If you are the parent of a preteen then you should take your child to watch A Wrinkle in Time. Well, probably. I say this in spite of the fact that I was left mostly underwhelmed by this Walt Disney Pictures fantasy adventure, and sometimes even frustrated.

This is because children measure with different yardsticks and often aren’t bothered by issues such as poor acting, uneven pacing and visual effects’ inconsistencies, especially when a film offers a sense of wonder and is targeted at them. Come to think of it, children sound a lot like staunch adult DC extended universe (DCEU) film fans (I kid, I kid).

But think about it. If you grew up in the ’90s, you most likely treasured Robin Williams’ films such as Hook (1991) or Jumanji (1995). Of course, both films were panned by critics at the time and if you watch them now without the sentimental lens you’ll notice the numerous flaws.

The best family films are multilayered and engage audiences of all ages. A Wrinkle in Time is unable to do this

In a similar vein, A Wrinkle in Time may be held in the same regard by a child growing up today for its sense of whimsy, wonderfully imaginative visuals and feel-good family themes, though I suppose it could have used a legendary actor such as Robin Williams to really appeal to that demographic.

Personally, I loved the fact that its lead character is not only a girl but a girl of colour, who uses her intelligence to save the day, considering that just a few years ago she would have been the wrong sex and skin colour to be the star of a 100 million dollar children’s movie.

Certainly, the film has an interesting plot. A modern adaptation of the 1962 classic novel by Madeleine L’Engle of the same name, it follows the adventures of middle school student Meg Murry (Storm Reid) who happens to be the daughter of two famous scientists. Like her parents, and unlike that loser Meg from Family Guy, Meg is incredibly gifted. Unfortunately, she also doesn’t fit in at school.

When her father Mr Murry (Chris Pine) disappears, she sets off on an inter-dimensional adventure to find him. She is accompanied by her equally intelligent younger brother Charles Wallace (Deric McCabe) and friend Calvin (Levi Miller). The trio are assisted by Mrs Which (Oprah Winfrey), Mrs Whatsit (Reese Witherspoon) and Mrs Who (Mindy Kaling), who happen to be celestial beings also looking for Meg’s father.

Now that that part of the review is out of the way, let’s get back to how disappointed the film may leave adults. As anyone who loves Pixar films knows, the best family films are multilayered and engage audiences of all ages, which is something A Wrinkle in Time is unable to accomplish.

The biggest problem here could be director Ava DuVernay, who has a series of excellent low-budget films under her belt, but is almost embarrassingly out of her depth here.

To start with, A Wrinkle in Time suffers from pacing issues. The first two acts are uneven at best while the last abruptly wraps up what was shaping up to be a complex adventure in a manner that comes across as amateurish.

Speaking of amateurish, the performances are mediocre, and I can’t help but blame the director. The adult actors try so hard to be quirky that they are occasionally insufferable, while the child actors range from decent to simply bad. In particular, poor little Deric McCabe isn’t able to produce the goods. I feel sorry for him because he’s only nine-years-old and the life of most child actors is often riddled with ridicule and misery. To put it lightly, Ava DuVernay leans too heavily on him, especially in the final act. These scenes should have been reshot or rewritten to take the pressure off of a child, and in general it felt like the filmmaker was unable to utilise even the more experienced and talented members of her cast.

Needless to say, Ava DuVernay isn’t used to working with CGI and A Wrinkle in Time is basically one stunning sequence after another backed by some beautiful cinematography from Tobias A. Schliessler. Admittedly, it isn’t easy for actors to perform when effects are added in later, but there is such inconsistency in how they react to the fantastical sequences developing around them that it feels like Ava DuVernay sometimes forgot to direct them completely.

Speaking of the visual effects, while they are the best part of A Wrinkle in Time, even they suffer from a lapse or two. So go ahead, take your young one to A Wrinkle in Time, just be prepared for all the wrinkles.

Rated PG for thematic elements and some peril

Published in Dawn, ICON, March 18th, 2018