Parents' Guide to

Tomorrowland

By Sandie Angulo Chen, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

Visually exciting sci-fi adventure has unexpected violence.

Movie PG 2015 130 minutes
Tomorrowland Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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age 11+

Based on 42 parent reviews

mommee1
mommee1 Parent of 8-year-old
September 18, 2021
age 13+

NOT a "feel good" movie

Violent, depressing and sad. Not fun either. I should have thought to myself..am I okay with a doomsday, end of the world scenario movie for my kid? Any positive messages were drown out by negativity. Definitely not feeling great for letting my 7yo watch it. He of course didn't want to turn it off..yet also seemed to temporarily lose interest at certain points. I think I need to go watch a comedy now to cleanse my pallet. Oh, Also, the girl main character beats a human looking robot in the head repeatedly in self defense and then in rage. Until stopped. Just no thanks on this.

This title has:

Too much violence
schemansky
schemansky Adult
December 31, 2020
age 17+

Terrible! The graphics are horrific.

There is NO reason this should be PG due to intense and graphic violent scenes. Traumatic for children to watch. Avoid this one as this should have been rated R.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much consumerism
See all 42 parent reviews

What's the Story?

TOMORROWLAND is a sci-fi adventure that starts with curmudgeonly Frank Walker (George Clooney) discussing how the future was different when he was a kid. In a flashback to the 1964 New York World's Fair, a young Frank (Thomas Robinson) enters a competition for inventors with his homemade jet pack; the head judge (Hugh Laurie) isn't overly impressed, but a mysterious young girl named Athena (Raffey Cassidy) appreciates Frank's enthusiasm and gives him a magical "T" pin that unlocks the gateway to Tomorrowland. Fifty years later, in the present, Casey Newton (Britt Robertson) is the brilliant, optimistic daughter of a soon-to-be-unemployed NASA engineer (Tim McGraw). Athena (still looking like a little girl) secretly leaves Casey the same kind of "T" pin she gave Frank so long ago. When Casey finds it, she's transported to a bright and shiny alternate dimension. Soon, thanks to Athena's involvement, Casey travels across the country to meet Frank; together they must find their way back to Tomorrowland so they can save the Earth's future.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (42):
Kids say (58):

Director Brad Bird delivers spectacular visuals and thrilling action sequences. Unfortunately, the unnecessarily convoluted plot, disturbingly casual violence, and heavy-handed messages make for an ultimately underwhelming experience. Considering the movie's hype and Bird's reputation (The Incredibles, The Iron Giant), Tomorrowland was expected to be one of 2015's best family films. And while kids are bound to enjoy the sci-fi spectacle aspects, some adults will wonder what the fuss is about, and cynics may well stand firm in their belief that it's basically a two-hour commercial for Disneyland/Disney World's Tomorrowland.

The movie offers undeniably positive messages: Dreamers have to stick together, ideas are worth fighting for, knowing how things work is important, and inventors must never give up on their innovations, because they can literally change the future. These are all worthy ideas that kids (and adults) should take to heart. But messages and eye-popping visuals aside, the story is missing an important layer of emotional depth. Casey barely thinks twice about abandoning her father and brother to go in search of answers about her mysterious "T" pin. The villains remain rather unexplained outside of the Agent Smith-like robots who can dematerialize innocent passersby, police officers, and pretty much anyone who gets in their way. And it takes way too long for everyone to make their way back to Tomorrowland. Still, despite the movie's many flaws, the performances (what a standout Cassidy is as Athena!) and action scenes will entertain viewers -- just not enough to claim a spot in the canon among the best Disney films.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the popularity of movies about the future. How does the future in Tomorrowland -- both the fantasy version and the more Earth-bound one -- compare to other movies that tackle the topic? What do you think the future will be like?

  • How much violence does the movie show? Do the deaths mean less because there's no blood? What's the impact of media violence on kids?

  • Are Casey and Frank role models? Both make dangerous choices (and in Casey's case, even illegal), but their goals are ultimately positive ones. Does that excuse everything they do?

  • What do you think about all of the movie's Disney references and themes? Would you have liked it as much without them? Does the movie make you want to visit Tomorrowland in Disneyland or Disneyworld? Do you think that was the intent?

Movie Details

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Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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