A Wrinkle in Time (2018)

I try to keep these reviews spoiler-free but since this is based on a book that has been out for over 50 years, I think I have a little bit more free reign. If you haven't read the book or seen the 2003 movie, be warned of mild spoilers. I try not to reveal anything too major, but some of the story must be spoiled mildly in order to compare/give my thoughts. If you want zero spoilers, do not read my review until after you've read the book or seen the movie.

I don't understand the critics' hate on this. I really enjoyed this movie. Almost all the acting was good, the effects were as trippy as they should have been, and the story was more-or-less the same as the book. My only complaints are that the actor who played Charles Wallace was not as creepy in the second half as he should have been. (But he's still a child, so I'm not going to be too harsh). I was worried when Michael Pena was cast as the villain, because generally his roles are comedic, and even when he's playing a villain, like in ''My Little Pony: The Movie" it's as the main villains' sidekick/comic relief. Surprisingly, he did a good job. The character in the story is supposed to be an allegory for the devil, and while he wasn't as creepy as I would have liked, he did add another element to the character by posing as friendly in order to tempt the main characters more. They also got rid of the part of the story with Aunt Beast. (Yay! Seriously. What were those things? Chewbacca's second cousins? Whatever they were, I always hated that part as I felt it slowed the plot down and added nothing. By cutting that part they proved how unnecessary it was and the story still works without it.) Being a Disney film, they of course toned down the creepiness of the planet Camazotz. (Boo!) I would have preferred it to be as scary as the book and 2003 film. It was still a bit unsettling, but not as much as it should have been. Overall, I thought this was a fine adaptation, albeit a slightly flawed one.

Grade: A-    9/10     3.5/5 stars