Tomorrowland: a World Beyond

The Tomorrowland theme park at Disneyland was the jumping-off point for director Brad Bird when he came up with this hugely ambitious, totally beguiling, mind-bending trip. As well as being a fun rollercoaster ride, it's a call to action for kids to take ownership of the future or else inherit a troubled planet. Among them is science buff Casey (Britt Robertson) who has a vision of a Jetsons-style futuristic utopia, which may be an illusion, except that a little girl called Athena (Raffey Cassidy) claims she can take her there. She also introduces Casey to a bitter old inventor (a gruff George Clooney) who has had similar experiences. Bird peels away the layers of a complex story - taking in time travel, environmental issues and philosophical musings on the nature of reality - to reveal the bigger picture. The all-action finale (where Hugh Laurie plays a pivotal role) is a tad sketchy but getting to this place is a true voyage of discovery, with lots of retro-cool stylings and eye-popping set pieces (a rocket launching from the Eiffel Tower is mightily impressive). Enlightening stuff for older children and it's a blast, too.