Tomorrowland is, in the broadest sense, about how modern society is too accepting of the seemingly inevitable apocalypse, apathetic to the threats of climate change, natural disasters and nuclear war. Now, by itself, that's a nice idea that makes the heavily sixties-inspired world feel modern and gifts Hugh Laurie's Governor Nix a great, understandable villain monologue. However, this thread is also used to attack the state of modern movies - as a culture we're so inundated with films that glamorise dystopia and their unstoppable, creatively vapid sequels that it's hard to remember a time when things were different. The film is, then, not just hearkening back to the dreams of Walt Disney (his idea for the future is the basis for the Tomorrowland area at DisneyWorld), but to the atmosphere that brought about the generation-defining likes of Star Wars. It doesn't want to be a new Star Wars per se, but put us back to a point where that unbridled creativity can thrive (the irony that Disney bought the rights to the space fantasy franchise during production is too delicious to not at least mention). The thing is, on the way to that conclusion, Tomorrowland has repeated the crimes of its targets; the Star Wars Easter egg-crammed sequence in Blast From The Past is built on the same audience recognition that leads to the endless reboots and remakes Hollywood currently churns out. Even if the scene worked, there'd be no escaping that the film's literally engaging in what it's chastising. Yes, the film is all about the joys of the past, but it seems to miss how that's not exactly in short supply in modern Hollywood. This vague hypocrisy is made particularly shocking given the context of the movie's release. Just a week before heading to Tomorrowland audiences were treated to Mad Max: Fury Road, a late-in-the-day reboot of a franchise set in a desolate and unforgiving post-apocalyptic landscape. In many ways it's exactly the sort of film that Tomorrowland has in its headlights, but with one key distinction; whereas this film is in awe of itself, Fury Road is an unashamedly exhilarating, beautiful movie. Yes, it's set in a dystopia, but it's hardly relishing in that - nobody having seen the film would actually want to visit Max's Australia. And so, in embracing the genre uncynically, George Miller delivers a more successful cautionary tale than Bird's better-on-paper film. Sadly, it's not just in its self-referential subtext that Tomorrowland crumbles into hypocrisy. The whole thing ends with Casey and Frank starting a new age for Tomorrowland, finding new dreamers to help build their utopia. This is framed as a bright new dawn, but, when you think about it, is no different to the world the villainous Nix originally set out to build; the selection process maintains the same elitist slant that led to the film's dangers in the first place. It'd be like Luke and Han immediately starting work on their own planet-destroying space station after their victory medal ceremony. Tomorrowland is a film about a future free of the confines of the past that invariably relishes in what's come before. You can respect its ideas and like its visuals, but the only thing worth being in awe of is its hypocrisy. Agree with this article? What did you think of Tomorrowland? Share your thoughts down in the comments.
