In stark contrast with my last review, and the majority of films these days, Tomorrowland brings a sense of optimism and hope to the future. So often are we subject in film to futures that are dark, grim, gritty wastelands that I forgot how refreshing a film about a bright and better future really is. Tomorrowland is director Brad Bird's most recent addition to his portfolio of already fantastic films (The Incredibles, the Iron Giant, Ratatouille, and Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol), and as much as this film is getting panned by the majority of critics, it is very well done affair. A completely original film, Tomorrowland really stands out as a fun, optimistic piece that's really quite different from the majority of films coming out these days.
Plot: 4 out of 5
The whole story of Tomorrowland really revolves around the idea of, well, Tomorrowland. A place where the geniuses, the creators, the thinkers, the dreamers of the world came together to make a better world. Now, without spoiling anything, you don't see nearly as much of Tomorrowland itself as the trailers would have you believe. This works in the movies favor, but I believe turned a lot of people off when they went to go see it.
Anyway, the plot revolves around the two major characters: Casey (played by Britt Robertson), an energetically genius child who is absolutely determined to dream up ways to make the world better, and Frank Walker (portrayed by an excellent George Clooney) a bitter man who is convinced there's nothing to be done anymore. From the minute the movie starts, these two are excellent foils for each other, and the dynamic between them works really well. Casey is chosen to help save Tomorrowland by the enigmatic Athena (Raffey Cassidy), who then seeks out Frank, a former denizen of Tomorrowland, to help set things right.
Tomorrowland is really different than the trailers make it out to be, but does an extraordinary job of showing the bright retro-future that the 50's and 60's dreamed up. Exceedingly hopeful and optimistic, this movie is so good for an original piece, it's quite a shame that critics aren't enjoying it as much as I did.
On a somewhat unrelated note, this movie really reminded me of 2010's Tron:Legacy. The plots of the two movies are (very) roughly similar, and the aesthetics are noticeably reminiscent of each other. Hell, in both movies, during the first 30 minutes or so, there's even a scene where the young main character (clad in black) motorcycles around wreaking havoc with those who would stain their father'a legacy. But this isn't a bad thing.
The only thing I didn't really like was the robotic villainous henchmen. I thought they were really over the top, especially in the "comedic relief" department, and they were just over all too much. They are also really disturbing, in the way that fake looking people with too-white-teeth, and too-perfect-hair are really disturbing.
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| "Ahhhhhh, the future, it's so bright, it hurts my eyes!' |
Character Development 4.5 out of 5
The characters in Tomorrowland are all done really well, particularly Clooney's Frank. This character is a bit of a departure for Clooney, as instead of smooth talking and vibrant, Frank is a bitter, resentful man, full of distaste for the disillusionment he feels Tomorrowland brings to people. They are all vibrant and snappy, and fun to watch.
Visuals: 4 out of 5
Visually, Tomorrowland looks stunning, if filled to the brim with CG. Like I said before, I have a weak spot for any type of retro-futuristic visuals, but this movie really takes the cake for that catagory. There's something about how people thought the future would look like in the mid 20th century that really grabs me. All the bright colors, the smooth, curvy lines, and lots of white. It's simply gorgeous to look at.
The CGI is all really well done, I can't think of any particular moments of bad CG that stood out to me. The aesthetic of the film is overall really well done, and there were lots of visually striking shots where I thought to myself, "Wow, that's pretty darn gorgeous".
Soundtrack: 4.5 out of 5
While the majority of the score is merely "slightly above average", the main theme is absolutely breathtaking. I can hardly hear it without wanting to rush to my desk and just draw, write, create, or something. It lifts the soul and expands the mind. In fact, I've been listening to it since I got out of the movie earlier this evening, and good god, do I feel optimistic.
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| '"Is that...the Millennium Falcon? Damn you, Disney!!" |
Acting: 3.5 out of 5
There's nothing I hate more than a bad child actor, but I was extremely surprised at how charismatic, vibrant, and overall well done Raffey Cassidy's performance as Athena was. It was really, really good. I mean, I would definitely keep my eye on her as an up and coming actress as she is already so bloody good.
George Clooney knocks his role out of the park as usual. Even though this role is pretty different than what he might normally play, he brings enough classic Clooney wit to remain snappy and witty without having too much Clooney.
I was also really happy to see Hugh Laurie in this, as I haven't seen a lot of him in the area of acting since House. I forgot how good he is, especially as a snide intellectual individual. He does particularly well as the villain here, and I'd love to see him in more stuff.
Final Score: 82 out of 100
Go See it? Yes! Exceedingly bright and optimistic, Tomorrowland is a fun and uplifting, yet thought provoking film for both adults and children. It's a shame such an original work is being so under appreciated, I would highly recommend going to see it.
Starring: George Clooney, Hugh Laurie, Raffey Cassidy, Britt Robertson, Keegan-Michal Key (of Key and Peele fame)
Directed by: Brad Bird
Have any of you seen Tomorrowland? What did you think? Did you feel it was too preachy or sermon-y or did you enjoy it?
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