Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		5.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.0

A Wrinkle in Time Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman May 28, 2018

It's admittedly been quite a number of years since this reviewer read Madeleine L'Engle's classic novel A Wrinkle in Time, but even the passage of time is not enough to note some deviations from the story that might upset fans who hold the novel in high esteem, of which there are many. While this is certainly not the most faithful, or the finest, film adaptation out there, Director Ava DuVernay (Selma) crafts a heartwarming story of personal growth and adventure through amazing places. The film might have won over more hearts had it deviated a little more from the book and sold itself with an unrelated identity, but for those who can set aside comparative critiques and watch the movie as it is and judge it on face value, chances are they'll see the film as a centrally tender, though certainly a little weird and rough around the edges, story of self discovery and imagination.

Meg Murry (Storm Reid) comes from good stock. Both her mother (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) and father (Chris Pine) are geniuses, gifted scientific minds who are working on a radical new project that claims humans are capable of "wrinkling space" and transporting themselves to the far reaches of the universe in the blink of an eye, a process they call "the tesseract." One day, Meg's father disappears. He never returns home. It's been four years since his disappearance and, for Meg, life has not been the same. Meg is bullied at school, partly for her minor celebrity status as the daughter of the man in the middle of one of the most famous disappearances in modern history, partly because her younger brother Charles Wallace (Deric McCabe) is something of an oddball child prodigy, and partly because she lacks self confidence. One day, Charles Wallace greets a mysterious stranger in the family's living room: a weird, colorfully decorated lady named "Mrs. Whatsit" (Reese Witherspoon) who introduces Meg, and Meg's friend Calvin (Levi Miller), to two other equally eccentric but obviously very intelligent and mystical ladies, Mrs. Which (Oprah Winfrey) and Mrs. Who (Mindy Kaling). They promise Meg and Charles Wallace an opportunity to find their father across the furthest reaches of the universe where amazing things -- and many perils -- await. Little does Meg know what's in store for her, particularly how her journey through space and time will alter her perception of herself and the world around her.

A Wrinkle in Time is an imperfect movie built around the perfect message of hope and belief in oneself, others, and the world. The film opens with a tender scene between father and daughter but pushes very dark -- emotionally to be sure -- for much of the rest of the first and the second acts as Meg journeys to colorful places with amazing individuals but never can shake her own lack of self confidence. The movie can be clumsy in constructing Meg and particularly in exploring her inner demons. For a complex character, she doesn't often leave the shallow end of the developmental pool. Nevertheless, the film does a good job of accentuating the essentials: character qualities, world building, and storytelling, even if it can be a little clumsy in the aggregate, just sort of bouncing from one set piece to the next. Perhaps the film is too ambitious, not only tackling a beloved bit of fantastical literature but aiming for some near impossible hybrid along the lines of Interstellar meets any colorfully fantastic movie one can think of (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, for example). There's perhaps too much strain on the movie as it attempts to balance spectacle with intensive introspective character depth.

A Wrinkle in Time can teeter on the precipice of playing like a movie built around talking points, not organic character and narrative construction, but it's so tender and heartfelt -- perhaps, at times, to the detriment of the drama -- that one cannot help but walk away at least appreciating its sincerity of purpose and presentation. The themes are not particularly new. PIXAR famously unfurls similar themes in its pictures, often with more energy, creativity, and narrative and character balance. That said, A Wrinkle in Time is precisely and interestingly shot and is spiritedly performed, with an A-list cast generously populating the film from the top down, a cast nevertheless dominated by the impressive talents of young co-stars Levi Miller and Storm Reid as the adoptive brother-sister tandem. There's an authenticity to the work. Reid is more subtle in her work in building a wounded character and transforming throughout the film, held back more by a sometimes wobbly script and wonky execution than she is her own obviously immense talents. Miller is very impressive as the young boy whose character himself undergoes a radical transformation partway through the film that challenges him to reinvent the character on a dime. Chris Pine is stellar in the role of the missing father whose love for his daughter and family is as boundless as the universe he wishes to travel. The film is supported by visionary effects work and some beautifully loud costumes and makeup work that bring the movie to spunky, spirited life, sometimes, but not always, overwhelming the intimate heart that strains to beat loudest.

