Tomorrowland - Problematic and Preachy Sci-fi Adventure
- Thread starter Marter
- Start date
I knew about the third act lecture going in (I more then one reviewer after all) so I knew it was coming and it didn't bother me as much as it would have. I enjoyed it, and I would watch a sequel if it was made, I'd like to see a full movie set in Tommorowland that explores different ideas and the world they've set up. I mean it's a futuristic city in a pocket dimension where the best and brightest among us gather to make new and interesting things, it would be easy to turn such an IP into a series of movies each exploring new and different science fiction ideas that define the genre.
Wait, is the Chosen One character in this film actually called "The Special?" Because that's the term the Lego movie used when it was making a deconstructive parody of the Chosen One narrative.Marter said:
Knight Captain Kerr said:
Yes she is, ah the LEGO movie destroying everything that comes after when they try to use it's tropes.
Well, that's a kick in the pants. The movie Tomorrowland isn't mostly set in the place called Tomorrowland! As Otto the bus driver said when he left Stoner's Pot Palace, "Man, that is flagrant false advertising!"
Also, I would be remised if I didn't quote the Fallout:New Vegas episode of Unskippable: "A future society ruled by Hugh Laurie? I want to go to there!"
Also, I would be remised if I didn't quote the Fallout:New Vegas episode of Unskippable: "A future society ruled by Hugh Laurie? I want to go to there!"
I really, really hate how "problematic" gets throws around too goddamned much these days. It's always used to denote something making the person saying it mildly uncomfortable, and they express it as though whatever the hell that was is self-evident and universal. Y'know, like all those people who say everything is "shit", but with "problematic" they're trying really hard to sound like they're smart.
Agreed. If there's one word I'd be glad to never hear again it's "problematic". These days, everything in media is "problematic" in the same way everything used to be "sinful".JMac85 said:
Do they also say she was "born to do great things"? BecauseMarter said:
So the premise of this movie is "Rapture will save the world". Geezus. I've joked before about Walt Disney's vision for EPCOT being essentially Rapture, but at least EPCOT was still meant to be easily accessible and open to the general public.
I was going to say...Marter said:
Anyway, while the visuals are pretty great, it can't save it from this mess of a script which is a shame because I quite like Brad Bird. Troubled pre-production I'm guessing.
Do you know how many articles I've seen about romantic age gaps in Hollywood with George Clooney's name dropped several times? I'm even remembering Tina Fey's joke about him preferring to float off into space and die than spend any more time with a woman his own age.
At some point George Clooney needs to look around and take a stand. It's just funny at this point.
The comment about Casey Newton being declared "The Special" is especially funny, because there's nothing that she does to justify this when she's given the pin. It's not much of a spoiler, since it's in the first act and is one of the things that gets the plot rolling, but I'll put it behind tags anyway:
Casey catches Athena's eye by sabotaging construction equipment being used to dismantle service structures at Launch Complex 39 (the pads used by Apollo and the Space Shuttle), because she's pissed that they don't have a system waiting to use them. We see her do something that probably destroys the electrical systems on the equipment, so we're likely talking high-five-, low-six-figure damage. There are two things that make this particularly dumb: 1) they'd probably be doing significant modifications to the LC anyway as there was a lot of rebuilding that happened between the Saturn and Space Shuttle systems, and a lot more for the SpaceX and SLS systems slated to use the pads IRL, and 2) she's not even halting the demolition, just making it cost more. So her sabotage is about as smart and forward-thinking as spraypainting graffiti on the facade of the US Capitol Building--and if her graffiti was "More Money for NASA Nooooow!" it would at least raise awareness for her cause.
So Athena gives Casey a pin for engaging in expensive, pointless symbolism that does nothing but make her feel good about herself. The plot gets preachier from there.
Casey catches Athena's eye by sabotaging construction equipment being used to dismantle service structures at Launch Complex 39 (the pads used by Apollo and the Space Shuttle), because she's pissed that they don't have a system waiting to use them. We see her do something that probably destroys the electrical systems on the equipment, so we're likely talking high-five-, low-six-figure damage. There are two things that make this particularly dumb: 1) they'd probably be doing significant modifications to the LC anyway as there was a lot of rebuilding that happened between the Saturn and Space Shuttle systems, and a lot more for the SpaceX and SLS systems slated to use the pads IRL, and 2) she's not even halting the demolition, just making it cost more. So her sabotage is about as smart and forward-thinking as spraypainting graffiti on the facade of the US Capitol Building--and if her graffiti was "More Money for NASA Nooooow!" it would at least raise awareness for her cause.
So Athena gives Casey a pin for engaging in expensive, pointless symbolism that does nothing but make her feel good about herself. The plot gets preachier from there.