“A Wrinkle In Time” is a classic childhood book for many, and the movie adaptation that was released on February 26th, 2018 stays true to the sense of wonder in the original book. However, some of the deeper themes that would have catapulted this movie out of the children’s genre are missing.

It’s easy to see why “A Wrinkle in Time” has a 40% by critics on Rotten Tomatoes, as all of the emotion comes from perfectly placed music instead of character interaction. The movie focuses more on the breathtaking visuals of the different planets the characters go to rather than the reasons for being there. However, the movie accomplishes what it intended to do: be a wonderfully bright-hearted children’s movie that adults can appreciate.

Storm Reid stars as Meg Murry, a thirteen year old girl whose father Dr. Alex Murry disappeared four years ago. Alongside her is Charles Wallace, played by Deric McCabe, a child genius who knows more about the inner workings of the universe than one might think. Awkwardly shoehorned in is Calvin, played by Levi Miller, who plays a significant role in the book but serves no purpose in the movie other than to provide clunky dialogue. The trio meets three interstellar beings named Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which, played by Reese Witherspoon, Mindy Kaling, and Oprah Winfrey, respectively. The Mrs. explain that they heard a cry in the universe coming from Dr. Murray, who has been trapped on a planet called Camazotz, which is the source of all evil and the home of a being called the IT. The movie follows the children around the universe as they attempt to fight the evil and save their father.

The movie cuts out a lot of details from L’Engle’s book. For instance, Meg and Charles don’t have twin brothers in the film, and multiple scenes with the alien “Aunt Beast”, which had a significant impact on the original story, are missing. Originally, Camazotz was not the source of all evil, simply one planet among many that has been taken over by the darkness. In making this change for the movie, evil is presented as a one-time problem, instead of something that needs to be continuously fought.

In a more positive light, the movie version of “A Wrinkle in Time” has been praised for its diversity, as the main character Meg is biracial and two of the Mrs. are women of color.

Overall, this movie was bright-hearted, colorful, and an epic story that children are sure to love, despite lack of depth at times. Adults can appreciate it for it’s nostalgia, and the stunning visuals are enough to win anybody over.

7/10