A Wrinkle In Time
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Movie Reviews of A Wrinkle In Time
Movie Review: "It's Like A Wrinkle in Time"
Summary: 1 Stars
Full Disclosure on my Biases:
1) I have disliked the Walt Disney Company ever since they dared to release Hunchback of Notre Dame with a singing main character and a happy ending.
2) I would have been disappointed with anything less than a "page one: film that. Page two: film that...Page 212: film that, roll credits" adaptation.
Accepting those two biases in myself, I tried to keep an open mind as the film began. For the first three chapters, the movie was not totally unrecognizable from the book. The actors and actresses shown could have been Meg, Charles Wallace and Calvin. Of course the scenes had to be updated for 2001 (when the movie was actually filmed: references to the Internet, CDs, etc.), and certain scenes were borrowed from the first chapter of A Wind in the Door (Charles is in first grade, age 6, not 5 as in the books.) After the first half hour I thought "maybe I was wrong, they might be...."
Then the filmaker takes us off-world (Chapter 4). Major changes start appearing. Characters and sequences begin to be condensed or deleted entirely. Mrs. Which does not carry a broom not does her voice reverberate throughout the area. I'm thinking "ok, there are budgets to consider. It's still ok."
Then we get Meg and Co. to Camazotz (Ch. 6 and thereafter). The plot is suddenly ripped off its axis and sent spinning end over end into Disneyification. The plot is changed radically and what scenes do exist from the book are seen out of order.
The acting itself was decent. The special effects were bad, and incidental music was completely inappropriate in some places. The producer, who still claimed pride in this film's lack-of-quality, told a National Public Radio interviewer "It's like a A Wrinkle in Time. If you loved every word on every page of the original, I hope you can understand the differences between the two mediums and appriciate both."
To summerize my thoughts on this mistake of a production: If you loved the book: you will hate this movie. If you read the book, you won't recognize most of this movie. If you haven't read the book and see this first, you might enojy it, but then go read the book and realize how good the film could have been.
Movie Review: Could Bring Back Reading
Summary: 1 Stars
I can't believe BLT productions had anything to do with this film which is unwatchably bad. Now I see why Roy Disney made a website called Save Disney. Oddly enough, Disney did a great job on a lesser-known L'Engle book, Ring of Endless Light, which will hopefully make it out on DVD.
Who doesn't think L'Engle's time quintet (there are five books, even if it's sold as a quartet: An Acceptable Time is the fifth) deserves Harry Potter treatment? Who doesn't think these books would be great on the big screen? Supposedly, properties float around the various studios in Hollywood until someone picks them up. Look at the really bad books that get made into films. Here's one of the best properties you could find, just lying dormant.
Here's an idea; let's save Disney and (re)make it as Walt intended: a company with drive and passion, heart and soul that cares what it puts out and doesn't pass off schlock like Desperate Housewives through its ABC network or the endless man-hating shows on Deathtime. How could anyone be proud of making shows like that? What a waste of talent and money! How about some people who care about filling the vacuum for good TV and movies saying damn the torpedoes, rolling up their sleeves and getting to work? L'Engle deserves better and so do millions of viewers. If Disney keeps cranking out stuff this bad, it could bring back reading.
Movie Review: I Could Just Cry Over This Horrible Adaptation
Summary: 1 Stars
The "Wrinkle in Time" book series is my favorite series from childhood. I have read and re-read them more times than I can count over the last 35+ years. The characters, with all their virtues and flaws, are near and dear to my heart. This adaptation contained very little of the wonderful, magical, spiritual story that I love so much. To say I was disappointed with this film would be a great understatement.
If you have never read the book(s) I imagine you will enjoy the movie. The acting is passable, the special effects are well done for a made for TV movie, and the story is interesting. However, if you love the books, avoid this movie at all costs.
I found this statement at the Wikipedia page of the novel: "In an interview with Newsweek, L'Engle said of the film, 'I expected it to be bad, and it is.'"
I feel the need to read the book again to dispel this movie from my mind.
Movie Review: What Happened? Terrible , Butchered and Boring
Summary: 1 Stars
I have fond memories of reading this book as a youngster. It is a wonderful book and about time I read it again. The movie is another story entirely. The movie starts out very slowly. You are introduced to Meg and her family. I found the actress who played Meg to not be very likeable. The rest of the characters were very flat and I felt no connection to any of them.
I forced myself to watch in hopes it would get more exciting. Nothing really seemed to make sense or fit together. i only made it thru 20 minutes. I have little recolection of the real material from the book, but this at best was a very butchered mess.
I advise those who think of viewing this to pick up the books. They are very fun. If you have to view a movie try the Harry Potter films or even the Lion the With and The Wardrobe. The Harry Potters are very well done and the Lion was pretty good.
Movie Review: Disney dumbs it down! WARNING (major spoilers from book and movie follow)
Summary: 1 Stars
The first half of the movie wasn't entirely awful although they rewrote the school scene - in the book Meg was the bad one NOT the teacher. Where things go terribly wrong is Camazotz. In the book it looks like a paradise and only when you look behind the scenes do you realize it's bad. The Disney version of course has everything dark and stormy yada yada. And in the movie they save Camazots wtf!! In the book they could not kill IT because everyone else would die, in fact they don't even try. After saving Charles they leave and Camazotz stays forever doomed. Maybe a bit depressing but more realistic, I mean come on a few kids can't change the planet. Disney simply missed the point and dumbed everything down. Would give a negative score if I could. PLEASE stick with the book and AVOID this movie!