RD and Gregg review Disney's Tomorrowland

Movie reviews aren't something we generally do around here, but when something like Disney's Tomorrowland comes out, which is obviously gathered from elements of actual Theme Park environments both past and (hopefully) future, we couldn't resist sharing some thoughts on the film. 

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RD: 

Being a rather rabid Disneyist of the Starport order, it was already well known that I'd be at one of the first showings of Tomorrowland - and I was. Despite the throngs of people in my tiny little home town showing up at the door, I was able to get a ticket for the 10:15 showing - until of course the gremlins in the projector room started to spring up. Of course, even in the future there are bound to be delays - no question about it. 

I don't want to give the plot away, but it is an amazing story - very much a fantasy world of optimism & science fiction; all the way down to the, um... 'robots'. For me, what is interesting is that it isn't a rehash of the same-old same old. It is a new fantasy, one where Disney takes the ideas of the past - both new & used - and tells a whole new stand-alone storyline that is immersive & rich. 

Gregg: 

Over the last few years my Disney fandom has wavered a bit. It might be because we no longer have Disneyland AP's, that my children are older now or a myriad of other factors. That's not to say I don't love Disney because I absolutely do. 

All that said, when they announced Tomorrowland I was instantly on-board. Not only was it based on the land that was my favorite growing up (sorry anybody born after 1980, you missed out on amazing Tomorrowland) but it was made by Brad Bird who in my opinion has a pretty flawless track record from Iron Giant, The Incredibles and of course Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. 

Unlike RD, I didn't really get into the Optimist stuff, I poked around a bit, but I went into the movie with a clean slate other than the trailers. 

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Strong female teenage leads, something that doesn't happen very much in Hollywood.

A look at Tomorrowland. Lots of great "what if's" in this movie.

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George Clooney plays one of our leads, and does it well. The story starts in HIS past, and ends up in our future. While it isn't the perfect story, it does stand up on its own two feet, despite being a little too long. There aren't any dead spots along the way, but it can get confusing at points. Sorry folks, no bathroom breaks. 

The visions of the future are quite clear from what can best be said of a usonian utopia created by the imaginations of the greatest thinkers in modern history. Aspects of Walt Disney's own originating E.P.C.O.T. plus those of many other authors (Jules Verne, Eiffel, Mark Twain, etc.) who had limitless visions of the potential in the future. And that is the message the film is trying to get across: The future is what we choose to make of it, rather than of what we perceive could happen. It is a message of positivity & hope - something that cinema has tended to shy away from over the past few years. 

For me the technology that shined through made the biggest impact. A lot of what you see throughout the film is stuff we consider to be purely fantasy. At the same time, almost everything we see is plausible for the future. In a lot of ways, this alone is a techno-geeks delight; the future's ideas rethought & reborn. 

Like RD, I'm not going to give away any major plot points, that's for others to do, but I found the movie to be visiually stunning in every way. Sure the scenes in "Tomorrowland" are stunning and brilliant, but the "Earth" scenes are also brilliantly done and seem to have been overlooked a bit in other reviews. . 

And of course, the little nods and tributes to past Disney and the scenes at the Worlds Fair are amazing. 

The characters are robust and well thought out and for the second time in two weeks I've seen a movie where the female characters totally out-shine their male counterparts (Mad Max: Fury Road being the other). I don't say that as a negative, but it's an absolutely positive thing. It's about time Hollywood realizes that female characters don't need to play second fiddle in action movies, they don't need to be saved and they can drive a well written, well directed and well acted movie as much as any man. 

Some have called the message of the movie heavy-handed or preachy, I didn't get that from it's environmental/anti-war message. To me the nods to visionaries of the past was a great touch, but I was glad they kept Walt out of that part of the mythology of the movie. That would have been the heavy-handed part of the movie for me. 

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Are these plans for a new Disney ride based on the Tomorrowland jet packs? 

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And for the Disneyists: There are Easter Eggs all over the film. Everywhere. From Starport Seven Seven's numerous cameos throughout (I had to resist the automatic response of screaming "STARPORT! STARPORT! STARPORT!!!") to hints of what Disney itself is working on (and has been) for the future of Tomorrowland. 

Here it is, folks: Hidden in plain sight. Disney isn't just making a new Tomorrowland... they're creating the elusive Tomorrowland that never ages; the one where the future is always now. We are basically given a blueprint of the future of this area at the various Disney parks throughout the world, and it is truly spectacular. 

Tomorrowland is today. And by and far one of the best fairy tales Disney has woven yet. Not perfect - but then again, the future is what they make of it. 

And of course, we can't talk about a movie called Tomorrowland and not discuss the potential theme park tie-in's, and they are plentiful. 

Sure there's Starport there, but other than the building it plays no real role in the movie, and that's perfectly fine. But as fans of the Disney parks you can't help but look at things in Tomorrowland and place them in the parks. 

I don't think Box Office is going to have ANY bearing on whether we see this version of Tomorrowland in Theme Parks in the next 5 or so years. This could pretty much be the blueprint of what's to come, and if that's the case, it's glorious. So if for nothing else, see Tomorrowland to see a great family action movie and maybe get a glimpse into Disney's tomorrow. 

Overall, Tomorrowland is a great addition to the history of Disney family oriented live-action movies. I'd put it up there with the original Tron, The Rocketeer and the first Pirates of the Caribbean as far as family fun is concerned. . 

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