Supergirl, Andre Holland, New OTP...
The fourth film in Disney’s tie-ins to their attractions (“Pirates of the Caribbean”, “The Haunted Mansion” and “The Country Bears” being the others. The TV film “Tower of Terror” was a film before it was a ride IIRC.), “Tomorrowland” (Written by Brad Bird (“The Incredibles”) and Damon LIndelof (“Lost”, “Prometheus”) and directed by Bird)
doesn’t soar to the heavens as it could, but in reaching for the stars it does provide for an entertaining and rousing 130 minutes.
Furious at proposed dismantling of the NASA launch platform in her hometown, the employer of her dad (Tim McGraw) Casey Newton (Britt Robertson, “The Longest Ride”)
attempts to delay the dismantling by sabotaging the site. Her actions catches the attention of the mysterious Athena (Raffey Cassidy, “Mr. Selfridge”) who gifts Casey with a pin that transports her to Tomorrowland when she touches it.
Athena connects Casey to Frank Walker (George Clooney) who Athena knew when he was a boy.
Whereas Casey is enthusiastic about Tomorrowland, Frank’s experience there has left him bitter and with the knowledge of the impending destruction of Earth.
In Casey Athena and Frank sees hope for change.
Part “National Treasure” and “Men in Black”, the film’s strongest elements are the sense of possibility and imagination that at its best, Disney displays. The film opens with gorgeous animation that looks like the hand-drawn animation of the past (Disney stopped doing hand-drawn films with “The Princess and the Pea”. And with Disneyland’s Diamond anniversary last week the film it was nice seeing the use of “It’s a Small World” as well as DIsneyWorld.
Tomorrowland as it was when it opened
*When Tomorrowland (Disney attraction) opened in 1955 the future was 1986 and I think the film nods to that by having people wear slightly 80s clothes mixed in with women wearing 1950s clothes with a futuristic bent to it like flattened brims on their hats.
I have a love/hate relationship with Disney. I was never a fan of its animated films or the park but there is something about Disneyland that touches me. I think when I go there I feel what visitors on opening day must have felt. There are still parts of the park (like “It’s a Small World”) that are still relatively untouched so it’s easy to feel nostalgic about the sense of wonder that those people must have felt.
Too bad the House of Mouse treats its workers (animators and park workers) like trash.
But the downside of “Tomorrowland” is that it falls into the Lindelof trap of setting up high concept ideals and then at the last minute ignoring it. As “Lost” was all numbers/flashforwards/flashsideways/smoke monsters at the last minute that was ignored for we’re all connected! And as a defender of “Lost”s finale, I was fine with it but it is frustrating to be led down a path for so long then at the last minute get veered onto another course. Add to that a protracted third act “Tomorrowland” sometimes feels as if its asking for more than it’s giving.
With his background as an animator Bird handles directing this film with a deftness and flair he showed with “Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol”.
The casting is a bit of a mixed bag. They have the great child actor Pierce Gagnon wasted as Casey’s little brother. George Clooney isn’t as built for light fare as the others he’s acting against so there is a feeling of disconnect. Which is unfortunate because we’re supposed to feel for him especially when it comes to his feelings about Athena (the film has him stop just shy of saying that he was in love with her. And yes, he’s talking about his younger self but to see a 50 year old man saying he loved a 12-year old is weird)
Cassidy is perfectly cast
And she looks like a young Veronica Cartwright
Veronica Cartwright
In 2010 she and my babe Ed Skrein were listed as one of the Stars of Tomorrow.
To not give too much away about her character she gets to play a multi-faceted role. She gets to be a bit of everything.
The pin I got with my ticket
Well, the pilot for the upcoming CBS series “Supergirl” “leaked”. And just as “Flash” and “Constantine” “leaked” last year I bet CBS is gauging online reaction to it to see if they need to make any changes. Last year when “Flash” and “Constantine” leaked “Flash” won raves while people were on the fence about “Constantine”. The result? “Constantine” went back for reshoots and wrote out the second lead character.
“Supergirl” follows the traditional Supergirl origins story of Kara Zor-El who is sent by her parents to protect baby cousin Kal-El when their planet explodes. Kara’s ship is sent off course and she doesn’t land on Earth until twenty odd years later. Still a teenager, Superman places Kara with adopted parents the Danvers and their daughter Alex.
Now an adult, Kara (Melissa Benoist, “Glee”) works for news publishing powerhouse Cat Grant (Calista Flockhart, Harrison Ford’s sober companion)
who is looking for a story to drive their sales the same way Superman drives readership of The Daily Planet. Kara unwittingly becomes that story after performing a very public save.
Now finding her purpose Kara has also found hidden threats.
