"Across The Universe" A HAIRless Godspell?

Rating: 5/10 (24 September 2007)

"Across The Universe" sometimes felt like being caught between a less than dynamic version of the rock musical "Hair" and an updated "urban spaceman's" version of "Godspell" The renditions of songs by The Beatles in "Across The Universe" were conveyed in the confines of the "soul" music genre as T-Bone Burnett arranged them perfectly in, what Yoko Ono would describe as a bevy of action paintings, sometimes but not always beautifully captured by Julie Taymor. The segments that were a joy to embrace at this spectator's first viewing were "Because" and "Come Together" the early songs were done with a sense of Broadway nostalgia ala Grease or Hairspray which lend them to a already developed approach and lackluster style except however for "I Want To Hold Your Hand" sang with a accapella straight forwardness sure to put a smile "on" your heart! But the best "soul" laid open in songs from the "White Album" and "Abbey Road" where the psychedelia of "Sgt. Pepper" period was tainted with overused "trippy" visuals that left to much style unconquered. Although then there is segments like "Let It Be" that mirrored what is now happening in the southern part of America, which brought in a sense of here and now with the "Vietnam" vehicle used to depict that war is always such a "ugly" word! There were songs that also misfired such as the "Uncle Sam" recruitment influence of "I Want You (She So Heavy) which in my opinion should have stuck with the original intent being a song about romantic obsession and used as such for after all the two leads demanded such attention to tell their love story, although "Something" was sung with such bravado and intensity! The editing was sometimes a little lethargic, but pick up with such velocity with segments such as "Oh Darling", "Helter Skelter" and the brilliant "Revolution" that left the rapid fire cuts blazing in your head long after the last "Alright" was shouted! The animations for "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite" were very well done, and Eddie Lizzard was perfect for the song, but however the ad-libs fell sort of a Lennonesque biting wit, which certainly Mr. Lizzard is capable of! All in all in all the music proved once again to be timeless, if only used in this single musical format. Perhaps later in the evolvement of The Beatles legacy a few more musical genres can be or will be tackled.