Tomorrowland

I remember the first trailer for Tomorrowland.  I was blown away at the possibility of what this film could contain.  My mind was piqued by the art deco style futuristic look at a land that I did not know, but I wanted to discover.

As it turns out, Tomorrowland is only a dim shadow of what it could have been.

I am not saying that this film is bad.  It is good.  It is really good, but there are 3-4 films that could have been made from the glimpses of brilliance that we see throughout the film.

Film #1
The origin story of the film.  A life story that leads up to the 1964 world's fair where a young George Clooney shows his ambition by finding his way to Tomorrowland and is shown to be a great mind amid great minds.

Film#2
The downfall of the utopia.  Tomorrowland becomes corrupt, it changes for the worse, and George Clooney's character is deported for pushing against the establishment that has hobbled the works of progress.

Film#3 The resurgence.  This is the film that we currently have. A savior comes to Tomorrowland to restore the balance and bring it back to its past glory.

Film #4 The legacy.  The new generation of inventors and great minds build up Tomorrowland to make it amazing once again and the encounter new challenges that could deal with other dimensional travel, keeping peace between worlds, or the ethics behind cherry-picking the best minds and taking them from earth.

So we did get a good, fun, adventure film that wanted to teach us about generating our own positivism and goodness.  Unfortunately we got many glimpses of masterpieces without ever seeing one complete picture.  This left an incomplete feeling with me after I saw the film.  It was as though I was shown a bacon and avocado cheeseburger and all I got to eat was the pickle.

But it was really good pickle.

I categorize this film as:

A good film with so much missing.

A strange way of depicting robots.

A good way to pass the time on a Sunday afternoon.  If you fall asleep halfway through, you won't be too disappointed.

3/5 Stanley Cups. So much potential.  Such an underachievement. 

Format: Netflix

Viewing Period: In 3 parts in the early morning hours.

Inspired me to: Go to Disneyland.  I miss that place.

Eddie the Eagle

There is a need in the world for a story that has a happy ending.  Why else would the phrase, "and they lived happily, ever after" exist?

Unfortunately many stories that tell the tale of an underdog overcoming adversity are passed by and described as "fluff" for the movie-going public.  Many gems remain hidden due to a lack of appreciation for good, wholesome entertainment.

Let me uncover one of those gems for you:

Eddie The Eagle is a fun, wholesome film that takes an interesting character, Eddie Edwards, and shows how he persevered to make it to the Olympic games.  I found out ahead of time that the film is 10-15% true according to Edwards himself, but I feel that the artistic license that was used to make a better film.  Eddie himself is a part of Olympic Games lore that includes the 1980 USA hockey team and the original Jamaican bobsled team and this film helps you root for the underdog and feel his pain when failure starts to hinder his journey.

Is this Oscar material?  No.  No it is not.  It is a film that was released at a time when the Oscar buzz is over and the summer blockbusters are yet to emerge.  Although I would be selling it short if I didn't mention the action chops of Taron Edgerton as Eddie.  He does a really good job.  I had to watch an interview from the Olympic Games to judge fairly.

 You might find the character of Eddie to be a little odd at first, but he is endearing and you make room in you heart for him.  He is a dreamer and a hero to those who want just a little bit of glory in life.

It makes me feel good just talking about it.  What an enjoyable movie experience!

Note: When you watch the film, there is real footage from the 1988 Olympic Games in Calgary, Alberta.  None of the film was shot in Canada so the setting of the ski jump is not very accurate.

For example:

This is Calgary Olympic Park.

This is not.

I categorize this film as:

A solid film

A fun story derived from a true story.

One the whole family can watch. (although there is a scene where Hugh Jackman's character explains, and demonstrates how to land a jump, comparing it to making love with Bo Derek.  It is accurate, but a little uneasy if watching with children.)

4/5 Stanley Cups. I really enjoyed this film.  There is not much I could say to criticize it. 

Format: The Theater.

Viewing Period: One shot on a Friday night with friends.

Inspired me to: Read about the real guy, Michael "Eddie" Edwards and watch Cool Runnings.