A far better adaptation of the book(s) than the 2018 film. Though it suffers from the available CGI of the time in which it was made, the performances (especially of a very conflicted and realistic teen Meg) really work, here. 2018's version is eye-poppingly pretty, and focussed much more time on the Mrs. characters. This one gives us the kids' relationships more fully and spends more time on Camazotz, making both Charles Wallace's decisions ring truer. Keep in mind it's essentially a TV movie, and not did have the $100+ budget, nor the known star-power of the 2018 adaptation. Has Everwood's Ephraim as Calvin, and Alfre Woodard as Mrs. Whatsit. My kids (under 12) preferred this version. Read more
Great movie! I rented it instead of reading the book for a reading optional book club meeting. Now I want to read the book. I had no idea Oprah was in the movie and this was a pleasant surprise. The acting was good and the story intriguing. I wish I'd have purchased it instead of renting it so I could watch it again. The whole family will enjoy this! Read more
It arrived intact, and it plays without skips or scratches. Read more
Much better than Oprah's version. Read more
This version of the movie is different than the one we rented at Red Box. I do not know which one was played at the theater, but after watching Amazon's version, I feel sorry for any one who wasted their money on the other version. This version was true to the book. The special effects were excellent. Even though I have read the book and seen the original movie and knew what was supposed to happen, it happened in such a vibrant, action packed way, that I, mystery/rescue mission, that I was on the edge of my seat most of the movie. I laughed, I cryed, I was sad, happy, angry, and amazed right along with the characters on the screen. Read more
My grandson had to read the book,so I brought the movie to watch!! It help him to understand what he was reading!! I enjoyed the movie!! Read more
Let's be real and say that this version had to have been a crazy-low-budget version that must have gone straight to video, but you know what? It still sticks to the actual book WAAAAAAAY better than the new version. The new one is nice to look at, and if you haven't read the book, you'll love it. This one is actually kind of laughable to watch in places (we watch, laugh, re-watch, laugh, re-watch, laugh at the scene where Mrs. Whatsit transforms into the "most beautiful creature" Meg has ever seen and then flies the kids to see the dark thing--she looks kind of like a running molar), but dangit, it still makes my students and me less frustrated to watch this one than the new one because it at least seems like the writers had read the book and not the SparkNotes version. Read more
Acting was amateurish. The main characters of Meg, Charles Wallace, and Calvin needed stronger actors. In fact, all of the juvenile actors were weak to say the least. Mrs Which was too unlike the character description in the book. Too visible, too glamorous, too human. Mrs Who was too pretty and young. Alfre Woodard fit her part the best even though she was portrayed as Caucasian in the book. The Man with Red Eyes actor hammed it up too much to be believably menacing. Visually the story was realized pretty well considering it was made with television production resources. I really wanted to rate this 2 1/2 stars but I couldn't see how to do it so I bumped it up to 3 for the unexpected visual quality. Read more
