Tomorrowland

Starring: George Clooney, Britt Robertson, Hugh Laurie, Raffey Cassidy, Tim McGraw, Kathryn Hahn, Keegan-Michael Kay, Pierce Gagnon, Judy Greer
Directed by: Brad Bird
Rating: PG
Genre: Action, Adventure
2015

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: A girl (Britt Robertson) finds a mysterious pin that transports her to the futuristic Tomorrowland.

Review:

Tim: Tomorrowland is a fascinating study, because it's hard to figure out why the movie wasn't better. I remember first hearing about the top secret project from writer Damon Lindelof, then landing director Brad Bird, getting one of the biggest movie stars in George Clooney and an up-and-comer in Britt Robertson. All the ingredients were here for a super cool, futuristic, fun adventure. The movie itself is surprisingly lackluster. It's fine, but it's too dull and meaningless. I was very disappointed in this film.

The blame can certainly be shared on this one. The script wasn't nearly sharp enough. There's this other place, Tomorrowland. It's never adequately explained- whether it's truly a different dimension, how it came to be, etc. We get little hints here and there and an absurd assertion that some of the greatest minds in history were part of its discovery, but honestly, the whole thing felt so unmoored from reality that I didn't really care. Yes, the film is Disney and yes, it's rated PG, but it felt like little effort was made to appeal to an adult demographic. The whole thing is far too childish to be effective.

The film is a bit of a mess as it plods through the story. Certain scenes feel disconnected from the main thrust of the story. We get little bits and pieces of information as the mysteries are slowly revealed, but it wasn't the fun kind of mystery- it became annoying. I don't think the scenes with George Clooney's character as a boy were all that compelling. There are better ways to tell this story. The movie did just enough to not completely lose my attention, but almost nothing we see here is compelling.

Clooney was fine, although I think he was hampered by the script and especially the dialogue. This isn't a film or a performance that I suspect he'll remember fondly. He too often looks silly as he gives a forced performance. Britt Robertson was all over the place- there were moments when I thought, "Wow, she's really good- she is going to be a big Hollywood star someday." There were other moments where her acting made me cringe. Some of that is her fault, but director Brad Bird deserves some criticism as well. Hugh Laurie was fine as the antagonist, but honestly, he isn't able to make that much of a mark on the film. I will say that the standout of the cast was surprising- Raffey Cassidy wows with her performance. I never would have expected such a young actress to steal every scene she's in, but she was incredible. I thoroughly enjoyed her performance.

The film does deliver a few decent special effects sequences. Tomorrowland does inspire a bit of awe from time to time- that's definitely a positive. I have to say, I expected to be blown away by all the futuristic technology. That didn't quite happen. I also enjoyed the aspect of the story that illustrates all the problems and challenges the world is facing. The media and many people tend to take a very pessimistic approach to the world and its issues. I loved that this film tried to take the optimistic, hopeful approach. You don't see that much in movies these days (dystopian films are all the rage). That's probably the greatest strength of Tomorrowland- it's an optimistic film that believes humanity can solve the problems it's facing with ingenuity and collaboration.

So, while I love the message of the film, it's blunted by a mess of a story. Given the amount of talent involved in this film, it should have been one of the best rides of 2015. Instead, it's a disappointing, average film.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating- 6.5



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