Jupiter's Legacy

:

Season 1
  • Network: Netflix
  • Series Premiere Date: May 7, 2021
User Score
6.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 74 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 41 out of 74
  2. Mixed: 15 out of 74
  3. Negative: 18 out of 74

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User Reviews

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  1. Mudget
    May 7, 2021
    8
    Very enjoyable. One of the few recent series I felt compelled to binge-watch in one sitting. The superhero genre is a crowded market. I keep hearing about 'superhero fatigue' yet one after the other, superhero movies and tv shows continue to dominate the box office and streaming viewership. I hurried onto the Internet after finishing the series expecting to find critical praise, andVery enjoyable. One of the few recent series I felt compelled to binge-watch in one sitting. The superhero genre is a crowded market. I keep hearing about 'superhero fatigue' yet one after the other, superhero movies and tv shows continue to dominate the box office and streaming viewership. I hurried onto the Internet after finishing the series expecting to find critical praise, and instead mostly found critical pans. That's too bad. i really had a good time watching this one. A lot of the things critics are, well, being critical of - I felt worked. The back-and-forth between the early 20th century origin story and the modern day worked for me and the ageing, de-ageing process used on the actors was pretty great. Sheldon/Utopian, in particular, was almost like watching two different actors playing the same role in different time periods. The fact that it was the same actor is a testament to Josh Duhamel's acting. Same goes for Walter/Brainwave, convincing both as a young man and a modern elder.

    The origin story, woven throughout each episode, really worked for me and kept the pace relentless. It didn't seem to hit for most critics though - they cite the balancing act as clumsy. One critic went so far as to say that they should have just devoted one episode to the origin story. To me that would make it like every other show. The interwoven time periods and story lines really set this one apart for me. Juxtaposing the adventure leading to the original heroes' powers, bringing a beam of hope to the Great Depression - against the modern era where everything is falling apart and the OG's codes are in question - are what make Jupiter's Legacy so compelling. I'm hooked on the story.

    I also think the effects were pretty spectacular (something else many critics and I seem to disagree on). There are a lot of powers being used throughout - and they all look comic book cool. The stakes feel high, too, with villains like Darkstar happy to tear the heads off of our heroes. The violence and gore isn't on par with The Boys or Invincible, but feels more legitimate and purposefully-placed. The big bads don't seem to have motivations as realistic as, say, Flag Smasher in Falcon and the Winter Soldier, but Darkstar is far scarier because he feels like a legit comic book villain. Making the audience 'feel for' the bad guys (i.e. Thanos, Flag Smasher, Wanda, Homelander, Killmonger, etc. etc. etc.) is all fine and good but every now and then just give me a bad guy who is a bad guy for the sake of being a bad guy. Darkstar fits that bill.

    The acting is good all-around. There are no weak links. Everyone brings it, everyone's believable. The one exception might be Paragon, who feels bland, even though he's the one representing the audience, stuck in the middle between his OG dad's code of black-and-white ethics and the challenges of the modern day and all its greys. I never really 'felt' his struggle. The daughter, the rebel, off doing drugs and partying it up, is far more relatable and believable. And, to be fair, there are a lot of characters who will need another season or two to really flesh out. We met a lot of people, we only got to know a few in this first season. But that only makes me want more seasons. I am unfamiliar with the original comics, but I can tell there's a mountain's worth of content just waiting to be explored.

    I for one am along for the ride.

