Across the Universe
Columbia Pictures | Release Date: September 14, 2007
7.3
USER SCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 273 Ratings
USER RATING DISTRIBUTION
Positive:
189
Mixed:
38
Negative:
46
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User Reviews

User scoreBy dateMost helpful
2
KenW.Sep 19, 2007
Astonishingly misconceived. The arrangements are awful, the plot is non-existent, the actors are asleep and the vision of the sixties seems to be derived from - to rob a Simpsons gag - Bob Hope parodies of that decade. I am ASTONISHED the Astonishingly misconceived. The arrangements are awful, the plot is non-existent, the actors are asleep and the vision of the sixties seems to be derived from - to rob a Simpsons gag - Bob Hope parodies of that decade. I am ASTONISHED the critics have been so tolerant.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
10
AliceH.Sep 21, 2007
This movie was not only a "tear-jerker" but it was musically phenomenal, and all in all fantastic, I would love to thank Julie Taymor, Jim Sturgess, Evan Rachel Wood, Joe Anderson, Dana Fuchs, T.V. Carpio and Martin Luther McCoy for making This movie was not only a "tear-jerker" but it was musically phenomenal, and all in all fantastic, I would love to thank Julie Taymor, Jim Sturgess, Evan Rachel Wood, Joe Anderson, Dana Fuchs, T.V. Carpio and Martin Luther McCoy for making this movie an instant success, i look forward to more films from this "era" and artistic styling...kudos!… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
10
DavNov 25, 2008
As all the 10's out there realize, art is for arts sake and this was true art. The arrangement and integration of each seen to the subject matter blending music to storyline was truly masterful. Riddance to the naysayers!
0 of 0 users found this helpful
10
BrittanyAOct 14, 2008
Amazing movie, awesomely arranged songs of The Beatles and perfect matching with the songs and scenes. Crazy, out-there, over the top and astounding.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
2
JimmyJamJan 16, 2008
Just got back from seeing this, with a totally open mind. What a horrible, insufferable film, what a cheesy embarrassment. Definitely in the Top Ten of the Worst Movies I've Ever Seen. And I love musicals.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
10
DaveJ.Jan 26, 2008
A Magical Mystery Tour De Force, Those who didn't like it didn't live it.Your loss .
0 of 0 users found this helpful
10
RyanDudermackeralJan 26, 2008
I don't know where to start, metacritic. This movie was awesome. The sounds were all great. The filming was totally rad. The scene w/ Eddie Izzard as Mr Kite was about the craziest thing ever able to penetrate the human mind. I could I don't know where to start, metacritic. This movie was awesome. The sounds were all great. The filming was totally rad. The scene w/ Eddie Izzard as Mr Kite was about the craziest thing ever able to penetrate the human mind. I could say that it got a little boring at the end with the whole lovesy puvsy stuff, but the beginning and middle more than make up for it. Besides, who doesn't like a happy ending? I know I do. Dudermackeral, out.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
1
RaquelPJan 31, 2008
Its such a travesty trying to cram 33 of the Beatles
0 of 0 users found this helpful
10
FrankM.Feb 13, 2008
You either love it or hate it. I loved the film, probably for the same reasons it's not liked: over the top, a bit pretentious and at times silly.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
6
BillBFeb 15, 2008
At times the arrangements were enjoyable, and at other times they seemed to just be stuck in there.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
9
HowardR.Feb 23, 2008
Thought it was an excellent movie but with regard to acting, visuals, and music.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
10
BeckyL.Feb 23, 2008
Very nostalgic. A great job of encapusulating what it felt like to be there at the time.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
10
RS.Feb 28, 2008
A brilliant movie with so much meaning behind strawberry fields forever.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
10
BobbyB.Mar 24, 2008
I imagine that the people who don't like this movie are the same ones who criticize Bob Dylan in concert because he doesn't render his songs as they were on the albums. I felt like I was hearing some of these songs for the first I imagine that the people who don't like this movie are the same ones who criticize Bob Dylan in concert because he doesn't render his songs as they were on the albums. I felt like I was hearing some of these songs for the first time and that their simple, stripped down presentations brought forth their meanings in ways that I initially missed when hearing these songs in the 60's. I was smiling all the way through this movie and I am overwhelmed by Julie Traynor's creativity. Thank you, Julie, for this gift!… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
6
MattAApr 13, 2008
Not as good as it could have been. The music was great...of course however...it's like having a piece of manipulatable gold as clay. The story however, left more to be desired. Obviously the movie depicted the events of an era as Not as good as it could have been. The music was great...of course however...it's like having a piece of manipulatable gold as clay. The story however, left more to be desired. Obviously the movie depicted the events of an era as opposed to sticking to the interactions between characters throughout the story. I really couldn't get emotionally attached to any of the characters, and they all seemed to be just additions to the songs. They weren't living beings, but only a sack of feelings with little to no actual goals in life except to sing and have sex. Sure, it's pretty to look at, and maybe that's all we need in life... but i think we deserve a little more emotional connection to these characters, besides knowing the songs that they sing.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
10
AmityS.Apr 26, 2008
Across the Universe is a movie that grows increasingly better with each view. THe carefully picked soundtrack is artistically revamped and interweaves with the storyline. This musical proves to be a respectful tribute to the music of The Beatles.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
9
DevonSApr 27, 2008
