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| Across the Universe (Two-Disc Special Edition) | 
 enlarge | Director: Julie Taymor
Actors: Evan Rachel Wood, Jim Sturgess, Joe Anderson (vi), Dana Fuchs, Martin Luther (ii)
Studio: Sony Pictures
Category: DVD
List Price: $19.94
Buy Used: $5.69
You Save: $14.25 (71%)
New (63) Used (43) Collectible (4) from $5.69
Avg. Customer Rating:  425 reviews
Sales Rank: 80
Format: Ac-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, Dvd-video, Subtitled, Widescreen, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), French (Subtitled), Portuguese (Subtitled), Korean (Subtitled), Thai (Subtitled), Portuguese (Dubbed), Spanish (Dubbed)
Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Number Of Items: 2
Running Time: 133
Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.6
MPN: COLD19462D
UPC: 043396194625
EAN: 0043396194625
ASIN: B000ZLFALI
Theatrical Release Date: 2007
Release Date: February 5, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 PLEASE, DON'T CALL THIS BEATLES November 24, 2008
0 out of 3 found this review helpful
First off let me relate a story that will demonstrate my clear bias to this film going in - My wife had bought the CD based on some review that she had read or on some one's recommendation, it doesn't matter which. She played it for me in the car one night. Before it got to the third song I pulled it out of the deck and tossed it. The music was so bad it was insulting. I couldn't believe that anyone could possibly consider these basterdized renditions of some of the Beatles' greatest songs as music fitting to listen to other tan corporate CEOs who only cared about how much money they might bring in with sales.
Now, if you had to rank this film against others of its nature, say, Hair or Jesus Christ Superstar, from that era, then, you'd have to rank it 5 stars. The movie accomplishes what it attempted to do with each song matched to entertaining visuals, though more often than not the songs' content don't match to the lyrics or to what the Beatles were saying or living at the time they wrote and performed them.
But this film wasn't made in that era, it isn't that era, it is today, here and now.
Fast forward to the future, some time into the present. I was preparing to do my wash as a good documentary (Shut Up and Sing - the story of the Dixie Chicks controversy - no I am not a fan, but the film was good documentary coverage of what they went thru) had just ended. I took a quick scan of what was next offered on the movie channels that I subscribe to and saw this film's write up, thinking, a movie revolving around Beatles' songs, how bad can it be, besides, I'd be in and out of the room doing the laundry, so if I missed any of it, at least the songs would help me pass the time. How wrong I could have been never crossed my mind. Unfortunately I didn't put the CD and movie in the same context until I was well into the film.
Just to set the record straight - I stopped paying attention to this film before it was halfway through - I only wish I had a fast forward function on my set as I would have liberally used it during the time I was watching the film. I also want to state that I did not turn the film off, I did not walk out, I just tuned out.
Given there are well over 400 reviews in this Amazon posting I didn't read them all, though I did my best to read as many of the negative ones as possible, once again, showing my bias. I started by reading the positives and found that they were basically all along the same lines, praising the greatness of the artists, the director, the visuals, and the accomplishments of all of their visions. I guess they were the same people that Mama Mia was created for.
About all I could add to the line of positive thoughts about Across the Universe is that the film did its best to follow thru with an exploration of that era's look, feel, and philosophies, while attempting to include all sorts of events and music innovations (was that woman supposed to Janis and her boyfriend Hendrix), although, those were basterdized as well, ala Woody Allen's Zelig style, and later Tom Hanks as Forrest Gump.
Maybe I'm thinking of Across the Universe was a mutation birthed by a copulation of the films Hair and Godspell.
If you want to see a movie with Beatles' songs in it see Hard Day's Night, see HELP, even go see Yellow Submarine (not one of my favorites though great music) but whatever you do, don't see Across the Universe and then walk around telling people you just saw a great Beatles film because all you saw was this bad piece of crappy celluloid. If you want to hear great Beatles' songs, listen to the Beatles. Listen to any one of their songs, song by them, and then compare it to the songs in this film. If you think these were as good, came even close, or were actually better, then . . . you, my friend, are just a fool without a hill.
