Review Summary: Ambitious book adaptation is interesting but confusing and underwhelming.
I have to say, I thought this movie was well-marketed. The visual effects, appealing (and diverse) characters and the sweeping music. With Selma director Ava DuVernay and a strong cast at the forefront, one might would say Disney was on its way to another major success story. Plus, it was nice to see the Mouse House pursuing other ideas for live-action fantasies rather than just remaking and rehashing their animated library.
But alas, not even DuVernay or Oprah Winfrey can make A Wrinkle in Time a truly special film. Instead, while it certainly has its strong moments and fantastic production values, the film essentially isn't much more than what you would expect out of a "hero's story". Considering her last screenplay was for the fractured fairy tale Frozen, screenwriter Jennifer Lee fails to imbue Wrinkle with that same sense of the unexpected. In the meantime, there is some particularly wooden dialogue in a handful of scenes, particularly between Meg (Storm Reid) and possible love interest Calvin (Pan's Levi Miller).
That being said, its' definitely unique in its visual presentation. From a sweeping valley full of seemingly alive flowers and shapeshifting characters, to a dark forest with glow-in-the-dark arms, the movie certainly sparkles. The Mrs.' costumes are also stunning, with potential Oscar attention for the film's designer Paco Delgado. One other interesting visual moment includes Meg analyzing the geometric and engineering-based possibilities in a white, dome-shaped room.
The film also has solid performances. Reid convincingly shows the tough-minded and insecure sides of Meg's personality. The film is nearly stolen, however, by Deric McCabe, who plays Meg's brother Charles Wallace. McCabe commands the screen with a projecting voice and a likable presence. As for the Mrs.', Reese Witherspoon is given the most to do as a likable, animated and naive universe traveler. Despite receiving top billing, Witherspoon, Winfrey and Mindy Kaling are not in the movie as much as you might expect. They disappear midway through and don't reappear for a long time. Meanwhile, Zach Galifianakis is given a strong scene, and Chris Pine is a likable presence as Meg's long-lost father.
Wrinkle also doesn't drag through its runtime, and DuVernay wisely slows down at times to give the characters quiet moments. These moments are among the film's best. In particular, the reconciliation scene between Meg and her father is very well-executed. Unfortunately, these scenes (and just about the entire film) are undercut by repetitive and near-constant facial close-ups. I read recently this is a style that DuVernay often utilizes. But, I found this style to be both distracting and uncomfortable. Many scenes in the film would have been better-executed through different cinematography-based decisions.
However, the film also doesn't give adequate time (besides a 2-minute snip-it of a lecture by Pine's character) to really discuss its' heady and oftentimes confusing concepts. This makes elements of the plot sometimes confusing and very "out there". In the meantime, it also makes it more difficult to engage the audience, particularly those who haven't (including me) read Madeline L'Engle's book. The best book adaptations do a far better job in more easily explaining elements from the book to a casual moviegoing audience's understanding.
I really wanted to love Wrinkle. And all things considered, its' not a bad film per se. There are things that do work really well here. And I give Mrs. DuVernay a lot of credit for trying really hard to make something unique and different. But, ultimately, she (sadly) falls into the trap of making the visual experience more unique and interesting than the story itself.
My Score: 6.4/10
Content Concerns for Family Viewing: A Wrinkle in Time is rated PG for "thematic elements and some peril". A couple of intense scenes might prove to be too scary for younger children. One disaster scene involves a raging cloud of dust running towards Meg and Calvin, causing tornadic-like destruction wherever it goes. Meg and Calvin hide inside a tree truck and are thrown over a cliff by this phenomenon. Another scene involves The It having scary glow-in-the-dark “arms” that quickly attack in a dark room—over and over again. Charles Wallace, possessed by The It, throws and drags people around. One character literally falls apart (robotically), and someone falls from great heights. Meg smacks someone in the face with a basketball (but she is reprimanded for this). Meg often wakes up in pain as a result of “tessering,” or mental travel.
Otherwise, there's one use of "oh g**". One scene involves Eastern-style meditation. Buddha is quoted once, as are a few other religious figures. It is important to note that the original book reportedly quoted the Bible a handful of times. However, the movie seems devoid of these references, in a possibly intentional attempt to be more “inclusive.”
