MovieChat Forums > Jupiter Ascending (2015) Discussion > People completely miss the point (and it...

People completely miss the point (and it's the Wachowskis fault)


Jupiter Ascending literally expects the audience to know the lore that the movie is based on. Doing so without zero explanation on the subject matter. I am a believer in the idea that it is always good for a movie to treat it's audience with intelligence, but on the other side of the argument, it's not good to do this with an old myth/legend that not everyone is aware of. Thus leaving them in the dark or confused on what is actually occurring in the film.

The movie is straight up based on the Sumerian legends of the Anunnaki, translated into modern times; or simply put The return of the Anunnaki. Balem is a representation of Enki, while his brother Titus is (presumably) a representation of Enlil. Much like the Abrasax corporation, the Anunnaki were claimed to have "seeded" human life on Earth, reigning as the gods of humanity according to Sumerian lore. The Abrasax industries have now returned to harvest this developed life form in modern times.

The film also tackles controversial subjects such as the Greys, a presumed extra-terreistal species. Along with Reptilians, which another presumed extra-terreistal species. The Egyptians had odd claims that humanoid reptiles actually existed and were considered god like entity's.

Jupiter Ascending is simply a space opera that contains elements of Sumerian myth and combines it with modern day belief of extra-terrestrials. Perhaps it's a bizarre idea but it flowed together well in my opinion. It also tries to make sense of these different beliefs in a way that is somewhat accurate and sensible to these ideas, myths, and legends. The plot and philosophy of Jupiter Ascending isn't exactly a new concept, it's an existing idea that's been translated into film in a compelling and artistic matter.

The majority of the Wachowskis films use complex philosophical themes as the base foundation. The Matrix is about the philosophy that reality is an illusion. V for Vendetta tackles the idea that the government oppresses the people. Cloud Atlas explores the idea of reincarnation. Jupiter Ascension is debatably their most complicated film to date. It's no surprise that the concepts are hard for the mainstream audience to grasp.

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I think the inheritance plot should be enough to understand the movie (I also find it pretty interesting on its own because of how bizarre it is to own whole planets!) even if you don't get that characters and situations are inspired by certain myths.

As for the Greys and Reptilians I'm sure everyone got it! 😛 At least the Greys are are a very recognizable symbol in popular culture..

I don't think at all that it's crucial to know these things for the movie to engage you.

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The terrible acting is also hard to grasp.

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The connections you cite are interesting, but the problems with this film run much deeper than a mere failure to explain its mythological and philosophical foundations. Same with Cloud Atlas, I'm afraid.

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I thought the same thing when I seen the first trailer. However, I don't think the directors missed the point. They knew what they were doing and turned out a turd of a movie anyhow. All the lead actors were terrible in their roles! Most of the story (that didn't involve Annunaki lore) was horrible, though. I had to fast forward through the first sky battle on Earth as that was just too much for too long.

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Thank you for a fascinating perspective on the Wachowskis' storytelling arc. I think that progression continues in Sense8, where absorbing the theme requires patience beyond the first 3 episodes (for many - I was sucked in from the first moment). While it will take time to develop that theme, it feels to me that they are declaring that the salvation of our planet is dependent on new conceptions of human connection and expressions of empathy. Otherwise fear and misunderstanding and arrogant certainty will result in a descent into chaos. Aside from the bravura grandeur of their storytelling, I have always gravitated to their work because of the essential optimism it projects. Whatever flaws they have succumbed to, that optimism has remain constant.

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To Daisy Wang:

When my friends asked me about Jupiter Ascending, my answer was: "If you like the History Channel series Ancient Aliens. You'll love Jupiter Ascending."

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