[Note: I'm not a fan of the films Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band and Tommy (OK, not a Beatles' film but all of these films are of the same mindset, look and feel), but this ain't no Tommy, it ain't no SPLHCB (though I guess that was what they were thinking), and it ain't a decent attempt at properly portraying the Beatles' songs.]
PS: I find it extremely unfortunate that the writer, director, and producers felt they needed to coop the aspects of British music history (the way they used the Beatles' final roof concert as a plot dressing in the closing of this film turned my stomach) that they did in this film and morph them into some sort of American basterdization of life seen thru American eyes during that era. But I guess that was what this movie was all about, morphing life into their desire to make money. Am I wrong or did this movie only last 3 weeks in theaters?
 Great Movie November 22, 2008
I've been a fan of the Beatles since birth so I was a little skeptical at how they were going to change the songs and do a musical. But it turned out way better than expected. Great song versions including "I wanna hold your hand" and "While my guitar gently weeps". Liked the story. Shot and directed beautifully.
More painful than the Beatle's break-up. November 17, 2008
0 out of 4 found this review helpful
The common link I find to all of the negative reviews of this horrible film is that the people who hate the film are huge Beatles fans. Also, all of us went to see this movie WANTING to love it. And like many of the other reviewers, I left the movie thirty minutes into the film. As soon as that dude began singing into the camera, I knew someone had brewed up and concocted a disaster. THE MOVIE HAS NO PLOT. All the filmmaker did was tape together one song after another, hoping that a plot would emerge somehow from the order in which they were connected. Also, the renderings of the songs are toothless. What horrifies me most, however, is the large number of rabid fans who are turning this movie into their cult classic, claiming to revere this band called the Beatles they'd previously never encountered. Having all of these idiots running around "loving" the Beatles based on this film is an embarrassment to Beatles fans and the Beatles. I am not religious, but I now finally understand why Christians are prone to such anger over other "Christian" groups who espouse beliefs that have no relation to Jesus' teachings. Horrible. Horrible. Horrible. Horrible movie.
Pretentious, Contrived, And Excremental November 14, 2008
1 out of 7 found this review helpful
This pretentious nonsense preaches socially conscious lessons straight from the hippy manifesto as an excuse to stitch together hallucinogenic music videos featuring a variety of performers singing Beatles songs. The songs vary in quality dramatically, with the very worst being "Let It Be", "Come Together", and "I Want You" (as an Army recruiting musical), although given the breadth of material it's hard to single out a true low point.
There is lots of very plastic dialogue about revolution, etc. (e.g. "We need to radicalize!"), which would be easier to take seriously if the characters weren't named Jude, Prudence, Lucy, Jojo, and other obvious starting points for musical numbers. While the film is ostensibly a love story, it it's really more an excuse to revisit the radicalism of the 1960's, with spoiled self-important whiny brats providing self-indulgent and brainless commentary on world events, with Vietnam at the obvious forefront.
Several things should be obvious takeaways from this cinematic Hindenburg: Bono shouldn't act, Joe Cocker should never be backed by a choir, and Julie Taymor should never, ever be allowed to make another movie. Ever.
This would be the last movie I would recommend to my worst enemy.
I was there, and I can remember it all. November 12, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
Julie Taymor has done a remarkable job of capturing the essence of the 60's; the color is right, the sequence of events is right, the escalation of emotions is right and the music is right. I was 23 in 1967 and lived on the lower East Side of New York City where most of the scenes in the film takes place. It all happened the way Taymor describes from the street people, to the draft, to the Bread and Puppet Theatre marching down Fifth Avenue. So if you want to experience or relive that moment in time or explain to your children why that moment made such a difference watch this movie.
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