TOMORROWLAND
US, 2015, 130 minutes, Colour.
George Clooney, Hugh Laurie, Britt Robertson, Raffey Cassidy, Tim Mc Graw, Kathryn Hahn, Keegan- Michael Key, Judy Greer.
Directed by Brad Bird.
Tomorrowland is an ambitious production, large in imaginative scope, a visual delight in its re-creation of the world that is called Tomorrowland. On the other hand, it also tantalises the mind as well is the imagination, but is not always clear in its elaboration of its plot.
The film was directed and co-written by Brad Bird, who impressed people several decades ago with his animated fable, The Iron Giant. He was also responsible for two Disney animation features, The Invincibles and Ratatouille. A few years ago he moved into live action fantasy with the fourth instalment of the Mission Impossible series.
This is a Disney production and the Disney imagination, especially of Walt Disney himself, is behind Tomorrowland. The initial setting is The World Fair in New York City in 1964, Disney being one of the sponsors and creating a feature of the Fair, inviting visitors to imagine what the future might be like. For those who like this film, the suggestion is to go to You Tube and click on the short Tomorrowland video featuring Walt Disney himself and his enthusiasm and imagination for the future.
This is also a George Clooney film which gives the film some status. He first appears, talking to camera, explaining what has happened to him, with some interjections by and some banter with a young woman called Casey. As we wonder what he is talking about and to whom he is speaking, we go into flashback, back to the world of the Fair, where his character, Frank, is bringing an invention, a jet pack, to the supervisor of entries, Nix, played by a stern Hugh Laurie (who gets sterner as the story foes on). There is also a young girl, Athena, a very effective Raffey Cassidy, who is sympathetic to Frank and takes him into the Tomorrowland.
Then we move to Casey’s story in the present. Her father is a NASA scientist and Casey is upset that powers that be are dismantling projects and she tries sabotage, only to be arrested, and finds in the possessions returned to her by the police a badge, a medal, which she touches and is immediately transported into the fantasy world which is Tomorrowland.
Casey, obviously, wants to keep going into Tomorrowland but the badge battery goes flat. Fortunately, Athena turns up, still the same young age, and takes her on a journey which includes a visit to two aggressively fanatical storekeepers of memorabilia, Kathryn Hahn and Keegan-Michael? Key. Sinisterly smiling robot agents also turn up and cause mayhem.
Which brings Casey, at last, to adult Frank’s house and a series of adventures in Tomorrowland, meeting Nix again and realise that he has taken a pessimistic view of the future – which Frank has been looking at on television screens, the range of world disasters, wars, epidemics. The point is, and the message is rather hammered home, that human beings have been overwhelmed by these pessimistic perspectives and do not have the energy to pick themselves up and do something to better the world.
Frank and Casey want to do something about it, Athena not being with them any more having sacrificed herself for others, and the two go about our world, scanning every continent, all peoples, and ethnic groups, to discover and inspire agents who will create a better world, Tomorrowland in our world.
With the central characters, the film is geared to a younger audience, especially those with an enthusiasm for both science and fantasy.
1. A popular film for younger audiences? Science, fantasy, the future? Message film? The impact for adults?
2. The range of special effects, the imagination? Stunt work? The musical score?
3. The framework for the story: Frank and his talking to the camera, Casey off-screen? Their interactions, banter? Trying to tell the story?
4. The flashbacks, to 1964, to the World Fair in New York City? The recreation of the period? Costumes, design, the Fair attractions, the crowds, the feel for the event? Frank, young, with his invention, the jet pack, not quite working, his presenting his work to Nick’s, Athena and her presence? The discussions, the rejection? Athena beckoning him, his following, the boat, going into the ride, the chute and going down? Arriving in Tomorrowland? The people, the vistas, the buildings, the vehicles, travel, flying, the jet pack?
5. Nix, severe, the discussion, the rejection, his showing the visitors around, his plans?
6. Athena and Frank, liking each other, the attraction, her disappearance? The effect on Frank? His continuing to work for Tomorrowland, building, his being ousted? His growing up, in middle age, alone, in his house, the range of machines, surveillance, being cautious?
7. The story of Casey, her little brother, her father and his work for NASA, the demolition and her rejection of it, going by bike, disguised, in the night, the attempts at sabotage, her arrest, in jail, the bail, her possessions, finding the medal?
8. Touching it, going into Tomorrowland, the distant city, the fields, her moving in and out? Experiencing the various bumps, in the water?
9. Athena, her appearance, not older, Casey, the battery flat in the medal her determination to go to Texas?
10. Arriving at the shop, the range of goods, nostalgia, the medal, robots? The two characters, comic style, menace, the attack, the fire? The robot police arriving, then mechanical smiles? The police arriving, the puzzles?
11. Athena and Casey, the escape, in the car, asleep, talking, Athena dropping Casey off, to find Frank? The house, the defences? Casey and Frank interacting? In the house, his machines, the arrival of the Robot police, fleeing, the house burnt?
12. The quest, going to Tomorrowland? Nix and his control, their experiences with him?
13. The message of time running out for humanity, the images of the deteriorating world, the media feeding these ideas to people, the atmosphere of despair? Yet hope? Nix, his attitude, pessimistic?
14. The message of people not heeding, therefore not prepared to do anything?
15. The confrontations, Frank and Casey, and Nix? Flight, explosions? The doorway to the real world?
16. On the beach, And Nix being crushed?
17. Frank and Casey, with Athena, the recruiting, people who wanted to do good?
18. Athena, as a machine, intelligent, humour, the possibility of laughing, the bond with Frank, with Casey? Her sacrificing herself for the others?
19. The recruits, the international range, multi-ethnic, the aspect of need in our world, hope for the future? Tomorrowland in the real world?
