Starring: Britt Robertson, Raffey Cassidy, George Clooney, Hugh Laurie
Distributor: Walt Disney Pictures
Runtime: 130 mins. Reviewed in May 2015
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It’s unusual to see a film in today’s age of ‘gritty’ blockbusters that relishes the notion of hope. ‘Tomorrowland’ is one such rarity and it’s refreshing to see, especially given that this earnest film is actually an adaptation of a classic Disney theme park. The unusual source material is admittedly part of the reason that the film fails to work in some sections, but the end result is solid family entertainment nonetheless.
Young inventor Frank Walker fronts up to the World Fair in 1964 with a prototype jetpack, which we see him attempting to use in a spectacular failure via flashback. He is capable but rough around the edges, an eternal optimist. After being rejected at the Inventor’s Hall, he is handed a mysterious pin by Athena (Raffey Cassidy), which transports him to the futuristic world of Tomorrowland.
In the present, another plucky youngster uses her talent for invention to help scuttle the dismantling of NASA infrastructure in Florida. Casey (Britt Robertson) is shocked to find a mysterious pin in her possession also – as coincidence would have it, the very same pin that Frank received all those years ago. When Athena appears to her, mysteriously unaffected by the passing of time, she helps the effervescent and buoyant Casey to locate a now grown up Frank (George Clooney), disillusioned and embittered by something that happened to him in Tomorrowland many years earlier. The unlikely trio must join forces to save humanity, against the apparently insurmountable fact that our demise may have already happened.
If the plot sounds busy, that’s because it is. A lot happens, and while the marketing of the film has been light on actual details about the plot, it requires a lot of exposition to get through it all, including somewhat vexing chunks of narration bookending the film. When Frank says to Casey: ‘Can’t you just say it’s amazing and move on!?’, the audience is clearly being asked to overlook any holes, and this may be easier for some than others. However, there is a nice retro edge to its futuristic sci-fi, with a classic adventure serial storyline packed with gadgets and mysteries, playing like one of the countless Tom Swift novels published since the early 1900’s that weaved adventure and technology for young readers. Director Brad Bird shows his signature mastery of set pieces, with thrilling and inventive flashes of action distributed throughout the film. Costume designer Jeffrey Kurland is also delivering strong work, with vibrant and rich costumes adorning the futuristic segments.
Clooney is his usual charming self, which doesn’t sit perfectly alongside his character’s more curmudgeonly aspects, but he is watchable as always regardless. Lead players Britt Robertson and Raffey Cassidy steal the show however, and offer wonderful role models for younger women in the process. Robertson is fresh-faced and enthusiastic as the optimistic and resourceful Casey, while Cassidy develops an emotionally complex character with a hidden edge in Athena (and totally owns her terrific fight scene). Other critics have called the relationship between Frank and Athena troubling, due to the backstory of a possible young romance shared in the 1964 set storyline, however I found no such issues in what is quite a sensitively handled aspect of the plot.
In a marketplace saturated by sequels and spinoffs and reboots, it is assuring to see a big studio put some serious star power and money into a big original film. While the result isn’t quite the slam dunk they were likely hoping for, it’s commendable to see such a hopeful message wrapped up in a very watchable and entertaining film. Particularly recommended for girls who aren’t quite old enough for the ‘Hunger Games’ and ‘Divergent’ series, yet are still looking for some inspiring heroines of their own.
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