This summer, Disney wants to take you on a trip to the world of the future…only as imagined by the world the of 1960s. A shiny coat of chrome can”t hide the retro-future designs featured in the full-length trailer. So let George Clooney whisk you away to a magical place (not Tahiti) of yesterday's tomorrow where anything is possible.
This movie has actually piqued my interest by casting a science-minded teen girl as the female lead. However! I stand by my convictions that this whole thing is an elaborate ruse designed by Disney to give Imagineers solid footing to rebuild the floundering Tomorrowlands of Disneyland and Disney World around. Right now both are suffering from an identity crisis where the retro-future motif feels dated, leading to a mishmash of crumbling mid-20th century ideas of the future mixed with rides dedicated to Buzz Lightyear and Stitch.
The trailer lends credence to my theory by showcasing two..perhaps three…of the rides currently at Tomorrowland. All surrounded by pristine future architecture that looks astonishingly like the Future World infrastructure at Epcot…only lush with greenery instead of a concrete jungle. Good to know the designers of the future finally realized we need trees.
First up! Space Mountain, sitting bold as brass in the middle of the city. Off to the right are support beams that will look familiar to anyone who”s ever ridden the People Mover. Whether or not the movie buttresses are supporting a mass transit system is anyone”s guess.
Later on, George Clooney and Britt Robertson flee from villains in ye olde timey spaceship. The design is clearly modeled off the original Star Jets ride mixed with steampunk elements.
Disney isn”t exactly being subtle about their end game here. This Memorial Day, theme park fans might head to theaters to get a better idea of what the future holds in store for Tomorrowland.