UPSIDE DOWN

UPSIDE DOWN is set in an extremely peculiar universe where two planets that live next to each other have dual gravity. The number one rule of dual gravity is that “all matter is pulled by the gravity of its own world, and not the other.” The two planets are connected by a bridge owned by a giant corporation called “TransWorld” that’s milking the oil out of the “Down” planet. The “Up” planet prospers while “Down” decays in poverty. Travel between planets is restricted and very hard to actually do because the gravity of ones own planet pulls them back. Gravity is the strongest force in the universe. All of this is narrated by Adam who lives on Down. Adam believes the only thing stronger than gravity is love.

Adam’s story begins when he was a young boy who’d spend time with his aunt on weekends. Adam would climb the nearby mountain that was so high, it could nearly reach the other planet. One day while playing on top of the mountain he sees a girl named Eden on Up, and he introduces himself to her. They develop a friendship that turns into a romantic relationship as they grow older.

Adam figures out a way to pull Eden to Down so they can spend time with each other briefly before her own gravity pulls her back to Up. One day, some soldiers cut their visit short. Adam tries to send Eden back to Up, but he’s shot in the process and drops her. Eden falls back on her planet and takes a blow to her head that will ultimately take her memory away.

Seven years later, Adam works tirelessly to invent something that would break the gravity barrier between planets. One day, he sees Eden on television. Shocked that she’s still alive, Adam is determined to find her, but Adam has no knowledge of Eden’s memory loss. How will he sneak between worlds without guards noticing all the while his own gravity pulling him back to Down.

UPSIDE DOWN has a clever, intriguing concept. The incredible visuals give this fantastical world a sense of awe and wonder. Sadly, this is all it has going for it. The overly narrated story either explains too much or too little about this odd world. Many of the scenes hold little purpose for the overall story and are simply there for visual stimuli. The cast was more than capable of delivering good performances, but the poor script and bad direction held them back.

The movie’s Romantic worldview is mixed with some moral, redemptive aspects of sacrifice, but it ultimately lacks depth. Even though a giant corporation is the bad guy, in the end, the good guys use free market conventions to bring them down. Along with the worldview issues, UPSIDE DOWN also has some light foul language, action violence, and implied sexuality that warrant extreme caution.