May be a bit too much Disney sugar, but nourishing as no other blockbusters this summer are.
Tomorrowland
Grade: A-
Director: Brad Bird (Ratatouille, The Incredibles, Iron Giant)
Screenplay: Bird, Damon Lindelof (World War Z), et al.
Cast: George Clooney (Monuments Men), Britt Robertson (Dan in Real Life)
Rating: PG
Runtime: 130 min
by John DeSando
When I was a kid," Frank Walker (George Clooney) says, "the future was different.”
The difference between Disney’s Tomorrowland and other current sci-fi’s like Mad Max, Avengers, and Ex Machina is optimism. A younger female version of himself (Casey, played by a terrific Britt Robertson) turns that pessimism into hope. That hope is bolstered by individual energy as opposed to the forces of family in such as Guardians of the Galaxy (or Clooney’s memorable Gravity).
Inventor Walker interacts in a delightfully joyful and sardonic way with spunky Casey, who mysteriously lands at Walker’s home/lab, and a magnetic young robot, Athena (Raffey Cassidy—dimpled, blue eyed with a great acting future). It has to do with another world that sees itself as superior to earthlings, who are swiftly moving themselves to distinction.
It’s up to Frank, Casey, and Athena to save the world. Hey, this is a Disney flick, so the world will be saved for those who want to visit Disneyland, and the heroes will be pure of heart, you can bet. While the digital effects are what’s to be expected these days, the optimism is the trump card.
Disney has learned not to overplay that hand, so Director Brad Bird knows how to lace his story with believable young people who won’t give up the good fight for a positive future. As in his Ratatouille and The Incredibles, the good citizens will fight to the end to keep their freedom.
The production design and cinematography are pure and simple like Disney’s Tomorrowland circa 1964. Yet, the heart of this family-friendly adventure is the emphasis on individualism and dreaming, both essential for humanity’s future. The usual summer blockbusters have forgotten this formula:
"Which way do you want to go? Backwards or forwards?" (Athena)
John DeSando, a Los Angeles Press Club first-place winner for National Entertainment Journalism, hosts WCBE’s It’s Movie Time and co-hosts Cinema Classics. Contact him at JDeSando@Columbus.rr.com
