Just what in the world was that?

That was the reaction that I'm sure most people had after watching Across the Universe. The movie, a jukebox musical featuring Beatles songs, has been compared to Moulin Rouge (the 2001 musical one, not the 1950s one) in many of the reviews I've read of it. However, a more accurate comparison would be to last year's Outkast musical Idlewild as it also had the what in the world effect that Universe has. (Plus the fact that Outkast are the Beatles of hip-hop plays a part).

Anyone who's seen a preview for Universe would surmise (from both the title and the high amount of it in the trailer) that there is a LOT of Beatles music in this movie. That assumption is correct. There are about 30 Lennon-McCartney compositions in the film, along with two George Harrison ones. The actors who handle the singing do a fairly decent job, as do Bono, Joe Cocker and Eddie Izzard in cameos. None of them (aside from the version of "I Want To Hold Your Hand" near the beginning of the movie) mangle anything beyond recognition and a few of the renditions work well as decent companions to (NOT REPLACEMENTS FOR) the originals (Dana Fuchs’s Janis Joplinesque take on "Helter Skelter" for instance).

So the music is good, a good enough reason to go see Across the Universe. However, that little annoying factor called plot continues to rear its ugly head and detract greatly from the overall effect of the movie.

It's very rare that I find myself saying that a movie would be better off without an actual plot. Across The Universe is one of those rare occasions. The movie's plot (or what little of one it has) revolves around three characters: (Jude (Jim Sturgess) a Liverpool shipyard worker who goes to America to find his father, Max (Joe Anderson) a Princeton drop-out who befriends Jude) and Max's sister Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood) whom Jude is smitten with at first sight. However she's got a boyfriend. It isn't long however, before word comes back of Lucy's boyfriends’ demise in the steamy hot jungles of Vietnam. It's even less long before Lucy and Jude are the new couple. And it's even less long before Max gets HIS draft board notice. So it's not long at all before viewers of Across the Universe are exposed to pretty much everything one would expect to see in a 1960s set movie. The overall result isn't bad, even if Dreamgirls fares far better in the category of "musicals set in the turbulent 60s".

The music is used well in certain scenes (for instance "Let It Be" is re-done gospel style and used to underscore scenes of a funeral and a riot, "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" brilliantly underscores Max's scene before the draft board). The singing is well-done and the movie is always entertaining. However the overall effect of Across the Universe ultimately comes down to not much. In essence, the movie is largely a case of style not substance, cliches instead of an actual story with real people. Across The Universe gives off the feel of something determining to be important. However, the overall result comes off as relatively lightweight. Not silly. But lightweight. A lot of the Beatles music had humorous elements. But it was not lightweight.

So I kinda find myself torn as to whether or not give Across the Universe a recommendation. On one hand, the musical numbers are good enough to make it worth seeing at least once. However, the intrusive plot detracts from the experience in more ways than one. So I will compromise and say yes, you should go see it. But don't be afraid to make a concession stand run during some of the slow moments. Christ you know it ain't easy. You know how hard it can be.

Recommended:
Yes

Video Occasion: Better than Watching TV
Suitability For Children: Suitable for Children Age 13 and Older