Upside Down
Directed by: Juan Diego Solanas Starring: Jim Sturgess, Kirsten Dunst, Timothy Spall Rating: PG-13 Release Date: March 15, 2013
Trailer Score: 7/10
Thoughts by TSR: This trailer calls writer/director Juan Diego Solanas a visionary. I’m not sure we can go that far yet, but the world he has created in Upside Down looks remarkable. Sure, having the people living in the upper world being well-off and the folks down below being poor isn’t exactly subtle. Visually, though, it’s stunning. The mountains where Jim Sturgess and Kirsten Dunst meet are especially gorgeous, and this trailer makes a strong case for experiencing these visuals on the big screen.
As great as the design elements are, I’m not entirely sure how interesting Sturgess and Dunst’s quest to be together actually is. I like both of them an awful lot, but the shot of Dunst drinking an upside down martini is far more interesting to me than Sturgess’ life being threatened. Similarly, I care less about him having to run away while they’re dancing than I do about him jumping into the water and seeing the camera rotate as he is pulled back into his world. On and on it goes. It isn’t that the more plot-centric stuff is terrible. It just pales in comparison to the craft work on display. With crafts this good, however, I’m willing to accept the rest.