Amazon.com
Set in America during the Vietnam War, Across the Universe is a powerful love story set against a backdrop of political and social unrest: it's a story of soul-searching, self-doubt, and individual powerlessness cleverly conveyed through a multitude of Beatles songs. Like young adults all across America during the 1960's, Jude (Jim Sturgess), Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood), Max (Joe Anderson), Sadie (Dana Fuchs), Prudence (T.V. Carpio), and JoJo (Martin Luther) are in turmoil over the war; questioning their individual roles in the war effort and struggling to find a way to hold true to their beliefs while making a difference in the world. While love proves a powerful uniting force, its limitations become clear as relationships are strained and broken over individual perceptions of responsibility to cause and country. A fairly bizarre juxtaposition of extremely stylized, almost hallucinogenic scenes of swirling colors and reflections, highly choreographed dance segments, seemingly commonplace character interaction, and emotionally packed close-up footage of characters lost in contemplative song, this film imparts a good sense of the confusion and passion of the time and is at once powerful, invigorating, and disturbing. The film runs a bit long at 2-hours 11-minutes and several segments drag noticeably thanks to some incredibly slow song tempos. Warning: this production may change how you think about a favorite Beatles song forever.

Product Description
Across the Universe, from director Julie Taymor, is a revolutionary rock musical that re-imagines America in the turbulent late-1960s, a time when battle lines were being drawn at home and abroad. When young dockworker Jude (Jim Sturgess) leaves Liverpool to find his estranged father in America, he is swept up by the waves of change that are re-shaping the nation. Jude falls in love with Lucy (Evan Rachel Wood), a rich but sheltered American girl who joins the growing anti-war movement in New York's Greenwich Village. As the body count in Vietnam rises, political tensions at home spiral out of control and the star-crossed lovers find themselves in a psychedelic world gone mad. With a cameo by Bono, Across the Universe is "the kind of movie you watch again, like listening to a favorite album." (Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times)

DVD Two-Disc Special Edition:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000ZLFALI/?tag=imwan-20

Blu-ray:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000ZLFALS/?tag=imwan-20

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The soundtrack album came out several months ago, and details can be found in this thread:

http://www.imwan.com/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=18931

Finally I will get to see this movie. Have it on my Netflix queue. Wish I had Blu-ray to really see this but regular DVD will have to suffice for now.

I was one of the few viewers who loved this movie. Definitely gonna pick it up this week.

In a way I'm afraid of this movie. People (actors) other than the Beatles doing the Beatles usually makes my skin crawl.

But since this movie looks like its well shot and the music should sound good in 5.1, I'm willing to give it a shot.

I still think it was a bad idea.

I saw this movie in the theatre with my daughter and while she was a bit too young to understand the historical aspects of it, she loved the visuals and the music. She wants the DVD immediately.

I watched it tonight and all I can say is if it didn't have Beatle songs it really would be terrible.

Its too long and the story is ridiculous.

Some of the singing is decent but some of it grates (especially that rock chick). Someone tell Julie Traymor that the 60's were 40 years ago. Man I'm glad I missed this in a theater.