A Wrinkle in Time Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

A Wrinkle in Time travels to Blu-ray with a glorious 1080p image. The film was digitally photographed and it presents with a very clean, robust, highly detailed picture quality. Colors are certainly the standout highlight. The palette is incredibly rich and bold, offering insanely vibrant greens on the first planet the group visits where lush fields stretch on an on with both vitality and nuance that gives the location texture and realism rather than just a large swatch of color. Multicolored flowers explode off the screen in contrast to the greens. Character clothes and makeup -- particularly Whatsit, Who, and Which -- dazzle with not only intense colors but superb details on makeup elements, for instance dense, glittery eye shadow. Additional textural delights abound. Those same three characters almost always wear highly ornate costumes with all sorts of wonderful accents that are complex and tactile, razor sharp and leap off the screen. Basic skin textures and clothing details are finely revealing as well, with easily visible pores, hairs, and fabric qualities. Black levels and shadow detail are strong as well. The image suffers from no bothersome bouts or bursts of source or encode anomalies. This is a first-class Blu-ray presentation from Disney.

A Wrinkle in Time Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

A Wrinkle in Time's DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 lossless soundtrack once again suffers from Disney's low volume output shenanigans, though this one is perhaps not quite the egregious offender as have been some other recent releases. Generally, for this reviewer, a calibrated reference of 0.0db is far too loud but it is a sweet spot for recent Disney titles. A dial position of -12.5db is the comfort zone for most all other tracks. With Wrinkle, -5.0db seemed to reach that same usual comfort zone. As for the track itself, once the volume knob finds that "happy medium" to use the movie's lingo, there's not much to dislike about it. There is no substantial bass of note, but the track nevertheless feels full, with music that's balanced and spacious, clear throughout the range and presenting with a satisfyingly seamless full stage engagement. Surrounds carry a number of discrete and atmospheric effects that enhance many scenes and transport the listener into various locales. Playground din -- screaming children, bouncing balls -- surround the listener in one early scene. Mrs. Whatsit's transformation on the first planet visited offers pleasantly swirling qualities. Thunder booms with subtle force and quality stage saturation early in the film. Dialogue reverberation cavernously fills the stage in the 42 minute mark. Action scenes lack substantial power but offer good clarity and wide and deep stage fill. Dialogue is always clear, well prioritized, and firmly positioned in the front-center channel.

A Wrinkle in Time Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

A Wrinkle in Time contains several extras, including deleted scenes, a commentary, and a making-of. A DVD copy of the film and a Movies Anywhere Digital copy code are included with purchase, though it's worth noting that on the insert where the code should be, there's a big old blank spot. Whether that is bad luck or a widespread problem I cannot say, but I do have a query out and will update this review with any new information. Update 5/29/18: Disney is stating that the missing digital code is due to random error.

• A Journey Through Time (1080p, 30:28): An in-depth look at the story's numerous points of interest, Ava DuVernay's direction, reinventing the book for modern sensibilities, casting and performances, character qualities, costumes and makeup, sets and shooting locations, and more.
• Deleted Scenes (1080p, 9:36 total runtime): Ant on a String, Aunt Beast, Meg Learns About Calvin's Dad, and Paper Girl. Includes optional Ava DuVernay commentary.
• Audio Commentary: Director Ava DuVernay, First Assistant Director Michael Moore, Visual Effects Supervisor Richard McBride, Screenwriter Jennifer Lee, Producer Jim Whitaker, Film Editor Spencer Averick, and Production Designer Naomi Shohan create a fairly crowded space for a commentary but offer plenty of insight into the movie from a number of different technical perspectives. It covers many of the same essentials as the thirty minute piece above but has plenty of interesting insight into various scenes that give it a more focused breakdown rather than the catchall feature reviewed above. Fans should find this to be an enjoyable track.
• Music Videos (1080p): Included are "I Believe" Performed by DJ Khaled Featuring Demi Lovato (3:46) and "Warrior" Performed by Chloe X Halle (4:02).
• Bloopers (1080p, 1:36).

A Wrinkle in Time Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

A Wrinkle in Time has come under attack from a number of different fronts. It's an imperfect adaptation and an imperfect movie, but it's also warm and tender and very sincere. Will that be enough to silence naysayers? Maybe not, but take the name away and this becomes a very serviceable, sometimes even very good, film with a good message and a strongly beating heart. Disney's Blu-ray features superb video, good audio when appropriately dialed in, and a nice array of bonus content. Recommended to those willing to give it a chance through the noise.