Despite revolutionizing the face of blockbuster cinema forever, it would be fair to say we’ve reached a point where the Wachowskis should never be given a massive budget ever again, having delivered nothing but failure for so long. Speed Racer? Bomb. Jupiter Ascending? Bomb. The Matrix Resurrections? Bomb.
Intriguingly enough, though, all three of them have secured cult status in one way or another. Speed Racer‘s candy-colored visuals and insane action have made it a firm fan favorite, while Resurrections‘ meta approach to the storytelling saw it win better reviews than any other Matrix sequel, whereas Jupiter Ascending has been embraced as a preposterous camp classic.
The jury is out on whether that was the sibling filmmakers’ intentions or not, but let’s just say that it was for the sole reason of trying comprehend why Eddie Redmayne decided to pitch his infamous performance as such. There was no shortage of ambition on display, but with a price tag rumored to be as high as $210 million, it was predicted to flop from a mile out.
That’s exactly what it did, too, with the intergalactic adventure losing an estimated $120 million for Warner Bros. when the dust had settled, even if it keeps threatening to secure longevity as one of those “it’s better than you remember, honest!” movies. With that in mind, a new batch of opinions are being formed as we speak, seeing as Jupiter Ascending has been anointed by FlixPatrol as one of the 10 most-watched features on HBO Max among subscribers in the United States.
Is it a good film? Absolutely not. Is it fun? Well, that’s entirely up to how you choose to interpret it.