Blu-ray Review: Tomorrowland

There isn’t a terrible amount that can be said about the plot of Tomorrowland without giving too much away, but it centers around a tech-savy teen (Britt Robertson), who, after touching a lapel pin, is transported briefly to a technologically advanced utopian city.  Determined to find her way back, she enlists the help of a reclusive (George Clooney), who had spent part of his life there.

The film, directed by Brad Bird and written by Bird and Damon Lindelof, is loosely based on the Tomorrowland area located in the Disney theme parks, and it’s very clear that this was made for Disney fans. The opening scene takes place at the 1964 World’s Fair, which Disney enthusiasts would recognize to be where Walt Disney debuted some of the attractions that would eventually be a staple in the Disney Parks, like It’s a Small World and Carousel of Progress. While there are direct references to the attractions in the film (It’s a Small World plays a role in the plot, and the theme to Carousel of Progress, “It’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow” is played as the Fair scenes unfold),  Disney’s connection to the World’s Fair aren’t really explained, which might leave those not in the know a bit confused. While Pirates of the Caribbean film had a handful of  fun little nods to the ride, the movie was made for a broad audience, many whom may not have ridden the ride before. However, those more familiar with the Disney Parks, and Disney history, will definitely gain more from Tomorrowland than those that aren’t (I should note that myself and my wife and kids drank the Disney Resorts Kool-Aid a few years back, so I was all in).

I imagine there is a large population of the country, particularly those in the red states, who took offense to the film’s message, which is largely a liberal one. But ultimately the movie is about optimism, which strongly mirrors Walt Disney’s own optimistic vision of the future. That said, the message is a bit overt, and borders on hokey at times, but a Disney film based on its founder’s ideals realistically couldn’t be anything less. We’ve become so accustomed to dystopian futures such as Mad Max, or gritty urban cities like Blade Runner, that it was refreshing to see a utopian future civilization portrayed on film. To a much lesser extent, I was reminded of the  sense of wonderment we experience in the scene in Back to the Future Part II when Marty first enters the town square in 2015. But rather than just updates to the present day, Tomorrowland provides a technologically lavish environment, inspired by the “future” imagined in the 1960’s, woven in with our own idyllic society.

Britt Robertson made some acting choices that you don’t normally see in in this kind of role. Her character is anxious and scared, and she really lets that come across. Often when a character is thrown into  circumstances like this, they are just a conduit for the audience to experience them, and we don’t get the sense of how they are really feeling. While Clooney’s performance helped give his character some dimension, the role didn’t really require someone of Clooney’s caliber to play it. I would imagine it was the film’s message that drew Clooney to the role, and not the role itself (though a Disney paycheck couldn’t have hurt).

The film’s tone is a bit inconsistent, becoming almost silly at times. There is one scene in particular scene featuring Keegan Michael Key and Idina Menzel that, despite being crucial to the plot, seems a bit out of place, belonging more in the Men in Black universe than this one. The premise of the film is so fantastical that it requires a bit more grounding in its approach to telling it, which  we don’t always get. That said, despite a few flaws, the film is very enjoyable, and almost makes you wish Disney would take the same approach to the other areas if their theme parks (almost, that is).

 Blu-ray Features

• Remembering The Future: A Personal Journey Through Tomorrowland With Brad Bird and Brad Bird Production Diaries both offer just a bit of behind the scenes of the film, from the director’s point of view.
• Casting Tomorrowland goes into the casting process.
• A Great Big Beautiful Scoring Session is a treat for any fan of Disney history, as noted Disney composer Richard Sherman is brought in to watch the scoring of his famous song.
• Animated Short: The Origins Of Plus Ultra is a highlight of the Blu-ray. The short itself gives some background on one of the plot points of the film, but what makes it great is the narration by the fantastic voice actor Maurice LaMarche, doing his Orson Wells impression (which most will recognize from his role as the Brain in the Pinky in the Brain). 
• Blast From The Past Commercial is a fake television commercial that features Keegan Michael Key and Idina Menzel  in character. It’s a silly commercial which further emphasizes how silly their roles were.
• The World of Tomorrow Science Hour – Hosted by Futurologist David Nix is a faux found footage bit in which Hugh Laurie as his David Nix character is shown in outtakes from a lost Walt Disney Presents type science show. It’s tongue in cheek, but a bit too much so.
• There are also some Deleted Scenes, all of which were better on the cutting room floor.
• There are also a few Easter Eggs as well, all of which are entertaining enough.

Specs

Subtitles

Discs
50GB Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
iTunes digital copy
Google Play digital copy
DVD copy

Packaging
Slipcover in original pressing

Playback
Region free