It is a rare delight to attend a summer blockbuster with an original. In a world of franchises and reboots, “Tomorrowland” is a refreshing spectacle.

“I loved that idea that the dreamers get together away from the politics that brought them together, and ask, what do we actually think?” director Brad Bird said in an interview with Wired.

Named after the titular park in Disneyland, this film explores innovation and optimism in a visually stunning if at times convoluted story.

“Tomorrowland” was directed by Brad Bird who has also directed such films as “The Iron Giant”, “The Incredibles”, “Ratatouille”, and “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol”.

With a background in animation, Bird excels at creating engaging and colorful worlds. He truly is a master of the visual medium with an eye for active pace.

Where the film arguably falls short is its story. It can be confusing at times and has symbolism and foreshadowing as subtle as a swift blow to the face with a hammer.

A prime example of this is a scene where children are playing with a cootie catcher and instead of a fortune it says “we are the future.” Again, subtle as a hammer strike to the face.

While he might not be solely responsible for this, I largely chalk the story problems up to co-writer Damon Lindelof. He is notorious for confusing stories as CollegeHumor once humorously pointed out.

For those who have watched his other works like “Lost”, “Cowboys and Aliens”, “Prometheus”, and “World War Z”, his patterns will immediately show themselves in this film.

“The downside of having all this time to build the world is that you need to pack all that stuff into a two-hour story… you make a lot of mistakes…and you forget what it is you’re trying to say,” Lindelof told Wired.

“Tomorrowland” is a deeply conflicting movie. While visually stunning and portraying engaging and original ideas, the story is ham-fisted and confusing. Critics agree as reviews are split down the middle.

“Although ‘Tomorrowland’ never runs out of objects or ideas, its supply of dramatic fuel soon leaks,” critic Anthony Lane of the New Yorker remarked.

It is hard to know who will like this movie and what they will like or dislike about it. I highly recommend seeing it to form an opinion for yourself.