Movie Review – Tomorrowland (2015)
Starring: George Clooney, Britt Robertson, Judy Greer, Kathryn Hahn, Hugh Laurie, Thomas Robinson, Tim McGraw, and Raffey Cassidy.
In the current pantheon of blockbuster movie filmmaking, two things have been conspicuous by their absence: genuine heart and positive outlooks. Take a glance at all the current filmscape of young adult novels being adapted to the screen, and you will see one downtrodden dystopian environment after another. Tomorrowland, though based on philosophies of utopia originally conceived by Walt Disney himself, boasts the distinction of being one of the only films released this summer to not feature a previously established character in its promotional materials. Though as Jupiter Ascending proved earlier this year, that does not automatically mean artistic nor commercial success. Unfortunately, when I think of a distinguished director trying to tell a family friendly story about children and their dreams, all I think about is Martin Scorcese’s Hugo. Given my bad feelings about that pretentious film, I did not go into director Brad Bird’s Tomorrowland with too high hopes. Thankfully, I was completely wrong.
Tomorrowland is a daring film that asks us to look at ourselves while at the same time paying loving homage to Walt Disney, both the company and the man. How successful it is depends on how your own outlook for the future is. Bird obviously made the film to inspire as well as entertain, which is why I say your enjoyment of the film depends on how much of your young inner self you are willing to secede. For me, Tomorrowland hit mostly the right notes and the movie is one of the most heartfelt films I’ve seen in years.
Bird has been outspoken in both social media and press interviews about begging those of us who review films to not give away too much of the plot. So please forgive me, as this synopsis is going to be about as vague as can be. Basically, the film is broken up into two halves. The first half is told from John Francis Walker’s (Clooney) point of view. John (now dubbed Frank Walker) is an inventor whom inspires a young girl named Athena (Cassidy) to show him a better world, otherwise known as Tomorrowland. In the second portion of the story, an optimistic teenager (Robertson) is grown disenchanted by all outlooks which describe a crumbling world she currently lives in and nobody is in a hurry to fix. We follow her from adventure to adventure as she travels around the country and searches for the man she believes is the key to finding out the true meaning of the Tomorrowland pin she wears. Believe it or not, this pin plays into the resolution of the story.
Yep, the above plot summary is what we call ambiguous. But trust me when I say the less you know about Tomorrowland, the more you’ll get out of it. It is a film that builds its story through emotions and positive outlook. Bird -who cut his teeth directing The Incredibles for Pixar- obviously wants to inspire with his film like Disney did with his body of work. The teenagers of this film are smart and at its core, and even though there is a conflict drowned in negativity, Tomorrowland‘s buildup is nothing short of phenomenal. An analysis of its plot after watching the film made me appreciate it even more. At least its first two thirds, most of which is helped by the fantastic character of Athena, who is played with gusto by one Raffey Cassidy and owns each scene she is in. Yes, that includes Mr Clooney himself.
Like everything else about Tomorrowland, the less I say about Athena, the more you will get out of what she brings to the film. What I will say is her character impersonates almost every young at heart person’s dreams. Lots of successful films, an example of which is Guardians of the Galaxy, are full of characters we could care less about. But what Bird seamlessly accomplishes with Tomorrowland is an ability to show characters we not only feel for, but also feel with. Brilliantly integrating rapid-fire flashbacks and emotional propensity, Bird puts us in the minds of his characters and tugs at our heart strings without pulling them. Emotionally stout characters are completely absent in Tomorrowland, and Cassidy’s journey in particular is by itself worth the price of admission.
Notice I have yet to mention the name of the film’s co-writer and executive producer, Damon Lindelof. Much derided in the film geek community, Lindelof has been criticized for his inability to pay off stories. Unfortunately, Tomorrowland will not help his established reputation. Because of its incredible build-up, I was expecting the film to not stoop to the abrupt ‘let’s kill the villain and save the world’ trope it eventually ends up being in its final third. An ongoing problem with films such as Tomorrowland are they’re being given two hours plus of running time and ending up with almost no payoff worth thinking twice about. While I did not watch the show, I have heard Lindelof’s idea of a payoff to Lost was strikingly similar in terms of satisfaction. I find this lack of efficient storytelling in any form sad. But its inclusion within a highly expensive Disney film is inexcusable.
Nonetheless, Tomorrowland is a wondrous piece of cinema. Its story has an endearing charm, and its PG rating makes for a perfect family night out at the movies. With Tomorrowland, Bird has deconstructed all that is wrong with dystopian cinema while filling his own film with courageous characters little kids can look up to. Its abrupt ending and complete waste of a talented actor like Laurie notwithstanding, Tomorrowland is an emotionally satisfying film that will at times leave you frustrated, but mostly leave you breathless.
8 out of 10