All of mankind is drafted into fighting a future war with an alien race, thanks to the intervention of time travelers who travel back for reinforcements.
ACTION/SCI-FI
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The Tomorrow War (2021)Directed by Chris McKay
Written by Zach Dean Starring Chris Pratt, Yvonne Strahovski, J.K. Simmons, Betty Gilpin, Sam Richardson, Edwin Hodge, