The most disappointing films are usually not aggressively bad, merely forgettable. Though it has been but four months since I saw “Tomorrowland,” I can barely recall the plot without reading my own summary of it.
With director Brad Bird at the helm — a man whose previous worst film was merely “very good” — and an intriguing premise, “Tomorrowland” seemed to have all the makings of a sci-fi fairy tale. But the movie gets bogged down in a convoluted plot, and even George Clooney seems grumpy and fuzzy about what’s going on.
The story centers on a bright young teen, Casey (Britt Robertson), who finds herself transported into an amazing future world whenever she touches a mysterious pin. It’s all an illusion, sort of, but leads her to the door of reclusive inventor Frank (Clooney), with the help of an enigmatic British girl (Raffey Cassidy).
Things go on from there, which are hard to describe without ruining the movie’s (attempted) allure. Suffice to say they end up on a "Da Vinci Code"-like ride, finding clues to the secret behind Tomorrowland in famous places. They eventually reach their destination, but of course there’s more to the futuristic fantasyland than meets the eye.
A well-meaning film loaded with stellar talent, “Tomorrowland” is the proverbial sleek rocket that never gets off the launch pad.
Bonus features are excellent, though you’ll have to spring for the Blu-ray combo pack to get most of them. One of the neatest things is production diaries by Bird. There are three, though the DVD edition only comes with one of them. It also has “Blast from the Past,” a fictional commercial for Tomorrowland.
With the Blu-ray combo pack, you get all the diaries, eight deleted scenes, four Easter eggs, three making-of featurettes, a fictional children’s show, “The World of Tomorrow Science Hour” with futurologist David Nix, and an animated short, “The Origins of Plus Ultra.”
Film: 3 Yaps Extras: 4.5 Yaps