The movie Channing Tatum called a “nightmare”
Career rejuvenation is the order of the day in modern Hollywood, with countless actors looking at how Matthew McConaughey, Robert Pattinson and Zac Efron have turned their careers around from being mere heartthrobs to genuine dramatic talents. One actor likely trying to emulate these career paths is the American star Channing Tatum, who got his first big break thanks to his impressive dance qualifications.
Despite having made minor appearances in a collection of major movies, including Steven Spielberg’s War of the Worlds, Tatum didn’t get his first proper starring role until the release of Step Up in 2006, a dance movie essentially made for the actor to thrive. Once audiences had seen Tatum popping his movies, nothing could seemingly stop him from rising to Hollywood popularity.
Appearing in a glut of different movies, from the historical action flick The Eagle to the romance flick The Vow, Tatum didn’t really find his feet again till the release of 21 Jump Street in 2012, when he would find his feet as an excellent on-screen comedian. Yet, even after this, Tatum was still being dragged across Hollywood, with studios keen to make him an action movie star.
He’d made no secret of his dislike of such flicks either, once stating in regards to the 2009 film G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, “I fucking hate that movie. I hate that movie…I was pushed into doing that movie”.
So, it shouldn’t have come as too much of a surprise when the actor was reported to have also disliked the making of the 2015 sci-fi flick Jupiter Ascending. “I took four movies back-to-back without any time off,” he told Variety in regards to the film, “I wasn’t as good as I wanted to be in those last two movies because I didn’t have the energy…Jupiter Ascending was a nightmare from the jump. It was a sideways movie. All of us were there for seven months, busting our hump. It was just tough.”
Supposed to be the Wachowski sisters’ return to sci-fi glory following the release of The Matrix in 1999, Jupiter Ascending was instead a messy, CGI-heavy, melodramatic oddity. Starring the likes of Mila Kunis, Eddie Redmayne and Sean Bean alongside Tatum, the story follows a young woman from Earth who discovers she’s actually the heiress of intergalactic nobility.
In the tradition of the Wachowskis, Jupiter Ascending aimed to be more than a mere blockbuster, attempting to merge profound philosophical themes with a space opera spectacle. While “the project boasted impressive visual effects and a grand scale, it received mixed reviews from both critics and audiences. Some praised the film’s visuals and imagination, while others criticised its convoluted plot and certain aspects of the storytelling. Despite its mixed reception, the movie has gained a cult following for its ambitious world-building and unique take on the space opera genre.
Take a look at the trailer for the entirely forgettable 2015 movie below.
