A movie about ideas and inventions that has too much of both, Tomorrowland marks a rare miss from director Brad Bird (The Iron Giant, The Incredibles, Ratatouille, Mission: Impossible — Ghost Protocol). The combination of mid-century modernism and space-age futurism that defines much of his work comes to a head here, in a story (co-written with Damon Lindelof) about a secret utopia of scientists, artists, and other dreamers that has walled itself off from the problems of the real world. Trying to bridge the gap is a former boy genius (George Clooney), a teen whiz kid (Britt Robertson), and a precocious child robot (Raffey Cassidey). Much of the imagery astounds—I loved Tomorrowland’s series of stacked diving pools—but as more aspects of this world come hurtling at you, the movie begins to feel burdensome rather than wondrous, something like an overwhelming gadgetpalooza. Clooney and Robertson engage in a lot of shouty repartee that mostly feels forced (despite her physical likeness to noted Clooney sparring partner Julia Roberts). Meanwhile, an elaborate narrative structure, including an awkward framing device, unnecessarily complicates what is already an overstuffed story. All in all, Tomorrowland suffers from the quality that defines many of its characters: outsized vision and ambition.
(9/24/2022)
