Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
Audience Rating: PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Binding: DVD
Brand: Sony
EAN: 0043396194625
Format: AC-3
Item Dimensions: Array
Label: Sony Pictures
Languages: Array
Manufacturer: Sony Pictures
MPN: 19462
Number Of Items: 2
Publisher: Sony Pictures
Region Code: 99
Release Date: 2008-02-05
Running Time: 133
Studio: Sony Pictures
Theatrical Release Date: 2007-10-09

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)System Requirements:Run Time: 133 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: MUSICALS/MUSICALS Rating: PG-13 UPC: 043396194625 Manufacturer No: 19462
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)

Customer Rating:
Summary: Great!
Comment: I don't usually watch musicals, but this one is excellent. If you're a Beatles fan, you'll love it. Also, Evan Rachel Wood is a knock-out!

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Across The Universe
Comment: This is a must see if you have any interest in Beatles music. I found myself going to wikipedia to find out what the Beatles were trying to communicate and what the director was trying to create in this musical. Cast of actors were Phenomenal.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Imagine
Comment: Who would have thought that this could be done? Stringing a story through the soundtrack of our lives could have been trite. The movie though, captures the times between 1964 and 1969 perfectly. The evolution of the politics, music and graphic imagery mirrors what I remember. The references to charactors and historical people is very clever, and it was all done without being a slave to literalism. The interpretations of the songs are novel and imaginative. "I Wanna Hold Your Hand", "Happiness is a Warm Gun" and "Carry That Weight" are totally unexpected, but in an alternate universe, could be just what Lennon and McCartney intended.

As a separate issue, I was bowled over by Diana Fuchs' performance. She channels Janis Joplin and Joan Osborne without imitating them, and is proof positive of the magic of the blues.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: A walk back in Time
Comment: I have never written a movie review before, and after reading many reviews realized many people are in love with what they write..

I just watched the movie, had not even heard of it before my son had me sit down to view. I turned on the surround sound, earphones on, and walked back thru time, as that brought back a flood of memories.. I thought it was a great movie, visuals, sound, singers, actors, it was all a well spent two hours.
Now I have to buy it, because it all worked for me. May be a bit much for those that have young ones to watch, but for those with more mature offspring, it is good to have some dialog around the material.

This is a keeper for me.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Disc issues
Comment: Unfortunately, I can't give a review for this movie. The disc will not play in my DVD player or my computer. I received one and returned it after it wouldn't play. Unfortunately, the second one has the same issue. It is not my player because I have no problem with other DVDs.

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