A Wrinkle In Time (dir. Ava DuVernay)

When author Madeline L’Engie was asked to comment on her novel “A Wrinkle In Time’s” 2003 TV adaptation, she replied: “I told them it would be be bad and it was”.

So complex and nuanced is the narrative of her sci-fi inflected fantasy romp, her belief was that the visual medium wouldn’t translate the spiritual and existentialism of the prose. Add to that the Herculean labor of the vast scope, with the characters pirouetting from planet to planet in a universe which is constantly attacking them and the never-ending panoramas of the galaxy- it seemed liked the silver screen wasn't the correct vehicle for her richly awarded bestseller. But if Hollywood studios have proven anything it’s that no matter how unfilmable a project might be, the old plan to throw a bunch of money at it and hope that some of themes resonate is always the prevailing response.

On the surface - it's a winner. Plaudits have already been attributed to it's commendable racial and gender politics - as it subverts the whitewashing of the source material and adopts a multi-racial and equal opportunities casting system to remind audiences of what life is like in 21st century America. A cracking cast also are at it's favor - boasting screen talents of Reese Witherspoon , Mindy Kaling and Chris Pine, and let's not forget the winner of everyone's hearts Oprah Winfrey.

Unsurprisingly - none of it sticks: a big-screen blockbuster though it might be - helmed by a woman of color for the first time - yet it disappointingly falls victim to it’s lofty aspirations - struggling to coalesce the dramatic weight of the narrative and the complicated theological debates which resonate under the surface and opting solely on big-screen thrills and cliched set-pieces that produce little peril.

It’s been four years since N.A.S.A Dad Alex Murry (Chris Pine) discovered a portal that can transport humans through the universe, a device he coined “The Tesseract”. But before he had the chance to share with the world his discovery, he vanished into it, leaving daughter Meg (Storm Reid), adopted-son Charles Wallace (Deric Payton McCabe) and wife Kate (Gugu Mbatha-Raw) fearing his impromptu galactic wanderings have been the death of him.But luck comes in the form of the Mrs Who (Reese Witherspoon) - a extra-terrestrial being adorned with a bohemian wardrobe and a glittery complexion, who comes a’nocking at the Murray residence with good news: Dad has sent a distress signal across the universe, and it’s up to Meg to and her brother - along with local school crush Calvin (Levi Miller) - to navigate the cosmos with the help of her fellow “warriors of the universe” Mrs Whatsit (Mindy Kaling) and Mrs Witch (Oprah Winfrey) and bring the old man back home - sounds easy, right?

As the kids make their way through the colorful kaleidoscopic vistas, which finally show off the expensive price-tag that comes with the production of this tentpole, there are some moderately arresting visuals. An eye-catching falling sequence in particular is notable - especially viewed on an IMAX screen - as the opening moments of the other-worldly adventure finds the usual elegant beauty in the New Zealand landscapes upon which the drama was filmed.

But before long the problems start to rise to the surface: first there's creaky script by Frozen scribe Jennifer lee and Jeff Stockwell - which inherently asks its characters to mumble along the plot in such a way that we're supposed to be pay attention yet it does little more than confuse you ever so slightly. Despite the camp nature of the characters, there’s a shameful lack of humor also. Even in the the mystical galactic trio, who refer to themselves as the MRS, their bickering soon become tedious, as does their dialogue- especially Mrs. Whatsit go-to response in reciting famous literary quotes, which isn't noticeable until someone denotes it. Few sights are as divine as that of a 100-foot Oprah Winfrey, who’s introduction to the drama evokes even the most self-aggrandizing entrances seen in recent memory - but along with her fellow extra-terrestrial individuals, she isn’t given the opportunity to have any fun with the role because the script is only there to set up the next forgettable action set-piece. Though cameos from Zach Galifianakis as The Happy Medium and Michael Pena as Red - the oily-eyed beach-goeing assassin - are there for the comedic interlude, there playfulness seems at odds with the overarching portent in the tonality of the piece - pitched somewhere between outright melancholy and downright portentousness.

All great sci-fi must adhere to the basic principles of creating ideas instead of just explaining concepts. In the case of DuVernay’s “A Wrinkle In Time” adaptation, it's unclear - as the machinations of the plot are the least point of interest to the filmmakers here. Even when the MRs (Winfrey, Kaling, Witherspoon) denote the do’s and don’ts of the otherworld, they inexplicably change their minds to service the plot - (a well-wormed critique of L’Engie’s best-selling novel it must be said) - though even if the script changes a lot of the gender and racial imbalances, these plot devices result in a similarly audible scowl. Accompanying DuVernay's misguided vision is a soundtrack by Ramin Djawadi, which boasts original music from the likes of Sade, DJ Khaled, Demi Lovato, Sia - there’s a few segments that are heightened by the pop-jukebox aesthetic.

It was supposed to be something new and exciting in the blockbuster movie canon; a diverse cast both on and off the camera, and a healthy budget to keep all audiences happy. But all of the subversive elements within the plot: hope in the face of adversity, the nature of faith and the usual good vs evil argument - all of the narrative flourishes which made the source material such a classic actually become it’s downfall, as DuVernay’s drama is strangled by own it’s own heavy handiness.

Rating 1/5