Tomorrowland begins when Academy Award winner George Clooney enters the story perhaps twenty minutes in. Gorgeous George bursts on the screen and makes it all happen with his quirky, thoughtful, quizzical caring reactions. His ability to listen and his cockamamy facial expressions say more than the dialogue. He makes Tomorrowland. Disney's science fiction fantasy is slow in its set up that reverts to the past then zippidy do da's into the future with Tim Mc Graw holding down the present. Yawns can happen early on, but if you hang in there you will be mesmerized by the creative minds at work that blast off midway through the film. There is a bit of the Wizard of Oz and a bit of Hugo. Surprises keep happening and move the plot along like a beautiful flower blossoming. Two-time Oscar winner Brad Bird directs this mystery, adventure which is also written by Bird, Jeff Jensen and Damon Lindelof.
The plot begins in the past. Boy genius Frank (Clooney played skillfully as a child by Thomas Robinson), fails at his experiment to fly with a jet pack into space, but instead flies into a corn field. An adult Frank meets up with Casey (Britt Robertson), a precocious teen filled with a scientific knowledge and together they take off on a journey to unlock the secrets of a mysterious place called Tomorrowland. A sophomoric thesis and a lecturing of 'let's save the planet' routine are worthy of stuffing your ears with cotton during their preaching, but please ignore and enjoy the splendor of the special effects and fine acting. Clooney is top notch. Britt Robertson a distant third and a robot named Athena (Raffey Cassidy) steals the acting kudos.
Tim Mc Graw is fine as Casey's pop and the talented Hugh Laurie plays a monstrous Nix, a character determined to destroy Earth. Just ignore the plot and enjoy a child's fantasy with space ships contained within the Eiffel Tower and a spooky farm houses filled with computers and technology worthy of the CIA (shades of Enemy of the State). This is a fun movie. Don't look too closely, but sit back and enjoy. And you, too, will have a good time. You do not need to be seven to have a good time viewing Tomorrowland.
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