Tag Archives: Brad Bird

TOMORROWLAND (2015): There Is Something I Liked…

Tomorrowland (2015), Britt Robertson, George Clooney, Raffey Cassidy
Tomorrowland (2015), Britt Robertson, George Clooney, Raffey Cassidy

When I saw the trailer for Academy Award winning director, Brad Bird’s latest sci-fi, Tomorrowland, I wasn’t particularly wowed/ hugely interested. That’s probably because it looked like a kids sci-fi, which it kind of is. Still, I was a little curious, especially with George Clooney as one of the stars.

The future of humanity, optimism and time travel are key themes in Tomorrowland. Its main character is an optimistic teenage science enthusiast played by Britt Robertson. Unfortunately, for reasons I’m not quite certain of, I found myself not really able to connect with Robertson’s protagonist. Not to say that the character’s positive outlook and general optimism didn’t sit well with me, or that it isn’t correct. It’s likely that the general story just didn’t provide the necessary elements required or provide them in the right way (if at all) in order for a connection to happen. It could also be that I’m simply not the target market.

I do have a favourite thing about Tomorrowland and that is the meaning behind the story about ‘feeding the wolf’. Beyond that, Bird’s film just feels like a long winded and not particularly well structured way of saying one thing about the importance of optimism and creativity, especially as it pertains to the future of our planet and everything in it.

Watch Tomorrowland if you absolutely must. However, if you’re just not that curious, the following is a SPOILER / quote of  the feeding the wolf story that I mentioned:

‘There are two wolves and they’re always fighting. One is darkness and despair. The other is light and hope. Which wolf wins…? Whichever one you feed’

Hugh Laurie, Raffey Cassidy, Keegan-Michael Key and Kathryn Hahn also star.

Happy Film Loving 🙂

G

RATATOUILLE (2007) Perfect Words For All With Big Dreams

Ratatouille (2007, Peter Sohn, Emile
Ratatouille (2007, Peter Sohn, Emile

I’m not even particularly passionate about cooking but Ratatouille is very much ‘up there’ as one of the best animated movies. Considering that it comes from the same family that created the Toy Story films, this should be no surprise.

Who can resist the beautiful tale of a rat with an all-consuming passion for cooking?

Now, I’m not suddenly saying that I like rats. I find the real life furry, long tailed beasts absolutely terrifying. But the magic of animation means that the most seemingly hideous beasts can be made to look more beautiful than anyone could’ve ever imagined.

Ratatouille (2007, Patton Oswalt, Remi
Ratatouille (2007, Patton Oswalt, Remi

As you can see from these pictures, there’s cuteness, definitely plenty of cuteness. Cuteness mixed in with comedy and the occasional action sequence, making for a super animated fantasy adventure.

Ratatouille is  an inspirational tale. The sort with the types of positive, encouraging and lifting messages I’m sure I’ll never tire of hearing.

Happy Ratatouille 🙂

G