2015 Summer Movie Season - Tomorrowland: Review & Analysis

 

  

For the Dreamers and the Doers!!! Brad Bird’s Sci Fi Film Is Most Misunderstood and Substance Filled Film of The Summer!!!

Review By: Brandon Porter

Welcome to the Place Where Nothing Is Impossible.

Story

                In the area between time and space, a technologically advanced utopia exist where the best and brightest inventors shape history in a place where imagination runs free and where nothing is impossible. It is a place of limitless wonder and discovery almost nonexistent to the outside world until now. When a young science enthusiast (Britt Robertson) stumbles upon this mysterious world via a pin that send her there with a single touch, she becomes infatuated with this amazing place but can only visit for a short time before being transported back to her world. Desperate to find a way to return there, she soon seeks the aid of a grizzled and grumpy old inventor named Frank Walker (George Clooney) who was once a resident of the mysterious utopia but was unfortunately banished years ago. When powerful forces descend on them, the two must work together to solve a game changing mystery that could potentially threaten that world and theirs. Welcome to Tomorrowland.

Frank and Casey confront each other at Frank's house

Analysis

Disney’s new sci-fi mystery adventure had a lot of things going for it in the beginning. With a up and coming lead actress, an acclaimed award winning actor, and a talented and ambitious director in Brad Bird, Tomorrowland had the makings of a sleeper hit. After the release, reception of the film was dived right down the middle. Tomorrowland earned a straight 50% via rotten tomatoes with a slightly better rating of 63% among movie goers. Praise came for the films’ visual presentation while criticisms aimed at the movie’s storytelling. Financially, the film performed well in a relatively slow Memorial Day weekend nabbing $32.2 million as of May 24, 2015. Overall, reception for Tomorrowland seems to be divided. Whether it be high expectations or low, the potential summer hit might not be in this films future.

Hang On!!!!

Review

                There comes a time where some movies are full of such strong substance and meaning only to be written off because it doesn’t look or have a certain appeal. Tomorrowland is one of those movies. Director Brad Bird brings a sci fi tale that knows what it wants to be and doesn’t let other things tear it away from its goal. After seeing it in IMAX, I am happy to say the film is so much more than what people are making it out to be. Before we get to that, let’s get the basics out of the way first. Visually, Tomorrowland is beautiful. From the cinematography and editing, the film is brimming with life and color. Acting wise, the film is decent throughout. George Clooney and Britt Robertson do great in their roles as does Raffey Cassidy. They are all likable in their roles and you clearly see their enjoyment of being on screen together. But aside from the acting and visuals, the true strength of Tomorrowland lies not in what is displayed on screen, but the powerful message it’s trying to send to people. The recurring theme of the movie is that we live in a world that has embraced its presumably imminent doom. Whether it be from video games, constant news coverage of global chaos, or movies and books series, it is a society that says the world is ending and there is nothing we can do but sit here and wait for it to arrive. But what Tomorrowland is telling you is that this world doesn’t have to be like the post apocalyptic wastelands you see in movies and books like Hunger Games, 1984, and Mad Max. It’s a film that lets you know that you can change this planet’s future as long you don’t give up or let other people tell you it can’t be done. It tells you that you can make it work, you can fix it, and you can help in giving the world a better and brighter future. At the end of the day, that is the main goal the movie is trying accomplish. It’s not trying to be some high octane sci fi summer action movie, it’s a movie that is playing messenger where its success depends on who actually got the message. That is why Tomorrowland is such a great film, it is an inspirational note to all the dreamers and doers in the world who are driven by their imagination, creativity, and heart to make this world a better place. I for one got the message and applaud Brad Bird, his team, ad the Disney family for delivering a terrific film that has true substance and a true statement to make.

Rating and Final Thoughts

Visually beautiful with a great message for the dreamers of today, Tomorrowland is a smart, inspiring, and severely misunderstood gem brimming with hope that people out there can change the future and make it work.

The message was said loud and clear and only those with the ambition and imagination to hear it will be the ones to launch us into the future we both want and deserve.