February 12, 2025

JUPITER’S LEGACY – SEASON ONE (2021) – Superheroes overload! But still watchable!

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Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Jupiters-legacy-groupshot

JUPITER'S LEGACY (L-R) DAVID JULIAN HIRSH as R. CONRAD, BEN DANIELS as WALTER SAMPSON, JOSH DUHAMEL as SHELDON SAMPSON, MIKE WADE as FITZ SMALL, and MATT LANTER as GEORGE HUTCHENCE in episode 107 of JUPITER'S LEGACY. Cr. STEVE WILKIE/NETFLIX © 2021

Hollywood has long reached the over saturation of superhero movies but that doesn’t seem to deter them from making more and more. Hence, when I saw the new Netflix series Jupiter’s Legacy which was yet another entry to the superhero genre, I barfed. But somehow, the film’s promotional photos showing these superheroes in ridiculous retro-looking and exaggerated costumes filled me with curiosity so I decided to give the first episode a try.

While I won’t say that this opening episode was a killer and got me hooked to the series, it did revealed that Jupiter’s Legacy succeeded in something amazing. It actually felt different from the usual superhero movies and TV series. The characters were flawed and not invincible. It was not afraid to cross the family safe viewing restriction with some graphic violence and a little unrefined language uttered. As the series progressed, I found myself getting more and more drawn in by its plot and the parallel back story on the origins of the superheroes. While action demanding fans may complain on the lack of action, there were a few well staged ones which rival anything we see in the cinemas. Well choregraphed, and overall high production standards make the series look good visually. The witty dialogue between characters is laced with humour which in turn makes the series fun to listen to.

The overall performance from everyone was good. Josh Duhamel in particular have the toughest job as he takes on the lead and I thought he did a very good job with his portrayal of his younger self in the flash back sequences, and his older present self. The introduction of the rebellious younger generation of superheroes here is also something that resonates well and identifiable with the audience. I also thought the special effects and use of sound effects were good and supported the storyline well.

What didn’t go down too well for me was that the pace was too leisurely. It seem to take its own sweet time to tell the background story and when we finally reached the crucial point, important details were left out. Unless I missed something, I don’t think it was ever revealed why we have the reference to Jupiter. I also never liked series which have open endings with cliff hangers at the end. This is exactly what happens here and I simply hate the idea of having to wait another year before we can find out what happens next provided the series is successful enough to be renewed for another season. It makes the who of season one look like a prelude or teaser for the next season. That always makes me feel short changed and like I just wasted my time waiting the whole season for nothing. However I would not write this one off and it is to its credit that the series can still feel like something different and new in a genre that has long reached saturation point.

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