Disney, George Clooney, a secret world. What can go wrong?
Everything.
I will try to explain the broad strokes of the plot, but I don’t even think the scriptwriters are entirely sure of what happened on the screen.
All I could figure out is that there is a hidden world in a different dimension, and Britt Robertson’s character Casey Newton — ugh ... of course it’s Newton — is the only person who can save the other realm and ultimately Earth.
Why her? Because of her spunk and can-do attitude.
Thus, she’s the chosen one and we, the audience, are expected to just side with her from the get-go, even though all that she has done to this point is vandalize private property and get in heated debates with her father.
Not only is the story unintelligible, the plot is jam-packed with clichés and corny anecdotes that plague most action-blockbusters in today’s film landscape. Of course, there’s the chosen-one motif. But there’s also so much more.
Do you want a lame parable about two wolves interspersed throughout the storyline? “Tomorrowland” has it. What about a clock counting down the end of the world? “Tomorrowland” has that too. Maybe, you’re looking for a love interest in the final act that seemingly comes out of thin air? Ding, ding, ding. “Tomorrowland” is the movie for you.
What makes all of this even more disappointing is the potential that “Tomorrowland” had as a concept.
George Clooney is still one of the best actors out there, and the overarching examination coursing through the movie’s veins about science and politics is an intriguing one.
In the right hands, this movie could have been a fascinating one at the very least. An Edgar Wright-type or someone utilizing a satirical lens could have downplayed the magnitude of the trivial plot and instead created a more character-driven movie.
“Tomorrowland” is just another chapter of the summer blockbuster season going awry. By focusing on the action, shoehorning clichés and not really building up the characters, the film failed in such a dramatic way that it’s almost stunning.
Greg Gottfried
