The fantastic journey through space and time was as engaging visually as it was narratively.

The film's themes of love, family and self-acceptance are powerful enough to resonate with audiences. But the concept and casting shouldn't be the most magical parts of a fantasy film, no matter how enchanting its message is.

What DuVernay has delivered is essentially a feature-length screensaver which operates on the assumption that cinema for children is a matter of bright colours and dippy sentiment.

A Wrinkle in Time is for kids, and I mean 'made for kids' in the supportive definition rather than the usual lazy and disparaging connotation that's carelessly applied to more lukewarm family films.