Womens obsidian ring6/23/2023 This other world, actually a distant planet, was like a new Earth free from the violent forces of our own planet, upon which Plus Ultra envisioned a fresh start. Second was the discovery of another world accessible via wormhole. Airplanes were turned into weapons of war, automobiles led to tanks, and atomic energy eventually became the ultimate destructive force on the planet. First was the realization that seemingly all of the inventions for which Plus Ultra was responsible were corrupted by corporate and governmental influence into tools for destruction or subjugation. Over the following years, two major things led to the creation of Tomorrowland. They named this group Plus Ultra, a play on the Latin phrase “non plus ultra,” loosely trasnlated “nothing further beyond” implying that we’d reached our limits as a species. ( Spoilers for the film and the book from here on.) It all starts at the 1889 World’s Fair in Paris, when four men, Thomas Edison, Nikola Tesla, Jules Verne, and Gustave Eiffel met at the top of the Eiffel Tower and conceived of an organization in which the world’s greatest thinkers, dreamers, and visionaries would work together for the advancement of the human race, free from government or corporate influence, with a focus on creations that would improve humanity. To really dive into Tomorrowland, and why it’s so special both to me personally and in the larger film landscape, we first have to take a look at the story of Tomorrowland, which begins long before the events of the film and spans the film, a novel, an app, interviews, and an alternate reality game. Tomorrowland may not be for everyone, but it could inspire anyone. My hope is not to convince you that Tomorrowland is the greatest thing ever, nor to make you feel what I felt, but simply that you might take a second look at a film you might otherwise have cast aside. It was the rare film that felt like it was made specifically for me, although I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels that way. Well Tomorrowland didn’t change my life, it confirmed it. People often talk about how a particular work of art, be it a movie, a book, or a song, changed their life. It wouldn’t be fair to the film or its creators to let it simply slide on by barely noticed and quickly dismissed, particularly when it has such potential to inspire and challenge our preconceptions.Īlso, on a personal level, Tomorrowland has been one of the most meaningful and fulfilling movies I have ever seen, quickly jumping to a spot on my all time favorites list. And while I had every intention of analyzing the film after I saw its first trailer, I felt further compelled to defend and dissect it when, upon leaving the theater after seeing it for the first time, I overheard a group of teenage boys talking about how it was the “worst thing they’d ever seen.” I don’t expect to change anyone’s mind with this, especially not an anonymous group of teenagers, but I feel like the passion and craftsmanship that went into Tomorrowland deserves an equal amount of passion and diligence in considering the film. Tomorrowland is a dense, fascinating work of art, with a story that expands far beyond the film and which contains a variety of ideas. But to continue on the path we’re currently following would be, as Casey Newton would put it, “feeding the wrong wolf.” And, unfortunately, judging by the film’s mediocre results at the box office they probably won’t again in the near future. Big motion picture companies don’t spend $190 million on an original science fiction film about how hope and the mere act of not giving up can save the world. So by all accounts, Tomorrowlandshouldn’t exist. Today, movies filled with darkness and despair are seen as more “real,” while optimistic movies are ridiculed as being juvenile or unrealistic, and happy endings are easily dismissed by many. But being an optimist is hard work, and is often ridiculed. I always have been, even through the roughest patches of my life.
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