Not all bad, but not great either

Rating: 4/10 (24 September 2007)

People seem to either be in the camp of "I love the Beatles, therefore this movie is brilliant", or "I love the Beatles, therefore this movie is a bastardization." I enjoy the Beatles, but don't believe that they can do no wrong (I have 7 words for you: Being For the Benefit of Mr. Kite. Does anyone really like that song? Really?). I went in hoping for something dazzling and trippy ala Moulin Rouge.
The problem is: Moulin Rouge selected songs that would forward its plot, whereas Across the Universe forced songs in where they had no business being; Bono and Eddie Izzard both really got into their characters, as hackneyed as they were, but their scenes were long, pointless, and entirely derailed the plot of the movie. No matter how much I liked a scene, after that interminable foray into psychedelia, I just didn't care anymore.
Judging from the trailer, I expected this to be visually stunning. However, the slick CG effects really clashed with the gritty lighting and intimate camera angles. It was like special effects brought to you by the guy who invented the Pink Floyd laser show.
That said, this was still overall a fun watch, just not an ingenious one. There are good jokes and great vocal performances, but it suffered from lack of a solid plot and, frankly, lame effects.