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List Price: $19.94 | | Label: Sony Pictures
Salesrank: 540
Released: February 5, 2008 |
| Our Price: $11.91 |
| Used Price: $2.84 |
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MPAA Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Media: DVD |
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Editorial Review:
Across the Universe, from director Julie Taymor, is a revolutionary rock musical that re-imagines America in the turbulent late-1960s, a time when battle lines were being drawn at home and abroad. When young dockworker Jude (Jim Sturgess) leaves Liverpool to find his estranged father in America, he is swept up by the waves of change that are re-shaping the nation. Jude falls in love with Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood), a rich but sheltered American girl who joins the growing anti-war movement in New York's Greenwich Village. As the body count in Vietnam rises, political tensions at home spiral out of control and the star-crossed lovers find themselves in a psychedelic world gone mad. With a cameo by Bono, Across the Universe is "the kind of movie you watch again, like listening to a favorite album." (Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times)
Description of Across the Universe (Two-Disc Special Edition):
Set in America during the Vietnam War, Across the Universe is a powerful love story set against a backdrop of political and social unrest: it's a story of soul-searching, self-doubt, and individual powerlessness cleverly conveyed through a multitude of Beatles songs. Like young adults all across America during the 1960's, Jude (Jim Sturgess), Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood), Max (Joe Anderson), Sadie (Dana Fuchs), Prudence (T.V. Carpio), and JoJo (Martin Luther) are in turmoil over the war; questioning their individual roles in the war effort and struggling to find a way to hold true to their beliefs while making a difference in the world. While love proves a powerful uniting force, its limitations become clear as relationships are strained and broken over individual perceptions of responsibility to cause and country. A fairly bizarre juxtaposition of extremely stylized, almost hallucinogenic scenes of swirling colors and reflections, highly choreographed dance segments, seemingly commonplace character interaction, and emotionally packed close-up footage of characters lost in contemplative song, this film imparts a good sense of the confusion and passion of the time and is at once powerful, invigorating, and disturbing. The film runs a bit long at 2-hours 11-minutes and several segments drag noticeably thanks to some incredibly slow song tempos. Warning: this production may change how you think about a favorite Beatles song forever. --Tami Horiuchi
Beyond Across the Universe
On Blu-ray | 
The Deluxe Soundtrack | 
Beatles audio CD |
Stills from Across the Universe (click for larger image)
Across the Universe (Two-Disc Special Edition) Reviews:
Terrible 
2009-10-31 - Terrible. This movie was TERRIBLE. If it was just a musical about the sixties, that would be one thing. But as someone who holds the music of The Beatles so dearly, I was appalled. Pretty much sums it up.
I LOVED it!!! 
2009-10-11 - Just scanning a few of the reviews...they all said it very well. Bottom line, I am ready to buy the movie and also for good measure the soundtrack so I have options. It was creative, fun, and just when it got to be a bit much..they broke into a fab song..what more could you ask??
VENDOR HAS NOT RE-SENT PRODUCT
2009-10-10 - I forgot to put apt. # on my initial address over 1 month ago - emailed Vendor to please resend and bill me accordingly for shipping, but the Vendor has not respnded and I have NEVER RECEIVED THE PRODUCT. NOT HAPPY CAMPTER>
Awesome Movie
2009-10-05 - This movie is awesome, from the actors to the song choices and everything in between. I love the Beatles and most all of their songs and felt that using the songs to guide a story along just made sense. Although these songs can't replace the originals, some of them are almost just as good. Plus, adding blu-ray to this movie only adds to the quality.
Horrid!
2009-09-26 - This movie is almost not even worth reviewing! This abomination of a film has ruined all that I love of the Beatles. The whole thing sounds and looks like a bunch of high school drama drop-outs on valium singing and acting to standardized situatioins and backdrops of every 60's anti-protest, anti-Vietnam image/visual stereotype you can possibly imagine! The only parts bareable within were Bono's and Eddie Izzard's cameos...but you know why they were good?...because they are talented! On top of all that, they respect what the Beatles represent and still do to this day! I'm sorry for all the Beatles' fans out there that loved this movie, but it really just made me feel ashamed and embarrassed. This movie was made already with a better message and a better crew a few years back, and without disgracing itself with the Beatles as propoganda ("Forest Gump" ring a bell anyone?) This movie is a mockery of everything good in the Beatles, the generation, and good taste in film-making!
