TECH2

But, like I’ve mentioned before, I don’t want to spoil anything if you want to see it but don’t want to know anything about it beforehand (I’m like that too).

So next is a brief, spoiler-free overview of what I thought. Then the trailer. Then below that, the more meaty review/discussion stuff. You should probably only read that if you've seen the film, or don't really care if I spoil stuff about the film. Serious.

Tomorrowland is, in many ways, the quintessential Disney movie. It’s about hope and optimism, wrapped in an exciting story and gorgeous visuals. It’s well acted and crafted. I enjoyed it, though not as much as I enjoyed Mad Max, to be fair. I wouldn’t go so far as to call it a “kids movie” (something I consider a pejorative), but it’s certainly not hard sci-fi.

Basically, it is to sci-fi what Pirates of the Caribbean was to pirate movies, which you probably guessed already.

So, if it looks like something you’d enjoy, I’m pretty sure you will.

OK, SPOILERS AFTER THE TRAILER (probably best to read that stuff after you’ve seen the movie).

The more I’ve thought about Tomorrowland over the past few days, three things have stuck out. Two good, one bad.

The first is Raffey Cassidy. She’s fantastic. She’s able to convincingly portray an android that may, sort of, have feelings. There are glimmers of it throughout. Through much of the movie she has this sort of sparkle that she’s enjoying herself without a care, sort of how I figure an android would act in a lot of the situations. Like a puppy in snow for the first time, carefree, marveling at the world, with no concept of mortality. She's able to play "not quite human" without resorting to "zeep zorp I AM ROBOT" like many kid actors.

I also liked how, similar to several recent Disney movies (and, again, Mad Max), there are strong female characters (though one is technically an android, to be fair). Britt Robertson’s "Casey Newton" (yeah, lots of eyeroll-worthy names) doesn’t just affect the plot, in a lot of ways she is the plot. Sure they need Clooney’s help, and there’s a bit of figurative hand holding "no, come this way," but then there are other scenes where he needs the help of Casey and Cassidy's "Athena" (see what I mean about the names?). So I felt it was more of a wash. A good balance, in other words.

I think I would have liked it even more if at the end what Athena did was more of a choice. But then, that might not have worked with the love story arc, which was easily the most compelling part of the movie and should not have been diminished in any way.

OK, now the bad. Seriously, if you haven’t seen it, don’t read this part unless you don’t care to see it.

The central premise of the Tomorrowland universe is that Edison, Tesla, Verne, and Eiffel discovered a parallel universe, and built a utopia there. The best and brightest from our Earth, scientists, artists, etc, were recruited (by androids like Athena) to be part of the grand vision. As Tomorrowland grew, our Land decayed.

OK, wait. Hold up. Of course it decayed, they’re taking all the smart people! This cannibalization of brains is never really addressed (that I recall). In fact, it's celebrated: "Look at what we could achieve if it weren't for all those lesser people bringing us down." The big reveal for why our world is falling apart is attributed not to this brain drain, but to this machine thing and to a degree the machinations of the villain, played Hugh Laurie faking an English accent.

Yet when Laurie’s "Nix" starts monologuing (and there’s a lot of monologuing in this movie) about his dastardly plans, it feels false that the protagonists want to stop him. Sure, they want to stop the imminent destruction of Earth, but only to set it up for a long slow decline once again by re-instituting the brain drain. Accelerating it even, it seems.

Look, I enjoyed the movie. I get it that we, as audience members, are supposed to be wink-wink on the in. That of course we too would be asked to join Tomorrowland, because we're dreamers too, and we're all beautiful and unique snowflakes.

But this reeks of that Ayn Randian philosophy of “look how awesome awesome people are.” Tomorrowland is at least entertaining, unlike that stiflingly boring tome, and I don’t know, maybe that message makes a sort of sense when aimed at kids. The sort of blindly energetic optimism for a better world, and being the kind of person who can change the world.

Except, not our world. This other world.

Like I said, it just struck me as kind of… odd.

Still, fun movie.