TV Show Review: Walt Disney Treasures - Tomorrowland

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Unique collection of gems from the Disney vault for fans.

Cons: Outdated science and dry spells

The Bottom Line:

A bit uneven

But there is some good stuff here

Though some outdated

50's Science - Still Entertaining Even If Parts are Outdated

Walt Disney was a visionary. You need only look at his legacy in so many different fields to see that. The Tomorrowland entry in the Walt Disney Treasures series is a smaller example of that.

When it came time to fill the Tomorrowland episodes of his Disneyland TV show, Walt decided to use it to get the country excited about exploring space. Using scientists and some imagination, he did just that. And those episodes make up the first disc of this two-disc set. Preserved here, we get three episodes of the show from 1955 slowly working our way outward from earth. "Man in Space" presents the basics of space travel. "Man and the Moon" presents some new equipment like space suits and a space station, as well as an idea of what our first trip around the moon might be like. Finally, "Mars and Beyond" talks about what it would take to visit our nearest neighbor.

The second disc continues the science theme, but stays a little closer to home. "Eyes in Outer Space" does talk about satellites and their future ability to predict and possibly even control the weather. "Our Friend the Atom" goes into great detail on the history of atomic science, how we get atomic power, and what we can gain from it. Finally, "EPCOT," filmed just two months before Disney's death, presents his initial concept for the city of EPCOT. If they ever do truly create this city, I want to live there!

With all the advancement we've had in science in the last 50 years, it's amazing how well some of this stuff holds up. Obviously, there were things Disney got wrong since we were still 14 years from Neil Armstrong and didn't yet know the horrid downside of atomic energy. Still, they manage to educate with some entertainment. There were times they felt a little dry and I found myself looking at the clock, but they are definitely better then a text book.

These DVD's are just as great as other Treasures sets have been. The picture and sound are fine. Nothing spectacular, but considering they're 50 years old, they hold up impressively well. The second disc bonus materials include an interview with Disney friend and sci-fi author Ray Bradbury about Disney the "Optimistic Futurist." Next is an interview with Marty Sklar, an Imagineer who started his career in 1954. Finally, we get the usual behind the scenes and promo galleries with some comments from Leonard Maltin. And look for the Easter egg. It's a fun find!

Like several of the other Disney Treasures sets, Disney fanatics or those with an interest in the subject will best appreciate it. Still, for those groups, Tomorrowland is a gold mine.