Tomorowland…
OR
Disney makes its own version of a Jason Bourne conspiracy thriller. (PG of course)
Bookshelf Q. Battler here with a review of a movie all dreamers will want to see.
SPOILERS AHEAD!
Movieclips Trailers – Tomorrowland – 2015
At the outset, this is a tough flick to review, 3.5 readers.
So much time is spent in the first half of the film building up the suspense (or “showing not telling” as we nerdy writer geeks might say, that I have to tread lightly lest I give the whole story away.
Tomorrowland is a magical place where artists, scientists, and assorted geniuses are allowed to brainstorm freely.
It’s also hidden from our reality, thus allowing freethinkers to do their thing without having their work abused by greedy business suits, corrupt politicians, or vengeful dictators.
In other words, it’s proof that the world could be a wonderful place if the best and the brightest were allowed to do their work for good instead of evil.
(So yeah, basically it really is a fantasy.)
As a boy in the 1960’s, Frank Walker (Thomas Robinson) is recruited by a girl named Athena (Raffey Cassidy) to visit this wonderful world. Everyone in the 1960’s version of Tomorrowland looks like an actual 1960’s person, thus leaving this reviewer to wonder if this wasn’t Disney’s attempt to poke fun at that old joke of, “Disney World gives us a glimpse of what the future will look like according to someone from the 1960’s.”
Flashforward to present day and Frank Walker, now played by George Clooney, is a grumpy recluse, displeased that he was ever offered a glimpse of a world he’s grown too jaded to believe could ever be possible.
Meanwhile, teenager Casey Newton (Britt Robertson) hasn’t given up hope for a better tomorrow yet. She lives in Florida with her father (played by country singer Tim McGraw), a NASA engineer and despite his objections, she gets in trouble whilst trying to prevent a NASA launch pad from being torn down.
(Or in other words, Disney’s not-so-subtle plea for the government to not abandon the space program, which this nerd agrees with, but that’s a whole other conversation.)
Grown-up Frank and kids Athena and Casey come together in a “surprisingly complicated plot for a Disney movie” to save Tomorrowland and our own world from obligatory villain Nix (the incomparable Hugh Laurie.)
To get into the how and why is to reveal too much info to the point that you probably wouldn’t bother seeing it if I did.
However, there are some great quotes along the way. Two that come to mind:
1) It’s hard to come up with an idea and easy to give up.
2) Casey tells a story about two wolves, one led by hope, the other despair. Who wins? “The one you feed.”
Honestly, my memory isn’t fresh and I might have mangled both of those quotes, but you get the gist.
This is a film made by dreamers for dreamers, discussing all the ups and downs of life as a person who thinks big.
It’s for older people like Frank, who once believed they could make a difference only to regret reaching for the proverbial stars in the first place.
It’s also for younger people, like Casey, who see nothing but opportunity on the horizon.
It’s for the young who are lucky enough to dream of a bold new world and for the old who tried to do their part to bring about that world only to experience one of those soul crushing setbacks that all too often force adults to give up on their dreams and settle for whatever means of providing a living they can find.
It tells the youngsters to keep dreaming and the old timers to pick themselves up, dust themselves off and get back in the game.
Is this movie one great big giant advertisement designed to lure kids into nagging their parents for a trip to Disney World, where they can visit Tomorrowland (a part of the Magic Kingdom)?
Of course.
But it’s also Disney’s attempt to convince dreamers of all ages to take big ideas and use them for good and not evil, to use inventions in ways that will cure the world’s problems, not cause more.
A grim apocalyptic future is coming our way if we don’t stop our petty squabbles and learn how to work together. That’s about as deep and meaningful a message as can be provided in a film produced by a company operated by a cartoon mouse.
From a movie buff’s perspective, it’s fun to watch two girls hold their own in scenes with Hollywood legend Clooney. (Between you and me, they even upstage him at times, but don’t tell George.)
Laurie delivers a fabulous performance as Nix and while I won’t give it away, feel free to generally post in the comments below if you think Nix’s viewpoint was wrong or right.
Are you a dreamer? Are you a nerd who dreams of a day when nerds will be allowed to work without seeing the fruits of their labor used for evil purposes?
If you’re a fan of this blog, then you probably are.
So all 3.5 of you should check this movie out.
STATUS: Shelf-worthy.
Bookshelf Battle 