The Matrix is one of the most famous sci-fi films of all time, and it was one of the biggest successes for the sibling duo the Wachowskis, who continued to direct and produce other projects even after its success. A later sci-fi film was a fairly ambitious project, but it ended up being a flop.
What film is it about? In 1999, Matrix, a new science fiction film, was released that combined unusual philosophical aspects with stylized action. This was the first major success of the Wachowski siblings, who later tried to realize other bizarre projects as producers and directors.
That didn’t always work. So they tried to adapt an old anime with Speed Racer 2008. But that wasn’t the director duo’s only big project. Cloud Atlas was released in 2012 and German director Tom Tykwer also worked on it.
The film was a book adaptation of the novel The Cloud Atlas and had two great actors in the leading roles: Tom Hanks and Halle Berry. But the film flopped.
You can see a trailer for the film here:
Cloud Atlas – Trailer for the complex SF film with Tom Hanks and Halle Berry
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An ambitious sci-fi film was doomed to failure
What is Cloud Atlas about? Cloud Atlas tells 6 different stories from 6 different time levels. It shows how characters also have a major influence on other time levels. Cloud Atlas touches on philosophical and religious themes, such as reincarnation.
In the different time levels, the same actors play different characters to show the idea behind reincarnation and the influence of souls. The cast is impressive. In addition to Tom Hanks and Halle Berry in the main roles, well-known actors such as Hugh Grant, Hugo Weaving and Jim Broadbent also star.
But despite the good cast, the interesting premise and the Matrix makers in the background, the film was a flop.
According to IMDb, the film cost just under $102 million. It is unclear here whether marketing was taken into account. At the time, that was a high budget for an independent film, to which Warner Bros. only contributed a few million dollars. The film itself grossed just under $130 million worldwide.
This only barely covered the production costs.
How did critics and audiences react to the film? The film received mixed reviews from critics and audiences. On Rotten Tomatoes, the film only has a positive ranking among viewers (over 100,000 reviews) and critics (288 reviews) with 66% each.
Cloud Atlas wanted too much
What was the problem? Cloud Atlas wants to tell a complex story with different timelines. This is difficult and ambitious. Even in 3 hours. That seems to have been a big problem too. Marketing and trailering a film like this is difficult.
The negative reviews often refer to the failed ambition, which is not the first time that the Wachowskis have been doomed. The negative user reviews also think that the film is too confusing, long and unnecessarily complicated.
But the film also has many fans. Many positive user reviews on Rotten Tomatoes love the film and it is named as a favorite film several times. The positive reviews from critics praise the film for the emotions and personal stories within the complex story.
How does it look for you? Have you seen Cloud Atlas and what do you think of the film? Write it to us in the comments. Sometimes a single film is supposed to start an entire film universe. But that didn’t work with The Mummy: A fantasy film with Tom Cruise was supposed to be the start of a big universe like Marvel – but it was a flop