Written by Aaron Sarnecky
TOMORROWLAND PLOT SUMMARY:
Loosely inspired by the Disney attraction of the same name. Teenager Casey Newton (Britt Robertson) finds a pin that, when touched, gives her visions of a futuristic utopia called Tomorrowland. With the help of former boy genius Frank Welker (George Clooney) and a mysterious young girl named Athena (Raffey Cassidy), Casey must make it to Tomorrowland and save the future, before it’s too late.
Have you ever been to Tomorrowland at Disneyland or Walt Disney World? It’s pretty neat, and definitely one of the best areas in those parks. It’s hard not to be a little bit inspired by the imagination that went into it all. And its clean and bright ideal for the future is very appealing. Well, the film based off it, to a large degree, is like that.
Whereas so many fictional stories paint the future as a potentially cruel and dark dystopia, this film has the audacity to suggest things might turn out for the better. In fact, Tomorrowland makes it its mission to sell this happy possibility to you. That being said, it does not shy away from the many real problems the world faces today, be it climate change, civil unrest, or the risk of nuclear war.
The ways the movie conveys these themes to come off as too ham-fisted at times, given how frequently they’re brought up. I wouldn’t be surprised if many roll their eyes at the one optimism/pessimism analogy used in the film. Nevertheless, it is admirable and refreshing, given the negativity drilled into our heads every day.
The themes mostly work thanks to the sincerity of the actors. Britt Robertson and George Clooney play off each other very well, the former playing the wide-eyed but confused dreamer and the latter playing the despondent middle-aged inventor. Raffey Cassidy also turns in a solid performance, especially given that she is only around 13-years-old. Hugh Laurie, who plays Governor Nix, doesn’t stand out, but he certainly keeps pace with the others.
These performances are largely what keep Tomorrowland afloat because, while the cityscape and special effects are dazzlingly, they’re spread out quite a bit. It takes a pretty long time to get to the titular city, which leaves the audience in a constant state of anticipation. It might have been better to reveal more of the plot, like why Casey is important and what she needs to do, earlier on. Because by the time the revelation comes, it feels somewhat anticlimactic.
It also would have been nice to see film delve more into the link between it and the Disney attraction. Walt Disney was a well-known futurist and used his Tomorrowland to showcase potential technological breakthroughs. Unfortunately, this is only hinted at in the promotions for the film. Leaving this out doesn’t derail the film, but it’s disappointing that we don’t get an in-movie explanation of why we keep seeing Space Mountain in the city’s skyline; it leaves the film a little less complete.
Still, I have little doubt that director Brad Bird’s vision is intact. And, for what it’s worth, he and screenwriter Damon Lindelof deliver a thrilling cinematic experience. It’s definitely slow in some parts and it builds up for a payoff that doesn’t quite hit the mark, but good characters and exciting action keep it together.
Give it a shot if you’re hankering for a movie to watch. I saw it in IMAX, but I didn’t think it added much. It should be fine for most kids, as long as they can handle seeing extras being vaporized, the idea of the world ending, and occasional mild language. It’s entertainment for the whole family, like Walt Disney intended.
RATING: 7.5 OUT OF 10 (GOOD)
=============================================================================================================
