At first glance of the Tomorrowland trailer, I was equally blown away and excited. A fresh, non-pirate movie from Disney, steered towards a sci-fi demographic, starring George Clooney and directed by the ever-pioneering Brad Bird. Who wouldn’t be excited? Tomorrowland is a massive visual experience, anchored by great performances. But it’s uneven narrative prevents it from being anything extraordinary.
Bird brings you into his world through a non-linear account. We see a blank screen with a ticking clock paired with a voice trying to convey his thoughts and confessions, all while being constantly interrupted by the voice of a girl. It soon gets looped into the famous 1965 Worlds Fair where we see a young Frank Walker (Thomas Robinson) pouncing around with his prized possession, a jet pack, born from vacuum cleaner parts. Frank dazzles but ultimately fails. But he is youthful and a mysterious child notices his talent, and introduces him to a mysterious new world.
If Frank is the ticket to the past, Casey (Britt Robertson) is the ticket to the present, a young and ambitious teenager who serves as a foil to grown up Frank’s (George Clooney) pessimism. A daughter of a NASA engineer (Tim McGraw), she is determined to slow down the process of her fathers cancelled project. Ultimately she gets caught and this is when she is introduced to Tomorrowland.
Brad Bird’s direction is impeccable. The shots of Tomorrowland are lush and widespread. The city tickles your imagination, surely titillating the mind of inspiring engineers. It’s nice to see Disney with a new idea and to see how it’s execution unfolds. Bird, originally a director of animated movies, first dove into the live foray in 2011, with Mission Imposible 4: Ghost Protocol, which he did a fine job with. With Tomorrowland, he infuses that same live style of MI3, with the sensibilities of The Incredibles, another work of his. The action is very large, but cartoonish enough in nature, which works for the film.
What does not work for it is uneven storytelling, credited to writer Damon Lindelof. Lindelof, has this incredible knack of harnessing a great story, but ultimately finds himself losing steam in the final act, turning what could have been a great movie, into something mediocre. He’s had this issue time and time again with Lost, Prometheus, and now, Tomorrowland.
The first hour of the film had me hooked, craving for more. The plot with Casey and her first interaction with Tomorrowland is an absolute ride mixed with mystery and solid Disney humor. The character of Casey works as a great contrast to Clooney’s Frank, a now washed up inventor. Clooney plays his role with a grizzled, unlikable personality, which is eventually captured with his usual elegance and warmth. Robertson’s performance was ambitious and extremely cheerful, playing well together with Clooney’s character. To his credit, this element was Lindelof’s writing at his best.
When the film’s past and present finally collide, that is when it all loses steam. We are brought to the reality of Tomorrowland in the present and suddenly the movie changes its tone. This is where we are really introduced to the antagonist, Nix, played effortlessly by Hugh Laurie. Nix is an egomaniac, bound to keep Tomorrowland isolated from the rest of the world. Themes of nativism, geopolitics and globalization are thrown in and the wondrous feel of the first hour is completely erased.
Bird does a great job of directing this movie, injecting enthusiasm and optimism in regard to the future. Lindelof nearly eradicates all the smiles of the first half with his pessimism, which threatens the intent of the movie: ideas about looking forward towards the future. Lindelof’s about face with the plot is disrupting, and as a viewer, this was not something I expected, and will prove to be unsettling and confusing for Disney’s younger target audience.
Overall, Tomorrowland is a film with great intent, paired with great direction that is anchored by great performances. The highest point of the movie is the character Athena, played by Raffey Cassidy. Her dynamite performance is played with multiple ranges. For a girl her age to be doing that, you can only assume that her future as an actress is going to be filled with incredible roles.
You can ask most kids what their favorite movie of the year is and they will say Tomorrowland with absolute glee. But if you ask them why it was their favorite movie, they may very well give you a blank stare and say, “I don’t know.”
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