Continuing this year’s trend of diverse cinematic spectacles, “A Wrinkle In Time” adapts this incredible journey of unexpected discovery from the novel written by Madeleine L’Engle.

While the story is sure to enchant readers, the film is too wildly ambitious for its own good.

Through the physics of atoms and frequencies, the story begins when Dr. Alex Murry (Chris Pine) and his wife, Dr. Kate Murry (Gugu Mbatha-Raw), discover the possibility of traveling great distances to anywhere in the universe through a process called tessering.

However, following the ridicule and scorn of the scientific community when they present their findings, Alex takes matters into his own hands to actually test the calculations and ends up tessering across the universe in a split second of time.

Despite the innocent intention to simply see what’s out there, he is captured within an evil force called Camazotz, referred to simply as “The It,” on his tessering trip and is unable to find a way out despite resisting its vile grasp.

The exposition of this film sets the mystery up well but is still a bit choppy. It seems as if the director forced in some scenes that don’t necessarily contribute to the story, hindering their artistry from being completely natural.

For example, the playground and resulting principal’s office scenes at the beginning seem unrealistic and unauthentic. The subject matter of them is almost elementary.

Moreover, the premise of this film was largely centered around its visual effects and its top-notch cast.

And while some of the effects are exquisitely dazzling, original and creative, others are just a little too unbelievable to pull you fully into the worlds the film visits.

Most of the performances greatly contribute to making this film better than the story originally adapted by director Ava DuVernay.

It feels like the movie is in such a rush at some times that it’s hard to pinpoint where the journey begins and when it really takes off. Before you know it, you are arriving to the conclusion and you can feel the build toward the end abruptly.

Dr. Murry’s daughter, Meg Murry (Storm Reid), must now travel throughout the universe with the help of the three Misses: the headstrong Mrs. Whatsit (Reese Witherspoon), the deeply educated Mrs. Who (Mindy Kaling) and the exceptionally wise Mrs. Which (Oprah Winfrey) to search for the desparate cries of her long-lost father.

Joined also by her classmate Calvin (Levi Miller) and her intelligent younger brother Charles Wallace (Deric McCabe), Meg must learn to love the gift of her faults if she is to find her father and help many others in the universe from escaping the force of the evil It by seeing the light through the darkness.

The film furthers the modern trends of both diversity and the female empowerment in popular entertainment while shedding a shining light on relevant topics like bullying and depression, especially for younger people in the context of school and family.

Ultimately, Meg is able to overcome the temptation of dark forces and save her family and friends, and even the universe, from the spreading evil.

The performances of the cast are all mostly solid, particularly those of Reid, McCabe, Pine and Winfrey. They, more than anything else, transform this film into a experience that can tell an entertaining story despite some of its shortcomings.

Alex Novak is an entertainment reviewer. Contact him at [email protected].