TAT WOLFEN

OUR TALE starts off promisingly enough, at New York’s World Fair of 1964 – or a beautiful reconstruction thereof, courtesy of Disney’s creative team.

Frank Walker is a young lad who’s invented a jet pack that will enable people to soar through the skies solo – when he gets it to work, that is. He still believes in his invention, enough to submit it to the boffins at the World Fair.

The film shows off a nice heritage element here, by affording us a glimpse at the “It’s a Small World” ride, which Walt Disney premiered at this World Fair before moving it on to Disneyland in Anaheim, California. (It was sponsored by Pepsi Cola, though no such signage is shown here. Reason: the movie plugs Coca-Cola later on…)

Then the film gets sci-fi on us, veers off into the future… and off the tracks. In the process, we’re exposed to the adult version of wee Frank, played by George Clooney, who sports his Serious Face throughout – to the degree that I wanted to slap it. Not that I’m given to acts of violence, but the slap reaction stemmed from (a) Clooney taking himself so seriously, and (b) a belief that only a physical shock of that nature could’ve brought some kind of animation to that glum visage.

This is director Brad Bird’s first liveaction feature, after a number of animated feature successes that include The Iron Giant and Ratatouille. I was left wondering whether he shouldn’t have remained in that domain…

What had the potential to be a thrilling sci-fi adventure ends up as a dire tract of hysterical eco-proselytising; a lecture with pretty pictures. Among the film’s other disappointments are its special effects, which look as if they were executed in the 1970s – or even ’60s.

I should’ve guessed the folks at Disney had laid an egg here. Normally, they’re publicising their movies for two years before they open, whereas this entry appeared on circuit almost on the sly.