Day 873: Tomorrowland

Well, I finally got to see a Disney Movie NOT three months after it came out! Impressive, right? What's even more impressive is I saw it OPENING DAY, and I definitely have a few thoughts on Tomorrowland that I'm ready to share! To be honest, I was really skeptical of this movie, and I sat in the theater confused for the majority of the two hours I was there. But that doesn't mean I didn't love it, and while I'll be sure not to reveal any spoilers, here's a short recap of what I loved and what I didn't:

What I Loved: Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow! 

I absolutely adored that the film started out with "There's A Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow" from the Carousel of Progress. It was this little bit of nostalgia to kick things off, and from there it just got better. From the fact that it begins at the 1964-65 World's Fair to the inclusion of a very familiar attraction, I had to control my flailing around.

What I Loved A Bit Less: The Confusion

As I mentioned a minute ago, I was very confused the majority of the film, although by the end I finally got the meaning. Then, all of a sudden, the point becomes clear, sort of like when they finally solve the case on Psych or something. I suppose that's how most movies are, but at the same time I felt more confused during this film than I have in a theater in quite some time. I think the same runs true for the trailer, which I got more questions about than I had answers. Going into the theater, I really had no clue what the film was about, aside from the fact that I knew that, as a Disney fan, this was one I needed to see.

What I Loved: Originality 

We definitely live in a world of sequels these days. Just look at the films coming out in the next few years, even just from Disney. There's very little original material, and Sequels bring in the most money. It's hard to go against that grain, so to see a film like Tomorrowland was sort of refreshing.

What I Loved A Bit Less: The Constant Movement

This kind of goes along with the confusion point, but there were just so many elements that you had to keep track of to understand the story. There's the pin, obviously, this hat, the robots, this other city, a bunch of different characters, multiple locations, and several plotlines that seemed, to me, only half there. Of course, this is in addition to the never ending action scenes that are so popular with audiences today, although I felt that many of them were appropriate considering the topic.

What I Loved: The Point

Regardless of how long it took to get there, the meaning of the film shines through like the beginning of a new day and boy, is it ever powerful. No Spoilers, but as a college student with two majors that often lead to difficult career paths, I found a lot of comfort in the end of the film, and the speech that's made about our society near the end? Brilliant and spot on.

Overall, I think I like Tomorrowland a little more with each passing day. When I first left the theater I felt a bit disappointed, but as I believe the film intended to do, as I examine the society around me, I understand where the film is coming from a bit more. With everything else aside, though, it does provide a great motivational tool for those of us who dream to do great things for more than money or popularity, because sometimes we just want to have a little bit of fun.

If you've seen Tomorrowland, let me know what you thought!

(Note: This blog post was written on May 24 due to computer issues).