Originally published May 27, 2015. Updated April 13, 2018.
Tomorrowland, 2015.
Directed by Brad Bird
Starring George Clooney, Britt Robertson, Hugh Laurie, Raffey Cassidy, Keegan-Michael Key, Tim McGraw and Kathryn Hahn.
SYNOPSIS:
A former boy-genius and an optimistic teenager join forces to find the mysterious Tomorrowland.
Brad Bird, like many of us at heart, is a big kid, who loves nothing more than to jet off into his imagination and create some wonderful. But if the adult in him got to play with the big-kid toys with Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, he is firmly back in the sandbox with Tomorrowland, his fantastical journey into another dimension that show us what can be possible if we believe.
Tomorrowland, while trying to warn us of a potentially bleak and catastrophic “end of days”, is as much about transporting us into the future as it is about taking us back to our youth and how magical and awe-inspiring it can be. Starting at the famous World’s Fair where dreams such dreams begin, we are surrounded my technological advancements some of which the world may never know. Frank Walker (Thomas Robertson) is one such boy with a big idea that may have potential in the future. Rejected by the panel, his is given special pin by another seemingly wistful child (the excellent Raffey Cassidy), and is transported to a parallel universe that shows him what is truly possible.
Flash-forward to present day and a similarly energetic believer is Casey Newton (Britt Robertson – superb) is also given the pin to the city. But what she sees isn’t all it seems: a bleak, oppressive world is what truly exists behind the warm-glow of an infinite theme park, the fantastical shell more advertising than wonderous opportunities. Her answers may lie with Frank, now 60 years young (Clooney), who may hold the key to Tomorrowland and humanity’s survival.
What’s obvious straight off the bat with Tomorrowland is that while Bird has spent a long time fleshing out the story behind one of Disney’s most famous rides, he still wants the spirit of the ride (thrills, spills and flights of fancy) to be at the forefront of the film. And, for the first half he succeeds tremendously: from the first few minutes this is one wild journey that will fill the hearts of everyone’s little kid inside them.
Twisting and turning through the luscious landscapes of the other dimension, we are right there as we soar higher and higher, with the film’s impeccable CGI and wondrous cinematography combining to wonderful, jaw-dropping effect, vibrant in every inch.
But when the imagination has sunk in we are left with a somewhat unappealing narrative. Co-written by Damon Lindelof, who has come in for criticism in the past for some writing choices, Tomorrowland soon swaps imagination propaganda topics about tyrannical corporations and cheap economical policies. Trying to meld the future with the problems of the present, it all becomes preachy and uninteresting very quickly, zapping away the hugely imaginative beginnings. Those kinds of plot points may work in more serious sci-fi fare that aims itself more at adults, but in a Disney sci-fi film it all seems out of place?
As a frantic, heart-pumping rush of Disney magic, Tomorrowland soars. Its outstanding visuals alongside Brad Bird’s whip-crack direction are a joy for over and hour, as well as two superb performances from Robertson and Cassidy who both shine. But when the story kicks in, the engine fails and we plummet back to the hard ground, with economic struggles and doomsday gibberish weighing down what is otherwise a joyful ride.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Scott Davis
