The structure of a plot is one thing, the cohesion of an idea is quite another. Plot should enclose and ensconce its ideas and give them fertile ground in which to grow. Too much or too little rigidity encasing a narrative often times ends up exposing it to too little or too much light, a common threat to ideas.

I didn’t quite know what I should expect from “Tomorrowland.” I am happy to report that movie-goers won’t be sorry for their selection, even if they leave the theatre with a dent in their hats from the movie’s well-meaning, but overbearing theme. Film’s beating audiences to death with their messages has been done in the past; but regardless of “Tomorrowland’s” lack of subtlety, it’s message is worth hearing.

I wish that “Tomorrowland’s” execution had been smoother. The plot structure is rough around the edges, to say the least. You could even say that it’s outright confusing in some places, and it’s not even a difficult structure. For example, two of the male child actors in this film are nearly identical and they arrive on screen back-to-back. If I had a lifetime to examine them side-by-side, I would probably still get them mixed up. That’s poor casting of a dangerous sort that mislead me down a rabbit hole that I wasn’t supposed to exist.

With the exception of the confusing children, the cast of “Tomorrowland” is strong, even if no one gives a particular stellar performance. Britt Robertson, of “The Longest Ride” fame, is a rising star who will hopefully get better gigs after sharing the screen with George Clooney and the wonderful Hugh Laurie, who played Dr. House on “House M.D.” For the good of the industry, Laurie definitely needs to spend his tomorrows being a mainstream character actor.

At the end of the day, I liked “Tomorrowland,” and will always love the core concept and philosophy behind its message of dreaming, hoping and working for a better tomorrow. We, all of us, need to take care of each other and our planet. As a rule, we humans like to wait for our enemies to take concrete forms before we launch ourselves into the fight. That paradigm is certainly handy in the case of bears or terrorist threats. On the other hand, it’s about time that we start working on helping our planet before the entire thing catches on fire. Waiting for this one to be concrete may well be too late for you and I. If “Tomorrowland” can jolt some additional minds into caring about the world, then I am perfectly happy to have endured the clunky movie that surrounded the message.

4 of 6 stars