The future looks sparkling and shiny in Disney’s latest movie, but what exactly is this fantasy land?
As a mystery-adventure film, Disney’s Tomorrowland has successfully confounded many of us even before its release.
You may have seen its trailers in cinemas recently. A bright young lady, Casey Newton (played by upcoming actress Britt Robertson of The Longest Ride and TV’s “The Secret Circle”), stumbles upon a mysterious pin that, when touched, transports her to a futuristic pristine city called “Tomorrowland”.
Suddenly, Casey is squashed in a bathtub with Academy Award winner George Clooney. Clooney, mainly unfashionably dressed in washed-up and unpolished garb, plays genius inventor Frank Walker, who realises that Casey is the answer to saving Tomorrowland.
So what and where exactly is Tomorrowland, and why is it in danger?
Save the Girl, Save the World
Although Disney has released three separate trailers for this movie, we still have very little idea of what to expect.
The trailers all conceal major plot points, such as why Casey was chosen, why she should trust an old man in jeans and plaid, and where exactly this enigmatic Tomorrowland is in time and space.
What’s evident is that there is severe unrest in this shining new world. While Casey may be the key to fixing the future, the duo is running out of time, being pursued by a fearsome android army.
When Frank transports Casey into Tomorrowland, they run into some faces we’re familiar with – but not sure if we can trust. Among them is a brilliant scientist, played by Hugh Laurie. Experience with his character in TV’s “House” tells me we should be wary of him.
Fun-Filled Future
Despite how confused we might be, Tomorrowland looks like a total blast. Compared to the dull reality that Casey and Frank were previously stuck in, this fantasy land is bursting with action and surprise at every turn.
Giant metallic structures streak up into the sky, looking like art deco had a wild party with neo-futuristic architecture. Rocket ships zip about on zig-zagging highways, citizens race through the skies with jetpacks, and guns have been replaced by powerful plasma weapons.
With director Brad Bird behind this movie, such a spectacle doesn’t come as a surprise. Bird is known for his beautiful and atmospheric work on animations such as Iron Giant and Ratatouille, as well as for Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol.
Explaining his vision for Tomorrowland, Bird said that he wanted to amend the dark outlook of the future that many seem to have accepted.
He said, “At one time the future was consistently presented as this bright thing where all these problems were going to be solved. I remember that feeling of wow… [Now we’re asking] is it possible to get back to it?”
Lost in Adventure
If you’ve been to a Disneyland theme park, you might find this futuristic metropolis familiar. That’s because the world of Tomorrowland is partially based on the themed section of the same name that can be found in five Disneyland parks.
But you don’t have to worry about any commercialised product placement in the movie. Bird only took the idea of the themed land and worked around it – so you’re not going to find Space Mountain or Disneyland flyers on screen.
A behind-the-scenes feature reveals that Tomorrowland was primarily inspired by Walt Disney’s utopian vision for how technology and science could transform lives.
As Clooney said, Disney “was interested in the future and what it could be.”
So, this is Disney’s great vision for the future. I just hope there will be less mystery and more jetpacks when the future comes around.
By Pamela Chow
Tomorrowland [PG]
Director: Brad Bird
Starring: George Clooney, Britt Robertson, Hugh Laurie & Tim McGraw
Genre: Mystery, Adventure
Run length: 130 min
Release: 21 May
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