Review of Tomorrowland (2015) by Mark F — 18 Nov 2015

I really wanted to like this. I mean, I reeeally wanted to like this. As a huge fan of Walt Disney the man, Walt Disney World, and as someone who counts himself among the dreamers, I was jut waiting for this to sweep me away with a soaring and deep message of hope and optimism.

But it kinda didn't.

It's like they tried to but didn't know how. The story is messy and doesn't make sense. There's no real profound message, much of the time it's just CGI laden transitions from one realm to another, with no real reason. Get in a bath tub, get fired into a pond, get into a magic chamber, get transported to the Eiffel Tower, get into a rocket ship, get transported to the future. Throw in a little Coca-Cola product placement along the way. That just doesn't make for a great movie.

The old Disney rides like World of Motion and Horizons had a magic about them, they inspired the mind. They created a message of idealism and hope and presented worlds that you wanted to be a part of. That's what stuck with me long after the ride was over. As time went on though, those old rides were replaced by ones that went for a cheap thrill. Test Track and Mission: Space. They gave you an adrenaline rush but without the magic, without the inspiration, without the connection with that pure unspoiled part within us that Walt always aimed for. They don't have the magic. With this movie, we get the movie version of Mission: Space. Lots of CGI, lots of spectacular sequences, lots of crazy transitions, but very little to connect with the heart and mind. Very little to inspire and to make one believe in the power of dreams. The magic isn't there.

At first, I was optimistic - the early scenes hint they're going to take you somewhere spectacular. Unfortunately, in the end, we never quite get there. It's a shame because this could have been great.