The bittersweet aura that permeates much of Brad Bird’s Tomorrowland is likely one of the reasons the movie didn’t prove to be the blockbuster adventure flick that its makers hoped it would be. Despite a tangled narrative line that takes nearly an hour to sort itself out and an overly sour sense of sporadic hopelessness, Tomorrowland does periodically deliver a sense of wonder and the thrill of discovery, two qualities which are the heavy foundations for the film’s theme.
Studio: Disney
Distributed By: N/A
Video Resolution and Encode: 1080P/AVC
Aspect Ratio: 2.20:1
Audio: English 7.1 DTS-HDMA, Spanish 5.1 DD, French 5.1 DD
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish, French
Rating: PG
Run Time: 2 Hr. 11 Min.
Package Includes: Blu-ray, DVD, Digital Copy
keep case in a slipcoverDisc Type: BD50 (dual layer)
Region: ABC
Release Date: 10/13/2015
MSRP: $39.99
The Production Rating: 3.5/5
Finding herself in the possession of a trinket which offers a brief, exhilarating view of a phantasmagorical world of rampant invention and mind-numbing technology, Casey Newton (Britt Robertson) goes looking for answers. She is guided in her quest by the enigmatic Athena (Raffey Cassidy), an entity who had also appeared to the young Frank Walker (Thomas Robinson) at the 1964 World’s Fair when he received a similar introduction to this special scientific Neverland, but when Casey is deposited on the doorstep of the grown-up Frank Walker (George Clooney), she finds him a grumpy, bitter man with nothing kind to say about the place she’s so desperate to get back to. When robots from the place come to eliminate the both of them, however, they know they must return to find out why they’re being hunted and what’s going on there now.
The script by director Brad Bird and producer Damon Lindelof is in no hurry offering explanations to the herky-jerky array of initial sequences which don’t seem to tie together at all but which offer the viewer (just as with the film’s protagonists) a tantalizing taste of a future world bright with every modern convenience and an alluring sense of wonderment. Once we’re informed of the place’s function, its present status contrasted with the status of the rest of the world (offered rather late in the movie by the film’s purveyor of doom David Nix played by Hugh Laurie who offers a finger-wagging condemnation of today’s societies who ignore the evidence of the world’s collapsing resources), we get clearly the film’s theme: encouraging a renewal of the scientific spirit and desire for wonder that seems to be missing during much of the current century. To get to that, however, involves a number of chase scenes and a vast amount of noisy destruction. With writer-director Brad Bird’s wry, devilish imagination displayed in Pixar’s Ratatouille and The Incredibles, it’s no wonder that Walker’s Rube Goldberg-esque house is alive with contraptions of every description, and the views of the future possibilities offered by Tomorrowland are quite breathtaking even if we don’t get to spend nearly enough time there to truly luxuriate in them.
Britt Robertson as the plucky Casey is the undoubted star of the movie despite George Clooney’s top billing. She’s brash and cheeky without ever losing audience sympathy despite occasional bad decisions, emerging as the film’s brightest light. She shares that light with the highly enjoyable Raffey Cassidy as the automaton Athena and Thomas Robinson as the young Frank Walker, both youngsters who deliver pleasing, enterprising performances. George Clooney spends much of the movie in cantankerous mode though as an inevitable spokesperson for forward thinking and endless possibilities, he comes to the fore during the film’s second half. Hugh Laurie’s general sardonic dryness suits his Nix character though of the top-billed stars, his presence is the least seen and heard. In very entertaining smaller roles, Tim McGraw is fine as Casey’s soon-to-be-laid off dad, and Keegan-Michael Key and Kathryn Hahn lend great humor and surprise as proprietors of a second hand novelty store.
Video Rating: 5/5 3D Rating: NA
The film is framed here at 2.20:1 and is presented in 1080p using the AVC codec. It’s a gorgeous transfer with striking sharpness featuring lots of detail in facial features. Color is alternately bright and somber depending on the setting and appropriate mood, but those instant transitions from present day to Tomorrowland when one touches the pin are visually stunning and must have been jaw-dropping on the big screen. Contrast has been beautifully controlled throughout offering a consistently dazzling picture with rich, inky black levels. The movie has been divided into 15 chapters.
Audio Rating: 5/5
The DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 sound mix is all one would expect from a modern-day sci-fi adventure film with split effects predominating throughout and directionalized dialogue that puts the viewer in the center of the action with all things happening around him. Michael Giacchino’s exhilarating score (abetted by themes from the Sherman Brothers) reaches into the widest expanses of the fronts and rears. With the frequent explosions and laser fire, the LFE channel gets a nice workout in this sterling mix.
Special Features Rating: 3.5/5
Remembering the Future: A Personal Journey Through Tomorrowland with Brad Bird (7:09, HD): writer-director Brad Bird shares home movies and vintage clips of Disneyland and NASA as he talks about his idea for the film. Also adding comments about making the movie are writer-producer Damon Lindelof and actors George Clooney, Britt Robertson, and Raffey Cassidy.
Casting Tomorrowland (7:27, HD): director Brad Bird and producers Damon Lindelof and Jeffrey Chernov discuss and praise their casting choices for the movie while actors George Clooney, Raffey Cassidy, Britt Robertson, Hugh Laurie, and Thomas Robinson praise Bird as a visionary director.
A Great Big Beautiful Scoring Session (6:03, HD): composer Michael Giacchino relates his excitement over the appearance of Richard Sherman at one of the scoring sessions when his earlier themes are being recorded. Sherman also adds some comments for the viewer and the orchestra members.
The World of Tomorrow Science Hour (5:08, HD): hilarious faux outtakes from an alleged series pilot hosted by the film’s curmudgeon David Nix (Hugh Laurie).
The Origins of the Plus Ultra (3:26, HD): animated short which gives some background on secrets revealed during the last half of Tomorrowland. The user has the option to watch this before the film begins or later from the bonus features section.
Brad Bird Production Diaries (4:34, HD): two brief behind-the-scenes looks at the director prepping for the first day of shooting and later shooting at NASA. Some of these clips were also used in the “Remembering the Future” vignette described above.
Blast from the Past Commercial (0:41, HD): faux commercial for the novelty shop Blast from the Past used in the film featuring actors Keegan-Michael Key and Kathryn Hahn in character.
Deleted Scenes (23:28, HD): six scenes with introductions by director Brad Bird and/or producer Damon Lindelof. They may also be watched individually.
Promo Trailers (HD): Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Inside Out.
DVD/Digital Copy: disc and iTunes code sheet enclosed in the case.
Overall Rating: 3.5/5
Tomorrowland offers an enjoyable if cautionary tale of the ebbing of creativity in a world that desperately needs it. While the adventure might have been expanded by showing us more of the utopian future world, the film does offer a moderately pleasurable viewing experience aided in great part by a terrific audio and video encode.
Reviewed By: Matt Hough
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