There is indeed a great big beautiful tomorrow shining at the end of everyday. Yes, the latest trailer for Tomorrowland, the new film from Brad Bird (The Incredibles, Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol) has arrived. Walt Disney Pictures will release the science fiction film about a young teen who discovers a portal to a mysterious futuristic land and seeks the help of a former boy genius inventor (George Clooney) to help her find out the secret behind the titular “Tomorrowland” on May 22, 2015. The trailer follows below;
Well… that looks like fun. Admittingly, there’s still little we know about the plot for Tomorrowland, specifically because Brad Bird and his co-writer Damon Lindelof (of Lost and Prometheus fame and/or infamy, take your pick) have been tight lipped about the subject up to this point. In fact, this second trailer is the most we’ve gotten on the subject since it was announced. We’re still not sure if the film has anything to do with the area of Disneyland with which it shares the name, though many of the designs in the titular world we see here has some allusions to the Disney park in a subtle fashion (I swear one of the places looks EXACTLY like Space Mountain). Still, what we do get in this trailer really is exhilerating. The clockwork machinery, brightly shining visages of the city scape and spirited sense of adventure through the brief glimpses of character feel wondrous in a sincere way few films manage to do.
Much of this spiritedness feels inkeeping with Brad Bird as a director and I’m always so glad to see hints of his kind hearted and heartwarming sensibilities here; the retrofitted technology style of The Iron Giant, the unlikely team element of Ratatouille, the sense of discovery of a supernatural tie to one’s self from The Incredibles and the kinetic action of his first live action film Ghost Protocol, amongst other things. It’s also nice to see George Clooney in a role where he plays appropriate to his age, embracing the crusty mentor archetype in a way only someone with an appreciation for classic Hollywood could really grasp. Plus, newcomer Brett Robertson shows a lot of promise with her display of determination and hushed astonishment and it’s nice to see Hugh Laurie in a rather bizarrely sci-fi but oddly fitting get up.
The only red flag I have at this point is Lindelof’s involvement, mostly due to his work as a screenwriter for films like Prometheus, Star Trek Into Darkness and Cowboys & Aliens. He has a knack for establishing solid ideas, but ultimately fails to consistently deliver a solid conclusion to his works, a factor that’s got me worried about some of the bigger reveals for the film we haven’t seen. Of course, Bird has proven himself a master storyteller, both with his film works and early television animation days on shows like The Simpsons. If anyone can prevent Lindelof from messing things up too much, it’s him.
But what did you think of the trailer? A promising project from a great director or a worrisome passion project that hasn’t revealed much? Post your thoughts in the comments below.
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