Tomorrowland
Directed by Brad Bird
Starring George Clooney, Hugh Laurie, Britt Robertson, Raffey Cassidy, Tim McGraw, Kathryn Hahn, Keegan-Michael Key, and Thomas Robinson
Backstory
Tomorrowland was one of those films that tried to be all dark and mysterious about it’s origins and what it’s about. They announced this project about 3 years ago by unveiling a big box of retro-futuristic stuff and asking, “What does it all mean? How does it all tie together? Gotta see the movie!” But I had faith, for behind the camera was Brad Bird, who made my all-time favourite movie, The Iron Giant. That alone would be enough to get me to see it.
Plot
Casey Newton is a bright young woman with an almost instinctual knowledge of how things work. She’s also a dreamer, with hope and optimism for the future. It’s such qualities that soon lead a mysterious girl named Athena to give Casey a special pin. By touching this pin, Casey is given visions of “Tomorrowland,” a city where all the best and brightest of society can gather and literally shape the future. But, Tomorrowland is in jeopardy. With the help of a jaded Tomorrowland exile named Frank Walker, our three are off on a quest to return to Tomorrowland and save it, before the whole world suffers.
What I Liked
Brad Bird really knows how to put together an action scene, as the action scenes are quite exciting. There’s some great visuals involving rocket ships and Tomorrowland itself that are just spectacular. And young actress Raffey Cassidy is wonderful as Athena, making her just the right blend of mysterious and matter-of-fact.
What I Didn’t Like
Well, it’s got your rather routine “chosen one” plot, and while I did appreciate the film’s message (“Let’s start being positive about the future again!”) it did get kind of preachy at times. Especially near the end. And I’m still not quite sure on the villain’s motivations
Final Verdict
It was OK, but from the director of my favourite movie of all time, I was hoping for a little more.