Jupiter Ascending

Jupiter Ascending is a 2015 American-Australian space opera film written, produced, and directed by The Wachowskis and marks their return to original screenplays and the genre of science fiction since the conclusion of The Matrix trilogy. The film's plot centers on Jupiter Jones (Mila Kunis), a lowly, down on her luck janitor who learns that her great genetic destiny has far-reaching implications that extend beyond Earth. Supporting cast member Douglas Booth has described the film's universe as a cross between The Matrix and Star Wars while lead actress Kunis named its underlying themes as indulgence "the human desire to constantly indulge in everything" and "consume more than you can provide", whether that is "food and nourishment – or [...] information and superficial items".
The film is co-produced by Grant Hill, who acted as executive producer on The Matrix Reloaded and The Matrix Revolutions and as producer on V for Vendetta, Speed Racer, Ninja Assassin and Cloud Atlas, making Jupiter Ascending his seventh collaboration with the Wachowskis. Several more longstanding Wachowski collaborators since the creation of The Matrix films have contributed to the picture, including production designer Hugh Bateup, visual effects supervisor Dan Glass, visual effects designer John Gaeta, supervising sound editor Dane Davis and costume designer Kym Barrett. Other notable past collaborators include Speed Racers composer Michael Giacchino, Cloud Atlas director of photography John Toll along with its editor Alexander Berner and finally hair and make-up designer Jeremy Woodhead, who worked on both.
==Summary==
Set in a future where, unbeknownst to Earth's residents, families of alien royalty own planets for business purposes, the House of Abrasax has been ruling all known life in the Universe for millennia. When the matriarch of the Abrasax family dies, her children Balem (Eddie Redmayne), Kalique (Tuppence Middleton) and Titus (Douglas Booth) are at war over the heir. Eventually a new heir comes to their attention; Jupiter Jones (Mila Kunis), an unsuspecting Earth-living, unlucky caretaker of other people's homes. Jupiter encounters Caine Wise (Channing Tatum), a genetically engineered interplanetary warrior, who came to Earth to reveal that her genetic signature makes Jones royalty and heir to Earth. Meanwhile, he has to protect her from Balem, who put a bounty on her head and would rather harvest Earth than lose it to Jones.
== Plot ==
Earth and countless other planets were established by families of transhuman and alien royalty for the purpose of harvesting the resulting organisms to produce a youth serum for the elites on other planets. After the death of the matriarch of the House of Abrasax, the most powerful of the alien dynasties, her children – Balem, Kalique, and Titus – quarrel over the inheritance, with Balem inheriting an enormous refinery on Jupiter, and Titus spending his inheritance on a lavish spaceship. Jupiter Jones narrates that her father, Maximilian, met her mother, Aleksa, in Saint Petersburg, Russia. After Maximilian is killed in a robbery, Aleksa names their daughter Jupiter, after his favorite planet, and they move to Chicago to live with Aleksa's family.
Years later, Jupiter makes a modest living as a housekeeper to her wealthy neighbors. Wanting to buy a telescope, Jupiter agrees to sell her egg cells, and uses her friend Katharine's name as a pseudonym. At Katharine's house, Jupiter and Katharine are attacked by extraterrestrial "Keepers". Jupiter photographs them, but they erase both of the girls' memories of the incident. Jupiter finds the strange photograph on her phone while waiting at an egg donation clinic, but cannot recall anything about it. During the procedure, the doctors and nurses are revealed to be Keepers sent to kill her, but she is saved by Caine Wise, a former soldier sent by Titus to bring her to him. As Caine and Jupiter flee, their spaceship is destroyed by a squad of Keepers. Caine fends off the attack, kills the Keepers, and hijacks one of their vehicles while protecting Jupiter. Afterwards, Caine realizes that Jupiter must be of great significance to Titus and Balem, who are revealed to have sent the Keepers to Earth to capture her. Caine takes Jupiter to the hideout of Stinger Apini, another former soldier living in exile on Earth. When Jupiter learns that she can control the bees in Stinger's residence, she discovers that she is galactic royalty.
Stinger agrees to help Jupiter, but she is captured by a group of hunters who are supposed to be working for Balem. They have been bribed by Kalique to bring Jupiter to her palace on a distant planet. There, Kalique explains that Jupiter is genetically identical to the dead matriarch, and therefore is the Earth's rightful owner. Supported by Captain Diomika Tsing of the intergalactic police force Aegis, Caine retrieves her from Kalique and takes her to the intergalactic capital planet Ores to claim her inheritance.
