A Wrinkle in Time Movie Review

Audiences will hope to literally find a Wrinkle in Time to get two hours of their life back

If a 40 foot tall Oprah couldn't save this movie I don't know what could, given that half of America wants her to run for President. Unfortunately, there wasn't a check for two hours of my life back under my seat at the screening, making this campy Disney feature that comfortably basks in cliche and rational ambiguity an oddly glaring waste of time. Which is a shame, as it's benevolence begs you to gush with freeing emotion, however, it confines you to it's overbearing at times imperial tale of morals, as if every scene and frame was contrived for a character to smile and attempt another line along the lines of "don't give up hope" or "you cannot accomplish anything without love".

The protagonist here is Meg Murray(Storm Reid), as they often are in a Disney adventure, is a curious, lonely, and bullied adolescent outcast who is exiled for her innocent timidity, but is praised by fantastical beings for her wonderful potential and individualism. Which makes her the perfect candidate for this adventure, as she attempts to tackle adversity head-on with her broad diverse shoulders in hopes of finding her father who has been missing for four years. Her teachers, her peers, even her mother(Gugu Mbatha -Raw) view Meg as a troubled child, but not her genius and decidedly fearless little brother Charles Wallace(Deric McCabe), who would have cleaned up shop at 'Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader'. Where he introduces her to a vast world of endless possibilities, mystical prophetic beings, and an evil multi-dimensional voluptuous mass of Black derived by quantum entanglement that goes by the name Camozats, that has taken the kids' father captive, and eventually the universe.

Along the way, we visit a rustling and stunning world that truly is spectacular. The seamless CGI makes this euphoric realm of flaxen talking flowers, floating waterfalls, and mountains that slant in the form of a ramp straight toward the heavens have a life of its own. I would like to think that it was this ten-minute sequence that director Ava Duvernay was referring to when she states " this is a love letter to young people and will bring the inner child out of all of us" as my ten-year-old rambunctious and equally inquisitive self-came to form. Unfortunately, the films remaining hour and fifty minutes is genetically engineered entertainment that takes the form of austerity rather than blossoming enchantment. Every new realm meticulously fabricated for us to inspire and admire, however, the eye candy here feels arbitrary, never important, and never much fun. Where meetings with a monk who goes by "happy"(Zach Galifianakis) or a vivid Michael Pena feel more like literal stepping stones for moral inquiry than progress of the plot.

More frustrating than it's overly sincere ideas, however vital they may be to society, are the intolerable characters. To be fair, we feel and root for Meg, which is harder to do than you would think. Considering the three ethereal "Mrs." characters, who change makeup and attire nearly as frequently as they tell Meg "you have to have faith in who you are", bog down her dialogue. As I was far more interested in what she had to say then Mrs. Who, Mrs. Whatsit, and Mrs. Which. We first, although obliquely, meet the three on earth, where we discover how perfectly they fit the bill by the source material standards, which isn't a compliment. Mrs. Whatsit, played by Reese Witherspoon, is equally as frustrating and dim-witted as Elle Woods from the actresses breakout role in 'Legally Blonde'. Mrs. Who(Mindy Kaling), quotes Shakespeare like Olivia Hussy, minus the gravitas and poise. And Oprah plays Mrs. Who, although such a phrase could service as palindrome, since she is sort of playing herself. The three prance around the Technicolor backdrop, but are not given more to do than speak encouraging words and shapeshift into something viscerally remarkable but indifferent effect.

To say the editing is much better would be a mendacious compliment, which is strikingly odd due to Ava Duvernay's past harmoniously coherent and equally important work in 'Selma' and '13th'. Although there is harmony here, the catchy pop rhythms of Sade and Demi Lovato don't play to the beat or lack thereof of this jumbled mess. Wildly over-edited, and far too reliant on its sound design, this delves into incomprehensible disorder, where entire chunks of dialogue are drowned out by music and sound effects. To make matters worse, the movement of the camera is no less awkward. In 'Selma' Duvernay slowly developed it's characters, candidly revealing their strengths and weaknesses alike, helping the audience to relate, understand, giving us the opportunity to get in their mind. Here, that renders to odd close-ups, which of course, doesn't translate to understanding.

Whereas it is incredibly difficult to recreate an esteemed original, just ask 99 percent of today's Hollywood remakes, 'A Wrinkle in Time' was a valiant effort. Yet for all it's goodwill, it simply is not a good film. You may read this and claim "you were not the target audience", and where I believe this was a movie crafted for everyone, you may be right. However, I brought my mother to the screening, who views nearly anything with positive role models and themes of redeeming qualities to be an excellent time at the Cineplex. After the showing I asked for her thoughts expecting an outburst of bliss and high praise, where she merely responded; "it wasn't even good by Hallmark standards". That's not to say audiences won't flock to see this, but for those who do, they probably will be wishing for a literal wrinkle in time that grants them two hours of their life back.