Spectacular in design, thrilling in its adventure & brimming with optimistic wonder, Tomorrowland is just the antidote needed to snap the cinema landscape out of its depressing post-apocalypse glut. 

In many ways Tomorrowland is a spiritual partner to last year’s Interstellar. Not only are both films underrated, they also pine for a time when mankind reached for a higher plain of wonder through scientific advancement, only to see that optimistic vision eroded by a steady wave of cynicism & doomsday prophesying.

Yet where Interstellar dealt with humanity’s survival in a last desperate attempt to leave a dying Earth, Tomorrowland is all about how we in the now can turn the tide away from a bleak vision of the future. For eternal dreamer Casey (Brit Robertson) it's an attitude she not only lives by, but one that is vitally necessary for humanity to reach the heights which were once within our grasp.

And with that, comes a fresh of breath air. Throughout the spectrum of genre storytelling - whether it is film or TV - too many times we as humans are depicted as stuck in a vicious cycle of shooting ourselves in the foot. Post-apocalyptic scenarios -whether it the result of natural disaster, nuclear war or zombie outbreak- dominate, as if our downfall will always be the end result no matter the equation.

Yet are we not a species that thinks, creates, loves & imagines? Do we not wonder what's beyond the stars, amongst our Earth & within our souls? With Tomorrowland, director Brad Bird (he of The Incredibles & Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol) & screenwriter Damon Lindelof (Prometheus) remind us of the very fact that we are more than a Darwinian construct. 

In the character of Casey that faith filled optimism & curiosity shines strong, with sure to be superstar Brit Robertson filling the role with pep, humour & attitude, creating an incredibly likeable character to tag along with as she discovers a future world where the best, brightest & most artistic created a utopia known as "Tomorrowland" where ideas are planted & grown to fruition.

The portrayal of this world is a feat of art direction wonder, brought to life through breathtaking visual effects, the kind of big visual spectacle that especially shines upon a big screen (an IMAX screening being a top choice). Equally impressive is a scene where a rocket ship springs forth from the Eiffel Tower & blasts into space, resulting in an early "scene of the year" contender. 

Starring alongside Robertson is George Clooney as Frank, the yang to Casey's ying whose experience at “Tomorrowland” left him a cynical shell of a man. As soon as Clooney appears in all of his bobble-headed glory it's clear what acting path the Oscar winner has decided to tread in his role. Yet while over the top at times, Clooney is never the less effective in his portrait of man tainted by bitterness even when in the presence of the promised-land.

Ironically, the same characteristic fits many who have undervalued the originality, wondrous imagination & narrative power that Tomorrowland beholds. While the film didn't reach its financial expectations, time will surely confirm its richness. Bird & Lindelof have created something quite remarkable, a rare gem amongst other treasures. Cherish it.