Jupiter Ascending compared with the Matrix Movie

You may find this strange to find this write up on tech blog website, but Matrix movie was nothing less than technical marvel created in year 1999. Though Jupiter Ascending Movie has nothing much technical, but there are some facts you may find interesting when compared.

• Both the movies are about using Humans as resource. They are not born but they are grown. In the ‘Matrix’ they are grown by machines for their survival. In ‘Jupiter Ascending’ they are grown by matured form of human species living for billion of years who have figured out ways to increase life by harvesting Humans to generate youth serum.
• In Matrix, Neo (boy, Keanu Reeves) is tired of his day job and does hacking for moonlighting. In ‘Jupiter Ascending’ Jupiter (girl, Mila Kunis) is tired of her day job as janitor and wish to buy a telescope to explore night sky.
• In Matrix, Agents are gatekeepers who try to avoid meeting of Neo with Morpheus which will result in realisation of Neo’s powers, In ‘Jupiter Ascending’ Caine Wise (Channing Tatum) protects ‘Jupiter Jones’ (Mila Kunis) from House of Abrasax consisting of Balem, Kalique & Titus who are trying to mis-use her realisation as Royalty to claim ownership of earth.
• In Matrix, after realisation Neo learns to jump and fly. In ‘Jupiter Ascending’, Caine wise can fly with the help of anti-gravity boots. In the end he gets his real wings back and ‘Jupiter Jones’ get the boots to fly.
• Matrix was Male centric, where Neo realises that he will have to save the world. ‘Jupiter Ascending’ is Female centric where ‘Jupiter Jones’ realises that she is royalty with the matching genetic code and saves the earth.
• Though both the movies highlight humans as flock that can be grown and harvested but principle need is different. In Matrix it is source of ‘Fuel/Power’, in ‘Jupiter Ascending’ most precious resource is ‘Time/Life’.

Overall ‘Matrix’ movie had very slow progression towards unrealistic life that existed below natural life. In ‘Jupiter Ascending’ progression towards the unrealistic plot is very fast which makes it little difficult to accept.

In Matrix first part, there is lot of detailed & user friendly explanation of the plot. It seems Wachowskis believes audience are mature now and skipped through many details.

‘Jupiter Ascending’ makes abundant use of computer special effects. Many fight scenes are so fast that human eye can not keep a watch on fast moving details even on big screen.

Equivalent role of ‘Oracle’ & prophecy statements are truly missed in ‘Jupiter Ascending’.

Though Wachowskis tries to stick to their original Matrix theme, but there are many instances where you find clear resemblance with other Hollywood Scientific Fiction Movies.

• Many space, Planet and Mansions construction scenes resemble with THOR movie.
• Wedding scene/dress seems to be fully inspired by Star Wars theme queen Amidala.
• Bees recognise the royalty and don’t bite scene inspired from the Avatar where seeds of sacred tree rest on Jake.
• Caine Wise is Genetically Engineered ex military fighter and hunter which sounds like X-Men with wings.

Story line of Matrix and Jupiter Ascending has many elements of Mythology rewritten in the form which this generation can accept.

• Scenes from the Matrix where Morpheus explains the Neo about Matrix as game & art of war can be compared with Lord Krishna guiding Arjuna about Material nature of world. Performing the karma and following the truth. Relations can sometime be an obstacles in fulfilling the duties.
• Jupiter Ascending highlights the re-incarnation of Super Natural / Royalty, which can be verified with genetic code in today’s world. There is Governing power beyond the earth.

Scientific Fiction Validated

• Balem, Titus & Kalique has been living for thousands of years and their predecessors lived for thousands of years. In all these years they could find the cloning is not the right way to generate youth serum, but couldn’t find alternate of faster way to generate the youth serum. They still seed the planets and grow them for millions of years to make youth serum. It sounds so lazy. Today in 15 years span, Google founder is experimenting with synthetic meat technology.
• Balem is most powerful man, but his armour to fight or protect himself is nothing. He is susceptible to attacks. They have space suits in box also holding some oxygen, but Balem has nothing to defend if attacked or when there was pressure breach in dome. Living for thousands of years and so unprepared !!!
• Office Bureaucracy and corruption has not stopped even in millions of years. Sounds funny that they need a tatto like tag as social security number or UID/Adhar for privileges.

In short I would say ‘Jupiter Ascending’ is very nice movie, but still can not beat the level of the ‘Matrix’ movie.