The first half of the movie is a pretty basic love story with psychedelic effects, while the second half is a visually enchanting portrayal of the Vietnamese War, drugs, and how the government reacted to the youth of America speaking their The first half of the movie is a pretty basic love story with psychedelic effects, while the second half is a visually enchanting portrayal of the Vietnamese War, drugs, and how the government reacted to the youth of America speaking their minds. Thankfully it all meshes together into a very beautiful film, and probably one of the best movies we'll see Hollywood produce for years to come.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
9
ErikM.May 29, 2008
Loved it, the only thing holding it back was it was too short and too many songs were left out, but then again if it included all my favorite songs it would have been 6 hours long.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
9
EdaG.Jun 13, 2008
I found it pretty complete, a musical with GOOD music - I mean, anything better than Beatles?! Great plot, surprising, there's a love, historical facts, the society is realistically depicted... it was a long time I did not enjoy a movie I found it pretty complete, a musical with GOOD music - I mean, anything better than Beatles?! Great plot, surprising, there's a love, historical facts, the society is realistically depicted... it was a long time I did not enjoy a movie so much!!… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
9
ChetR.Jul 22, 2008
The inspiration and subtlety will grow on viewers and it will emerge as a classic viewed by generations.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
2
AaronMJul 29, 2008
It's easy to tell that the only purpose of the "movie" is to play as many songs as possible. The storyline played out like... well, a terrible movie. I give it a 2 because the Beatles have some good songs, although some are butchered in It's easy to tell that the only purpose of the "movie" is to play as many songs as possible. The storyline played out like... well, a terrible movie. I give it a 2 because the Beatles have some good songs, although some are butchered in this 2 hour music video.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
10
BeaS.Nov 13, 2007
Loved it. Can't quite understand the nay-sayers. This is a musical for gods sake. What are you expecting??? In as far as musicals goes, you can't get better nor more creative. Yes, at it's base, it's just another simple, Loved it. Can't quite understand the nay-sayers. This is a musical for gods sake. What are you expecting??? In as far as musicals goes, you can't get better nor more creative. Yes, at it's base, it's just another simple, and predictable, love story, but what a joyful ride getting there!!!… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
4
LarryB.Nov 16, 2007
Really plastic.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
1
HazzaB.Nov 17, 2007
I will review only the first 20 minutes, as this is all I could bear before I slunk down my seat and crawled out of the movie theater in sheer embarrassment. It is a musical, and an awful one at that. Wielding it's cutesy cleaver, and I will review only the first 20 minutes, as this is all I could bear before I slunk down my seat and crawled out of the movie theater in sheer embarrassment. It is a musical, and an awful one at that. Wielding it's cutesy cleaver, and butchering Beatles classics as it went. The dialogue and characterisation was wooden, and the portrayal of the 60's drew on the most simplistic cliches. Why don't you just take the entire back catalogue of the World's greatest band, and let the preliminary contestants of Amercian Idol massacre insteadl? At least this kind of sacrilege will by vaguely funny.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful
10
RubyRubyDec 13, 2008
One of the bests movies of the year!
0 of 0 users found this helpful
0
ShaneMDec 25, 2008
A thoroughly appalling, wasteful mess. The movie consists of a series of poorly executed, horribly arranged music videos connected by a shoe string plot and a cast of caricatures. One of the biggest movie disappointments I could ever imagine seeing.
0 of 0 users found this helpful
8
MichaelOct 11, 2010
Julie Taymorâ
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3
dopigsfly123Mar 16, 2011
Pretentious, self-indulgent, and pseudo-artsy. The story is boring and superficial, peppered with far too many attempts at "powerful" psychedelic imagery. The music is the only good thing about it.
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9
pinkscreenFeb 20, 2012
It is a clever movie. People who loves the 60's will be thrilled. Like ''Moulin rouge'' this is not a boring musical with home made lyrics. It's a good way to review all the Beatles's masterpieces. Delightful!
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7
moonman1994Jul 26, 2013
Cool and very stylistically done. This film does a fantastic job of uniting favorite Beatles songs into a interesting and unique story line. There are some aspects about the film that are a little rough around the edges but over all the filmCool and very stylistically done. This film does a fantastic job of uniting favorite Beatles songs into a interesting and unique story line. There are some aspects about the film that are a little rough around the edges but over all the film is very entertaining and artsy (and on occasion creepy) in a good way.… Expand
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6
Compi24Sep 7, 2017
This is about as frustrating as movies come. A musical that can, at times, absolutely capture the magic and spirit of the Beatles, yet leave out so much of the other elements and - quite frankly - songs that made the band so damned good. AThis is about as frustrating as movies come. A musical that can, at times, absolutely capture the magic and spirit of the Beatles, yet leave out so much of the other elements and - quite frankly - songs that made the band so damned good. A visual feat that can, at times, completely dazzle the audience with spellbinding imagery and production value, yet populate said images and set pieces with less than inspired characters and plot devices. It's a superficial marvel, no doubt, but I think the one thing that Taymor undoubtedly misses the mark on here is fairly simple: depth.… Expand
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7
bm2759Jun 13, 2013
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. First and foremost this is an entertaining movie with a great soundtrack and wonderful visuals to match the scene and songs. If you like the Beatles and musicals you will definitely enjoy this film. It is not perfect and sometimes seems contrived but overall I was impressed with the production, singing and setting. Strawberry Fields Forever though was quite awful.

