It is the age-old story of light vs. dark and good vs. evil. A Wrinkle In Time expresses itself through ideas of love and understanding, and that the qualities you find within yourself are what matter most. However, if you are looking for an epic tale, with complexity, strength and a developed plot, this film is not for you. A Wrinkle In Time fails to meet expectations.

In this film, the visuals are big and the characters are even bigger. To its credit, A Wrinkle In Time is beautiful to watch, and the audience easily finds itself entranced by what they are seeing. It is unfortunate, then, that the writing –– often lifted from the novel itself –– comes across as stale and rigid. The lines being thrown at the audience are not received well, and it hinders the overall mood and progression of the story. The script is forced and it does not go unnoticed.

The film, in fact, may actually be too big for its own good. With stars like Chris Pine, Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, Mindy Kaling, and Zach Galifianakis, any subtlety to be had is thrown out the window. Pine’s performance in this production is forgettable, along with most of the other big names. Winfrey is undoubtedly herself, larger than life, and that could be good for the character of Mrs. Which if it were not for the plastic colored jewels glued to her brow and absurd deliverance of lines.

Storm Reid, Deric McCabe, and Levi Miller deserve recognition for their performances and effort, portraying Meg Murry, Charles Wallace, and Calvin O’Keefe respectively. It is disappointing to say that they, too, fall victim to the film’s poor writing. That being said, McCabe still finds a way to outshine the rest of the cast and is a delight to watch.

This adaptation grossly dumbs down the novel and creates a film that is difficult to watch. The film loses its purpose early on, and it ultimately relegates itself to be enjoyed only by younger children, whereas the book has been enjoyed by children and adults alike for nearly sixty years. A Wrinkle In Time acts as its own wrinkle and that fault rests with director Ava DuVernay. At the time of writing, it is estimated the movie has made little more than ten million dollars at the box office, merely one-tenth of its overall budget. By the end of the weekend, Marvel’s Black Panther will have maintained its spot on the charts, easily topping A Wrinkle In Time.