Jupiter Ascending

So yet again I completely enjoy a movie that gets trashed by other critics. (Hello "Winter's Tale," my love.) Call me crazy, but I enjoyed the nutty, over-the-top sci-fi extravaganza "Jupiter Ascending," made by the siblings behind the "Matrix" trilogy.

This one is less cerebral and instead a little bit "Dune" and a lot "Guardians of the Galaxy" -- so, essentially, the bad and the good of sci-fi films. The story of a girl named Jupiter (Mila Kunis) who is secretly the ruler of the Universe and her half man/half wolf guardian Caine (Channing Tatum) is kooky and odd, but it still is a lot of fun.

From epic battles over the city of Chicago to a complex mythology, I admire that the Wachowskis have opted to create a brand new world rather than simply bring a book to life or another superhero franchise to the big screen. Give them credit for originality. That, and the fact that the film looks amazing and it looks even more fantastic on Blu-ray. The colors, cinematography, and sound all excel here, making this a fun night in at your home movie theatre.

The bad news about the Blu-ray release is the measly extras, which include seven featurettes that are somewhat interesting, but just glide on the surface. If you're a fan of the film like me, the disc is worth it for the film alone. It's just too bad we couldn't have had a bit more in the extras department -- like deleted scenes, or a longer cut of the film.