    A very solid entry into the superhero genre. A fun ride. I hope there are enough critics that feel the way I do that the show gets picked up for another season.    … Expand
  2. marconeves
    May 8, 2021
    10
    I LOVED it. The 1929 storyline is far superior than the comic storylines. I'm also glad they toned down the woke aspect. Critics are naturally annoyed by that. In my opinion, this story, lore, universe and characters are far better than The Boys. GREAT show. Thank you, Mark Millar!
  3. Nino2000
    May 8, 2021
    9
    I found it enjoyable overall. Some of the scenes with the up and coming superheroes are pretty cheesy. Overall, the acting was great and the origin story was great. I have not read the comic so I cannot compare it to that.
  4. Subsided16
    May 7, 2021
    10
    Pretty great, looks like a lot of critic reviews are focused on the lack of forced diversity and PC anger, not to mention preaching of nonsensical values to drag this show down but its very good and if youre an actual human and not some media puppet you should definately enjoy this show, about time this year finally has a show you can actual enjoy as a form of escapism not preachy out ofPretty great, looks like a lot of critic reviews are focused on the lack of forced diversity and PC anger, not to mention preaching of nonsensical values to drag this show down but its very good and if youre an actual human and not some media puppet you should definately enjoy this show, about time this year finally has a show you can actual enjoy as a form of escapism not preachy out of touch nonsense… Expand
  5. TheBinarySurfer
    May 15, 2021
    9
    Excellent series; provided you can get past the poor makeup and (in some scenes) costumes. Refreshing take on the genre, excellent peformances from almost all the core cast and an intruiging premise. Honestly; a big surprise at how enjoyable it was. I suspect most of the 'woke' critics disliked it as it didn't pander much (if at all) to their nonsense and had fairly grounded themes ofExcellent series; provided you can get past the poor makeup and (in some scenes) costumes. Refreshing take on the genre, excellent peformances from almost all the core cast and an intruiging premise. Honestly; a big surprise at how enjoyable it was. I suspect most of the 'woke' critics disliked it as it didn't pander much (if at all) to their nonsense and had fairly grounded themes of duty, responsibility, sacrifice and 'passing the torch'. Quality-wise, this is up there with 'The Boys' in some regards, and certaintly as good as the 'early' Marvel series e.g. Jessica Jones 1.… Expand
  6. Monster507
    May 7, 2021
    9
    No es la mejor, tiene sus errores, Tal vez con una segunda temporada mejoren algunos aspectos, le daría un 7 pero como hay demasiados trolls puntuándola con 0 le daré un 9.
  7. MelisaSumer
    May 12, 2021
    9
    It's a good show with hero stuff and includes family,religion,political things.The cast and their acting was amazing.I didn't like some of thems wigs. Some of them were great. And you are used to it and enjoy it after watching 2 episoddes. And the back scenes were so awesome. And I really love the show. I am looking forward to coming seasons.
  8. mineda
    Jun 2, 2021
    8
    Had a lot of fun watching this series. I have been dropping series after watching just some episodes but watched the entire season in 3 days. This series reminds me of the cartoons of old, with rightful heroes and goofy villains. Costumes and special effects are really not that great but the end result is enjoyable. It is really a pity that it was cancelled.
  9. zombox5000
    May 28, 2021
    8
    The show is fine and has an interesting, nuanced look at a "realistic" super-hero world. Some of the actors are middling, but no one is terrible in their respective roles. If the show had a bigger budget to make it "prettier" that might help reviews, but I suspect that reviewers hate it because it doesn't quite vibe with the "woke" zeitgeist. The lead character is focused onThe show is fine and has an interesting, nuanced look at a "realistic" super-hero world. Some of the actors are middling, but no one is terrible in their respective roles. If the show had a bigger budget to make it "prettier" that might help reviews, but I suspect that reviewers hate it because it doesn't quite vibe with the "woke" zeitgeist. The lead character is focused on accountability, doing the fair thing that benefits the most people, not over-reacting to every situation, not living in emotion of the moment, and improving yourself - not themes that the "woke" crowd really like contemplating. It's a good show, but not perfect.… Expand
  10. Skeletor71
    May 10, 2021
    9
    Binged it in two days. It certainly had lots of cliffhangers which kept me going and I really wanted to find out more about the origin story. It reminded me of The Boys and Watchmen. So if you liked those, give it a shot.
  11. umaumai
    May 16, 2021
    7
    I enjoyed this for what it is. A campy superhero story set to the backdrop of just before the golden age of comics and the gritty current era we live in. I see several other reviews that thought the acting was bad, but I though it fit the comic book story being laid out. The heart of the plot is constantly framed by the question of what happens to the "rules," to the hero's code, whenI enjoyed this for what it is. A campy superhero story set to the backdrop of just before the golden age of comics and the gritty current era we live in. I see several other reviews that thought the acting was bad, but I though it fit the comic book story being laid out. The heart of the plot is constantly framed by the question of what happens to the "rules," to the hero's code, when unmatched ultimate power is meet with with a new ultimate power. How far do you go to keep everyone you know safe? Do the rules mater any more? I think that the real issue with this show is the pacing the story takes as it washes back and forth from how the supers came to be to the present day as they where they are dealing with the "rules" problem. This device gets in the way of telling the story after a few episode. It reminds me of the CW Arrow that season after season told it's story through so much flashback that I eventually gave up on it. The show builds to something interesting, albeit fairly obvious, and then it just ends. It's a cliffhanger I guess, but I'm not sure if there will be more of these. With that said I'd still recommend it to anyone who is used to and can enjoy "Buffy" level production quality.… Expand
  12. jovincen
    May 13, 2021
    8
    Quite a great series, very enjoyable gritty TV. I don't understand all of these negative reviews. Well worth watching to form your own opinion (just get past episode 2).

Awards & Rankings

21
#21 Most Discussed TV Season of 2021

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
45

Mixed or average reviews - based on 17 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 17
  2. Mixed: 10 out of 17
  3. Negative: 5 out of 17
  1. Radio Times
    Reviewed by: David Craig
    Dec 2, 2021
    40
    The source material is perfectly sound, but this adaptation doesn’t do it a shred of justice. The fleeting moments that work are far outweighed by an uneven cast, lame script and agonising pace, the latter of which is fast becoming a systemic problem suffered by most Netflix original series.
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  2. Empire
    Reviewed by: James Dyer
    Sep 20, 2021
    60
    More straightforward than The Umbrella Academy but lacking the playfulness or bite of The Boys, this is a decent enough stab at superhero deconstruction, if one that takes itself far too seriously.
    Read full review
  3. Polygon
    Reviewed by: Samantha Nelson
    May 8, 2021
    50
    There are plenty of problems with America, and with the superhero genre’s relationship with violence and politics, but Jupiter’s Legacy doesn’t really address any of them. Like The Utopian himself, the show’s creators are stuck looking back at an imagined Golden Age, with no way to move forward and build something better.
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