Too much Beatlemania here but not bad!

Rating: 7/10 (25 October 2008)

Beatlejuice! Beatlejuice! Beatlejuice! Beatlejuice! Like a flying Lennonball, another Beatle homage musical has crossed the cinematic universe that has a familiar ringo to it. It is Director Julie Taymor's love-story jingle narrative "Across The Universe". A plethora of Beatle tunes are incorporated within the plot of a young Liverpool lad named Jude who crosses the pond to America and meets a gorgeous born-into-wealth "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds". Jude travels to America primarily to meet his estranged father who is an Ivy League university janitor so they can "Come Together". There, Jude meets a "Day Tripper" college student named Max and with "A Little Help From His Friend", Jude meets Max's sister none other than Lucy herself. Mad Max is exhausted by his family demands on striving to succeed so he rebels and consequently Jude & Max move to America Beatleland, New York. In that "Apple City Field Forever", they meet a group of bohemians including a sexy cougar singer/landlord Sadie, a Jimi Hendriexian guitar player Jo-Jo, and an Asian lesbian Prudence. Not before long, Lucy joins them in New York after her boyfriend is killed in combat. "Hey Jude" now Lucy is available and before you can say "I Love Lucy", they fall for each other and all "They Need Is Love" now to exist joyously in this universe. "Across The Universe" then dwells into 60's themes such as war, democracy, violence, sex, drugs, an of course rock n roll. Cutesy for a 60's themed film but all too familiar; but I "Let It Be" since it is a film of the "hippie hippie hooray" era. I do commend the actors for their theatrical efforts in taking on such challenging characters, but none of the performances caused me to "Shout" with exhilaration for their thespian contributions. Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais are the "Paperback Writers" of the screenplay of "Across The Universe", but their film paper should have screamed "Help" because it lacked originality and authenticity. Director Taymor tames it well with the visuals in the musical sequences but has a "Ticket to Override" by inserting an overabundance of Beatle tunes which take away the realism of the film's romantic plot line. "Across The Universe" is not out of this universe, but not bad to check out after a "Hard Day's Night". *** Average