In another attempt to lure Jupiter to him, Balem sends Greeghan to kidnap Jupiter's family. On the way back to Earth, Titus's henchmen capture Jupiter, and detain Caine as punishment for not bringing Jupiter to him, as promised. Titus reveals to Caine his plan to marry Jupiter, kill her, and claim Earth. Titus then throws Caine into the void of space and attempts to seduce Jupiter, declaring his intention to dismantle the youth serum trade, of which Earth is the next intended source. Caine survives being spaced and returns with Stinger to save Jupiter at the altar before she gets married. Jupiter asks to return home, but learns that her family has been taken hostage by Balem. His right hand man Mr Night tells her that he is to go and see Lord Balem, she will abdicate the title and in return she will get her family back, despite the warnings Jupiter agrees.
At his refinery inside the Great Red Spot, Balem demands Earth in exchange for Jupiter's family. Realizing that Balem cannot "harvest" Earth without her permission, Jupiter refuses. Caine infiltrates the refinery and damages its gravity hull, causing the refinery to begin collapsing. While the occupants evacuate the refinery, Tsing's ship moves in and rescues Jupiter's family.
Jupiter survives the collapsing structures, only to land at the feet of Balem, who tries to kill her. Jupiter fights Balem off and spares him, but not before the structures collapse and Balem falls to his death. Just as Jupiter is about to suffer the same fate, Caine saves her as the refinery is in its final stages of collapse. Tsing opens a portal to Earth and prepares to evacuate, potentially leaving Caine and Jupiter behind. However, she is relieved to find that they have survived and crossed the portal, along with Tsing's ship.
Jupiter's family is returned home with no memory of their disappearance, while Jupiter secretly retains ownership of the Earth. Caine's rank in the Legion is restored, and he and Jupiter begin a relationship.
==Cast==
* Channing Tatum as Caine Wise, a genetically engineered ex-military hunter. Caine is a defective genetic splice, half-albino and with both wolf and human DNA. He has a tremendously powerful sense of smell that allows him to track a gene through the Universe. Tatum had to wear a mouthpiece to change the shape of his lower jaw, which prevented him from closing his mouth and gave him trouble when he had to talk. Before casting Tatum the directors queried him not only about whether he was up to the challenge physically but also about his personal belief and life experience with what love is.
* Mila Kunis as Jupiter Jones, an unsuspecting, unlucky, Earth-born janitor whose genetic structure marks her as royalty and the heir to Earth. Kunis describes her character as unhappy with her job and life, but also lazy and with no aspirations to do anything about it, until Caine finds her.
* Sean Bean as Stinger, a "Han Solo-type character". Stinger is spliced with bee DNA which gives him some of their characteristics: wings, speed, special vision and a sense of loyalty. Stinger was in the military with Caine but when Caine got into trouble and Stinger stood up for him, his wings were removed and he was exiled to Earth. He lives a normal life in Earth along with his daughter, who he describes as the only good thing he's done in life, until she falls ill and in need of a special nectar.
* Eddie Redmayne as Balem Abrasax, alien royalty whose family engages in the planetary business, trading in youth serum. He is the elder of the three Abrasax siblings and serves as the main antagonist of the film because he wants Earth for himself.
* Douglas Booth as Titus Abrasax, Balem's brother. Booth describes his character as "a bit of a playboy" mentioning his spaceship, as described in the script, is a cross between a Gothic cathedral and the Playboy Mansion.
* Tuppence Middleton as Kalique Abrasax, Balem's sister. She approaches Jupiter and befriends her, but like her brothers she has ulterior motives.
* Bae Doona in a small role as a bounty hunter.
* James D'Arcy in a small role shot in three days.
* Tim Pigott-Smith 
* David Ajala as Ibis, the leader of the cyber hunters pursuing Jupiter and Caine.
* Charlotte Beaumont in a small part as Stinger's daughter.
* Terry Gilliam in "a small but vital part" in a scene that is an homage to Gilliam's Brazil.
* Gugu Mbatha-Raw as a half-human, half-deer genetic splice.
* Sarah Campbell as Jupiter's gynecological nurse.
* Kick Gurry
* Edward Hogg as Mr Chicanery Night Lord Balems right hand man
* Nikki Amuka-Bird
* Luke Neal
==Video==
File:Jupiter Ascending Trailer 2
File:Jupiter Ascending - Trailer 4 
Category:Films
Category:English-language films
Category:2015 films
Category:2015 3D films
Category:IMAX films
Category:American science fiction films
Category:Australian science fiction films
Category:British science fiction films
Category:Films directed by The Wachowskis
Category:Films set in Chicago, Illinois
Category:Films set in the future
Category:Space opera
Category:Films shot in Chicago, Illinois
Category:Films shot in London
Category:Screenplays by The Wachowskis
Category:Space adventure films
Category:Village Roadshow Pictures films
Category:Warner Bros. films
Category:Film scores by Michael Giacchino
Category:Box Office Bombs