding. If you don't enjoy the story just turn off the sound and enjoy the pretty pictures.

I did like some of the visuals, but would have been more enamoured had they not just ripped off Moebius / early French SF comics. The whole thing just rang very hollow for me, even when judged as a popcorn action film.

I can appreciate some folks enjoyed it, it just really wasn't for me. The pacing was awful, the script was pretty lamentable, the characters were shallow, and even the core idea was okay, but essentially just another riff on The Matrix (humans as food for the corporate machine). It's a shame, cause the world needs more original SF / Space Opera. And I know the Ws are capable of so much more.

I really enjoyed Sense8, the Ws seem to work so much better outside the constraints of Hollywood film making. Perhaps they need to team with JMS for an SF feature?!? We might get characters with some depth!

[Looney]

It would make an ideal coaster or frisbee!

You have to admit that it is visually astounding. If you don't enjoy the story just turn off the sound and enjoy the pretty pictures.

[Jan]

Anyone looking for a deal on this beautiful 3D Blu-Ray . . .

http://www.amazon.com/Jupiter-Ascend...iter+ascending

Thanks, Looney. I may do this as I enjoyed the movie. I already have the soundtrack.

It would make an ideal coaster or frisbee!

Yes, we know. You've said so a few times. But some of us did enjoy it.

Jan

[Ubik]

Anyone looking for a deal on this beautiful 3D Blu-Ray . . .

http://www.amazon.com/Jupiter-Ascend...iter+ascending

It would make an ideal coaster or frisbee!

[Looney]

Anyone looking for a deal on this beautiful 3D Blu-Ray . . .

http://www.amazon.com/Jupiter-Ascend...iter+ascending

[Ubik]

Just watched it, here's the reaction I put on facebook: Woahhh. I don't care what others say about Jupiter ascending it was f*cking Brilliant!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Best movie I've seen in a really long time. Loved the tech, loved the mythology, loved the story, loved the actors, loved the dialogue. It was a really, really, really great movie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Whist the film did absolutely nothing for me, I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Someone has to! I think I'm just really picky these days. At least I'm not hating on it without giving clear justification for my dislike.

The last SF ‘romp’ of this ilk that I really enjoyed was ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’. I liked that it acknowledged it’s own silliness! And it was just so wonderfully over the top... but in a more 'fun' way than Jupiter. If I can get more emotionally attached to a computer generated racoon and a tree, than I can to any one character in Jupiter, then there’s something wrong!

I mean, 'Guardians' was also a total popcorn film too, no pretensions of anything else, but it was one that actually kept me entertained.

[Delenn_of_Mir]

Just watched it, here's the reaction I put on facebook: Woahhh. I don't care what others say about Jupiter ascending it was f*cking Brilliant!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Best movie I've seen in a really long time. Loved the tech, loved the mythology, loved the story, loved the actors, loved the dialogue. It was a really, really, really great movie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Ubik]

I don't refute any of your claims about this film, but this comment surprises me. I saw this late in the theaters and went in with zero expectations of originality. Maybe there was press that I missed, but I did not encounter anything that claimed this film would be original. While I doubt you would have liked this film regardless, my enjoyment I'm sure was aided by the expectation that it would just be a silly space opera.

I think a lot of the early press for the film really pushed the fact that it was an 'original script', i.e. not based on a video game or comic, etc. This perhaps, somewhere along the way, got transmuted into 'original concept / execution', which it definitely wasn't.

I agree with the rest that the fight scenes were interminably long, and I didn't care a lick about the characters. One thing I did like, and I'm not versed enough in deep SF to claim its originality, was the base concept: that there's this galactic royalty that is immortal enough that sooner or later someone will be born in the galaxy with the same DNA as a royal member and that person will inherit the throne. I'd never seen that concept before, and I thought it was a clever approach.

Yeah, that particular concept is new to me too. I wonder if it's scientifically possible though? Not that it really matters, as we're dealing in fiction here, and even I'm not about to nit-pick on that level!

[sarthaz]

I think so much was made of Jupiter being an ‘original film’, that I had to speak up. If anything, that’s where I found it so lacking. It felt like a pastiche of other things and not an original vision with its own ideas.

I don't refute any of your claims about this film, but this comment surprises me. I saw this late in the theaters and went in with zero expectations of originality. Maybe there was press that I missed, but I did not encounter anything that claimed this film would be original. While I doubt you would have liked this film regardless, my enjoyment I'm sure was aided by the expectation that it would just be a silly space opera.

I agree with the rest that the fight scenes were interminably long, and I didn't care a lick about the characters. One thing I did like, and I'm not versed enough in deep SF to claim its originality, was the base concept: that there's this galactic royalty that is immortal enough that sooner or later someone will be born in the galaxy with the same DNA as a royal member and that person will inherit the throne. I'd never seen that concept before, and I thought it was a clever approach.

[Ubik]

Now the bad guys were something I liked. Each of the baddies had their own reasons for opposing Jupiter. My issue is that there was so little passion involved, only scheming.

One of the things I'm looking forward to with Sense8 is that JMS is really good at making you care about the characters.

Jan

Yes, I am beyond curious what a JMS / Wachowskis team up is going to feel like. I am also interested to see the Ws do something unfettered by Hollywood tropes, cliches and expectations.

JMS doens't do blacka and white characterisation, it's why B5 was so strong.

[Jan]

A film really does hinge on the strength of its characters, and I just felt like I was watching cardboard cut outs of ‘bad guy’, ‘good guy’, and ‘destiny thrust upon her type heroine’.

Now the bad guys were something I liked. Each of the baddies had their own reasons for opposing Jupiter. My issue is that there was so little passion involved, only scheming.

One of the things I'm looking forward to with Sense8 is that JMS is really good at making you care about the characters.

Jan

[Ubik]

I understand. Me, I enjoyed it for what it was - a fun romp. My two main issues were that I didn't care for the characters as much as I'd have liked and that the fights went on too long. Otherwise I enjoyed it, especially the score, a lot. I felt like I got my money's worth going to the theater but I wouldn't want to own the movie. I did buy the soundtrack, though.

Jan

Yeah, maybe it's me getting older, but I really don’t care for drawn out action sequences or fights anymore. Not unless they're crucial to the telling of the story, or they’re very inventively shot.

There were too many fight scenes that felt really flat, and none of them were imbued with a sense of genuine danger or emotional clout to get me on the edge of my seat.

A film really does hinge on the strength of its characters, and I just felt like I was watching cardboard cut outs of ‘bad guy’, ‘good guy’, and ‘destiny thrust upon her type heroine’.

[Jan]

I mean, I like the way Jupiter looked, but I was just contesting the originality of it as a whole.

I understand. Me, I enjoyed it for what it was - a fun romp. My two main issues were that I didn't care for the characters as much as I'd have liked and that the fights went on too long. Otherwise I enjoyed it, especially the score, a lot. I felt like I got my money's worth going to the theater but I wouldn't want to own the movie. I did buy the soundtrack, though.

Jan