Jupiter Ascending is 'a futuristic fairy tale minus the magic'

The Wachowskis, the American directing duo who ignited 1999 cinema with The Matrix, are venturing back into the realm of science fiction with their new space drama Jupiter Ascending.

The action adventure stars That '70s show​ actress Mila Kunis as a cleaning lady who unwittingly is the genetic heir to the planet Earth.

Magic Mike's Channing Tatum plays the genetically engineered ex-military hunter sent to Earth to track her down.

The movie comes at a critical time for The Wachowskis. The filmmaker siblings have had a tough go at the box office with their most recent ventures. Both Speed Racer (2008) and Cloud Atlas (2012) struggled to find an audience despite the wild success of their Matrix franchise.

But Jupiter Ascending is likely to leave fans wanting.

"This Barbarella meets Brazil is a sci-fi slog," says CBC's film critic Eli Glasner. "It's a futuristic fairy tale minus the magic."

That, and the whole thing wraps up with an ending "that makes Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith​ seem original." 

Jupiter Ascending is in theatres now.

Watch Eli's full review in the video above.