Across the Universe (Two-Disc Special Edition)

Version: U.S.A / Region A, B, C
Aspect ratio: 2.40:1
MPEG-4 AVC BD-50
Running time: 2:13:17
Movie size: 30,38 GB
Disc size: 48,41 GB
Average video bit rate: 23.65 Mbps
Dolby TrueHD 5.1 48kHz/24-bit English
DD AC3 448 Kbps Spanish / Portuguese
Number of chapters: 16

Subtitles: English / English SDH / French / Spanish / Portuguese / Chinese / Korean / Thai

#Audio Commentary
#Featurette
--Creating the Universe (HD, 29 minutes)
--Stars of Tomorrow (HD, 27 minutes)
--All About the Music (HD, 15 minutes)
--Moving Across the Universe (HD, 15 minutes)
--FX of the Universe (HD, 9 minutes)
#Extended Musical Performances (HD, 35 minutes)
#Deleted Scene (HD, 1 minute)
#Still Gallery (HD)

After seeing the previews for Across the Universe I was instantly mesmerized and excited to see the movie. I put it on my Amazon.com wishlist hoping that someone would buy it for me --anticipating the bright colorful scenes set along to Beatles music...after all, I'm a big fan of the Beatles and I like musicals.
I rented the movie from NetFlix, and within the first half-hour I was disappointed, but I stuck it out. I thought that it must get better; I was wrong.
The dialoge was trite...almost like a joke. After the arrival of 'Prudence' we get, "Where'd she come from?" "She came in through the bathroom window." Yeah, we get it, it's a Beatles song.
The characters were *cutely* named after Beatles songs and frequently broke out into hokey melodies throughout the movie. I like musicals, and I realize they get hokey at times, but this one just made me keep rolling my eyes.
The vocal arrangements of most of the songs were disappointing. Some of the harmonies were nice, and I enjoyed the rocking versions by the Janis-Joplin-esque Sadie.
The storyline was shallow with serious lack of character development. I might have liked this movie more when I was 12 and had lower expectations out of movies.

The best parts of the movie are the ones that are just musical/phychedellic visuals. If these portions only had been paired with better vocal/instrumetal versions of the songs -with no attempt at having a plot-- it would have been better.

Instead, songs ended, cheesy dialogue resumed, and I was reminded each time that, 'oh yeah, there's supposed to be a plot here.'

Overall, this movie was disjointed and poorly executed. The idea had potential. Before I finished watching the movie, I had removed this flick from my Amazon.com wishlist because I honestly couldn't tolerate watching it again. I'm surprised at the volume of 5-star ratings on here because the movie, to me, just wasn't that good.

Once Upon a Time in Hollywood: From the Secret Files of Harry Pennypacker
Musical: From Broadway to Hollywood
Shadow Watcher
Nobody Drowns in Mineral Lake

If you enjoy movie musicals, as well as the music of The Beatles, then I strongly recommend that you take a look at this marvelous film.

The extremely talented Julie Taymor, of Broadway's THE LION KING fame, directed what is essentially an operetta, containing about 30 songs from The Beatles' catalog.

[Sadly, my personal favorite, "Yesterday." is not among them.]

Nevertheless, this is one terrific, quite experimental, picture, filled with visually stunning musical numbers and a virtually unknown cast headed by Evan Rachel Wood, Jim Sturgess and Joe Anderson. It's plot is a multiple-character love story set against the turbulent 1960s.

One of the musical highlights of the movie is a cameo performance by Eddie Izzard, who shot his musical number "live," because it was mostly impromptu. In fact, for a special treat, be sure to take a look at the "extras" on this 2-disc set, particularly a pair of alternate takes on Izzard's number.

Salma Hayek, Bono and Joe Cocker also make brief, albeit notable, cameo appearances.

© Michael B. Druxman, author of ONCE UPON A TIME IN HOLLYWOOD

I don't know how the critics got it so wrong when this movie came out. It was barely in the theaters long at all. Julie Taymor is such a genius & all the actors did a great job. I love the reinterpretation of the Beatles music. I don't usually buy movies, but I had to own this one.

The music, the visuals . . . this movie is simply a masterpiece. But more than that, it may be the only movie that truly captured the innocence of those times. I lived in the San Francisco Bay Area during the late sixties and witnessed the Summer of Love as well as the war protests at Berkeley, tear gas, ranks of police and all! The songs of the Beatles were the soundtrack of my teens, and I remember witnessing the civil rights riots, participating in peace marches, debating fiercely with classmates, but even more so with my parents who could not understand why their perfect daughter had become such a rebel and talked treason! My generation wanted to make a positive difference in the world so badly, and with total innocence, we set out to do what we could. Like Lucy, we pitched in where we could. We did not understand why adults were so angry or why the police and National Guard were called out to stop us. We simply wanted justice and peace in the world. What an amazing place and time that was to be young and alive! This movie really took me back to those days and how much we wanted to change the world and make it a better place, and how willing we were to take action and speak out.