I really liked the pilot although I hate that Kara is made to just be a genderbent Clark Kent. She’s fumbly and awkward like Superman’s Clark Kent persona (Donnerverse and Reeves’ Clark Kent). I liked Smallville’s interpretation of Kara: confident, steelier. They’ve also hit the same Superman beats with respect to messages from home. It’s a show that want so make Supergirl relevant on her owns but can’t help leaning on Superman (they can’t use Superman because of the filmverse so he’s like a Jesus like character often referred to as “him” or obscured by light).
It has a lot to work with and it’s light in the vein of “The Flash”. The cast is round out by office pal with a crush Winn Schott (who could be proto Winslow Schott the Toymaker) played by Jeremy Jordan (“Smash”)
, David Harewood (“Selfie”) as scientist Hank Henshaw (who became a villain in the comics)
and Mechad Brooks (“True Blood”) as the hottest James Olsen that ever existed in comics, film or series verse.
“Flash”, “Arrow” and “Supergirl” producer Greg Berlanti with his stars.
~Berlanti is in Greece celebrating his birthday with friends including “Arrow”s Emily Betts and Colton Haynes.
*I always said when Berlanti broke up with Robbie Rogers that Colton was going to swoop in.
~”Arrow”s showrunners have also said next season will be less dark. I guess seeing the love “The Flash” is getting has made them rethink their path.
It seems “Legends of Tomorrow” will be fun as well.
The Super Trailer
*Starring Brandon Routh, Victor Garber, Wentworth Miller, Dominic Purcell, Caity Loitz, Arthur Darville and Ciara Renee
Click to viewThe cast presented at CW’s upfronts.
Wentworth Miller. No longer large, but still in charge
And don’t I love it
~The Upfronts are also fun for people who normally wouldn’t connect to connect. Paul Wesley of “The Vampire Diaries” met Wentworth according to his sister.
~Elsewhere Jason Momoa was hanging out with Arrow, Flash and Gotham stars.
*David Ramsey, Stephen Amell and Brandon Routh
Jason captioned this “Two Iowa Boys
*Everyone’s not built the same in Iowa, obviously.
Brandon in the background, Cory Michel Smith of Gotham, Candice Patton of Flash and Caity Loitz of Flash and Legends of Tomorrow
~Appropos of nothing Halle Berry and Jeffrey Dean Morgan. I can get behind this.
~Hey now former child actor from “Harry Potter”,THOT Matthew Lewis
Too bad his armpits aren’t as hairy
~TV awards season is approaching so Q&As have been popping up. There was a “Gotham” and Andre Holland of “The Knick” Q&A on the same night. I chose Andre.
He’s so engaging. So warm. If there is ever a Prince biopic this dude should be the one to win the role. Small guy. BIG HEART.
Here’s the Q&A
Bits from It:
*He’s a theatrephile. His mother got him involved in theater to stay out of trouble since he grew up in a rough and tumble neighborhood. His mother was able to pay for one year at Florida State University so he took every theater course he could in the first year thinking he wouldn’t be able to continue due to not having the money. He ended up getting a scholarship.
*Became an R.A and went to Europe to work for the college by scheduling events for the students. He essentially just took them to every play he wanted to see.
*He was in South America when he the call about auditioning for “The Knick”. He had to grab a maid to do the scene with him on his iPod but her accent was too thick. He hung out in the hotel lobby until he overheard a British couple and asked them to come to his room and help him record the audition.
*They shoot “The Knick” all at once to the extent that they can start out doing episode 5 in the morning and in the afternoon shoot a scene from episode 7.
*Steven Soderbergh edits his own material and knocks it out in a day.
~He knew someone in the audience so he stuck around a bit afterwards inside the room to speak to them. I exited thinking he’d be out shortly. I think more people stayed behind to talk to him inside because when I got outside there was no one waiting. When Andre did come out it was with the staffers from the event so now I feel like Mark David Chapman waiting for John Lennon.
As I was approaching him he was trying to convince the staff that he didn’t need them to walk him to where the car was waiting for him (they came out the back of the building but the car was in the front). He said, “It’s right through there, right? (pointing to the lobby). I can see the doors right there (trying to explain that he can see it’s a straight shot). But they weren’t having it. So here I come…the lone person waiting like a nutter asking for a picture. I told him how much of a fan I am of “The Knick”, how when I saw him in “42” I knew he would go far (which was the absolute truth). I asked him for a picture. He suggested we take one together, I tried to convince him it was okay and the handlers swooped in and said that they would take the picture. He asked me my name, I told him. He shook my hand and we took the picture.
They took it lengthwise which I hate!
I thanked him, he thanked me and we bit our goodbyes.
I was trying to rush so I didn’t have a chance to ask him what I was dying to ask him, which was since he’s a huge theater fan if he had ever met Juliet Rylance’s stepfather Mark. I found two interviews where he discussed how big a fan of Rylance he is.