My biggest gripe is the weak closing of the film. The story builds, characters grow, everyone suffers in some way, and in the end everyone comes together again. Yet as we see Jude and Lucy gazing at eachother across the rooftops I wanted a little bit more. Just seeing what each character did after that rooftop gig would have given the audience satisfaction instead of the quick ending we received.… Expand
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2
JB_BeesMar 1, 2014
I'm late to the party, but this was straight up dong. The only redeeming quality about it was the music. I pledge no contest to how awesome the covers were. But when you take away the music, what we have here is a disorganized and sappy loveI'm late to the party, but this was straight up dong. The only redeeming quality about it was the music. I pledge no contest to how awesome the covers were. But when you take away the music, what we have here is a disorganized and sappy love story about an elated English boy who comes to America, falls in love with a shallow, superficial girl because of her looks. The plot requires they become a couple but it turns out they are not compatible at all. Jude is an artist and is logical, passive, and enjoys the natural things in life. Lucy is an activist, selfish, impressionable, loves adoration, naive, and judges others. She berates Jude for his beliefs and his lifestyle choices when he chooses not to involve himself with the protest. The film poorly uses 60's era issues like Vietnam to test their relationship. Anyway she fails at life and gets herself involved with the wrong people. He comes to her rescue and gets deported. He then somehow is allowed back into America the very next day and apologizes to her through 'All You Need Is Love.' And we see the whole cast doing this except Lucy. She was seen wandering the street at the end not giving a **** about anyone until she hears a song praising her. The **** sang about how special she was because her boyfriend went to die in Vietnam for her. I kept yelling at the TV "SHE WAS IN THE WRONG! WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!"

