Delayed Reaction: Across the Universe

The Pitch: There's so many Beatles songs, it must be possible to make a rock opera or at least a musical out of them.

I didn't care for the covers. That's what it all comes down to. Across the Universe is intended for people who like The Beatles' music and I definitely do. It plays well for people who like the 60s. Given that I just binged CNN's The Sixties at the expense of a good night's sleep for several nights, I fit that description as well. I'm even a fan of Evan Rachel Wood and Jim Sturgess (the former more than the later). This didn't land with me at all though. It felt too reverse engineered, like the screenwriters had a checklist of the songs they wanted to fit in and made a story that worked for that. I tended to groan when the name of any new character was given. The story was fiarly uninspired. It hits all the beats of the 60s that everyone hits without anything new to say.

This all would've been fine if I liked how they produced the music. And I just didn't care for these versions. Some were played too big. Some were too small. The songs didn't always match the performer. I tend to shy away from remixes and covers as it is, so these weren't exceptional enough to win me over. I can see how other people would like them though.

Verdict (?): Weakly Don't Recommend