Saw A Wrinkle in Time, a film based on the novel by the same name about time and space travel enabled by fourth-dimensional magical nonsense. It wasn't a great movie (or, if I'm being honest, even a good movie,) but I feel very protective of it. It has a lot working against it.
First of all, children's entertainment is a harsh land. People are unwilling to wink at flaws the way they are with action films or comedies. There's less acknowledgement of subjective likes and dislikes. Also, this is a film aimed at girls and historically anything marketed to young girls becomes a punchline (see Justin Bieber, Twilight.) Again, people are unwilling to just accept how trivial girl-world problems seem. Furthermore, this is a film aimed at black girls, of which I can name virtually no others (does Beasts of the Southern Wilds count?) So this film fills a void and I want to like it, but mostly I just wish it had been better.
But okay, so let's talk about what was wrong with it. The fourth-dimensional magical nonsense is introduced by the main-character's genius father to a crowd of laughing foreign dignitaries. He claims that by using your brain, you should be able to "fold" space to instantly travel across the cosmos. This definitely deserves laughter and derision. What is this assembly anyway? It's like a TED talk, but somehow even more unhinged. Furthermore, this time-bending magic brings the attention of three magical women known as "The Misses" who remind me of the crystal gems from Steven Universe, but they're so twee and so cringey. One speaks only in famous quotations (such as "Daaaang! -- Tucker, American" which is not even an accurate quote.) Another is introduced inexplicably in the main characters' house, playing with decorations and flouncing about like she isn't a home intruder who is liable to be shot. The third is Oprah Winfrey, whose character is always gigantic, towering over the other characters like a mountain. There's a scene where the main characters stroke her gigantic face. It's strange.
The ultimate message of the film is that our flaws also make us who we are, so be kind to yourselves and love and forgive others anyway. I understand that black girls face a lot of opposition in America, as they become black women, and this might be a helpful message to hear. After all, it's not like they have an abundance of support, statistically speaking, to draw on. At least they can be their own champion. But this is hard to convey in a sympathetic way. People like to see characters improve and get better and stronger. It's difficult to make someone accepting their flaws look inspiring without making it look like those flaws themselves are being celebrated. Which, like, they are being celebrated in a way; not as aspirational attributes but as just human foibles. It's a tough tightrope to walk and, the world being what it is, most of the crowd is rooting for failure.
So, I have emotions about this movie. I enjoyed the visuals but hated the performances. The film felt a bit limp but then it's not really meant for me. I don't think it deserves its abysmal score on imdb/rotten tomatoes, but it is flawed. I guess I'm sort of willing to overlook the flaws, but most folks (and maybe most sensible folks) will not.
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