Movie Review: A WRINKLE IN TIME(2018)

   A WRINKLE IN TIME is the film adaptation of Madelaine L'Engle's (supposedly) beloved children's book. It is directed by Ava DuVernay and stars Storm Reid, Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Mind Kaling and Chris Pine, among others.
  The story revolves around the disappearance of scientist Alex Murry(Chris Pine) and his daughter's (Meg, played by Storm Reid) search for him that takes her across the Universe. With the aid of three mystical and immortal beings named Mrs.Which (Oprah Winfrey), Mrs. Whatsit (Reese Witherspoon) and Mrs.Who (Mindy Kaling), Meg's adopted brother-Charles Wallace (Deric McCabe) and her school friend, Calvin (Levi Miller), they go on a fantastical journey across the Universe in search of the missing scientist and father, Mr.Murry.
   I have read the book by Madeline L'Engle and was not a fan of it-AT ALL. I thought it was a mystic jumbled up sci-fi fantasy whose narrative was barely readable unless you had some marijuana on standby to make sense of the book.
  I found the film version much more relatable and enjoyable. Director Ava DuVernay and screenwriters Jennifer Lee and Jeff Stockwell use relatable themes such as Father/Daughter relationships, bullying and belief in yourself that effectively create empathy for the viewer to get in on the action. The father/daughter aspect is by far the most moving of the subject matter. I also enjoyed Storm Reid's performance as Meg. She paints a character portrayal of a pre-teen trying to make sense of the Universe around her and discovering herself at the same time. Chris Pine gets better and better as an actor, turning in one of his best performances on screen as Alex Murry. Winfrey, Witherspoon, and Kaling are enchanting as Mrs.Which, Whatsit, and Who, with Whitherspoon being the best of the three. Music Composer Ramin Djawanda's musical score helps bring the world of WRINKLE to life along with the fantastic visual effects and gorgeous cinematography. DuVernay should be the one who gets the credit for assembling all the fantastic talent and all the film elements that make the moviegoing experience an entertaining experience.
   WRINKLE doesn't always work. There are dark elements to the story that cast a dismal cloud to the film. That might be its intentions, but I found the third act to be really dark, gloomy and depressing to watch. Some of the performances like Zach Galifianakis as Happy Medium and Michael Pena as Red are wasted, which is a shame to their talent.
   Overall, I found the film version of A WRINKLE IN TIME to be a spellbinding cinematic spectacle beautifully directed by Ava DuVerney, yet also is  dark and depressing, especially for a family film.
   I give A WRINKLE IN TIME a B.