'All You Need Is Love' was a good closure song, But Jude is apparently the one in the wrong in the end? He has to be the one burdened to make things right again? It should be her blonde ass on a rooftop singing about wanting love and acceptance from Jude and her friends (whom she didn't interact with the entire film). And the other characters? Nothing. Not a damn thing. Prudence being an introverted, in-the-closet, lesbian with burgeoning desires she can't act on? No closure given there. They just needed a girl named Prudence in the story because a Beatles' song was about a girl named Prudence. Or how about the black guy? He was a member of a generation victimized by racial prejudice and nothing else was mentioned about him. The thought process with putting him the movie was: "Well there was racial intolerance issues in that era, so we should have one scene about that, and a black main cast member too." Christ.

There was no depth or genuine feeling to the characters, theme, or scenery. When we weren't focusing on Jude, who turned out to be spineless beta-orbiter in love and Scumbag Stacey Lucy, the other characters task in this story was to do things people did in the 60's to give us this feeling that film was deep. The musical numbers have no relevance to anything. In one scene the gang decide to go to New York where they encounter Bono who performs 'I am the Walrus.' Bear in mind Bono did not play a character in the movie, Bono was being Bono. The scene was done for the sole purpose of Bono making an appearance and singing a Beatles' song.

I'm done wasting energy commenting on this work. If I had a choice to watch this or shiv myself in the face, I'd take the latter.… Expand
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10
DudesweetMar 10, 2016
I am a huge Beatles fan I have the say, Excellent Soundtrack. The music fits the film to a tee. I grew up in the 60's and remember a lot of the themed scenes in the film .
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0
FilipeNetoMay 9, 2021
I'm not a Beatles fan, I never was and never will be. However, the impact they had on world music is undeniable, and it continues to this day, with influences on different singers and composers, from Pop universe to the most erudite authors.I'm not a Beatles fan, I never was and never will be. However, the impact they had on world music is undeniable, and it continues to this day, with influences on different singers and composers, from Pop universe to the most erudite authors. For a band that only lasted ten years, it is very significant. Therefore, this film will certainly be to the liking of the fans of the band, but I confess that, for me, it was not that interesting.

Let's start with the obvious: the film is a musical where the band's songs are the structural point. So far, so good. The problem is that everything revolves around the songs, including the script, which is an extraordinarily confusing romantic story between an American girl and a boy from Liverpool. From a certain point, it becomes evident that the film does not work and does not have a story to tell, and all of this is a mere excuse for a musical film that had the Beatles as its theme. And a movie, no matter how bad, has to have a story to tell, and that story has to justify the movie and its length. For the story told in this film, a short film of half an hour would be enough.

The cast has some well-known names, starting with Jim Sturgess, who brought with him a solid career made in British TV. The actor is good, and he works hard, making a good match with Evan Rachel Wood, who also does everything she can to improve the quality of the film. Unfortunately, they don't have the material to do much more than they did, and the supporting cast does nothing more than show up and sing when they need it. The characters are terrible, boring and one-dimensional.

Technically, it is an animated, vibrant, colorful and cheerful film, and this will surely attract the audience. Visually, it's a pleasant film, with cinematography full of bright colors and light, and a solid and consistent film work. The sets and costumes fulfill their role. Being a musical film, songs and choreography are essential but even that didn't go well: the Beatles' songs, sung almost in a religious, formal way, without great emotion or commitment from the singers, are accompanied by a set of choreographies that have nothing special or cinematic, seeming more thought for the TV than for the big screen.… Expand
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