I just saw the movie and really enjoyed it. It's not a masterpiece, but I came away with a better feeling than the made-for-tv version a few years ago.
Like many movie adaptations, the movie tells the story differently from the book. Some of the changes didn't make sense to me, like the form of Mrs. Whatsit's metamorphosis. Other changes reflect a different perspective on the book's descriptions, like Camazotz being shown metaphorically rather than as a literal planet.
Meg, the main character, carried this movie for me. She was fantastic and her relationship with her father was well done. Tessering was a good effect, where you see space around them "wrinkling". I like how they showed that Meg's difficulty with tessering stemmed from her not liking herself, always wanting to leave part of herself behind. Calvin also was a great supporting character.
Charles Wallace's personality was greatly altered in the movie. It worked for the story they were telling, but he is not "my" Charles Wallace of the book series.
I have mixed feelings about the 3 ladies- Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which. Mrs. Whatsit was way off, both in human form and her metamorphosis. I prefer the Mrs. Whatsit of the made-for-tv version, even though that movie didn't have much else going for it. This Mrs. Whatsit didn't come across as a billions of years old spirit, she was a floozy. Mrs. Which's sequins were distracting, she should have gone for the stereotypical "witch" look. Mrs. Who is my favorite of the three. Her connection to Calvin through quotes was well done.
Overall, for a book with little physical descriptions, I think this adaptation was well done. Due to the fantastical and greatly metaphoric nature of the book, I don't believe there will ever be a movie that truly satisfies most book readers. Everyone takes away something different from the book, and a movie can only show the perspective of those who made it.
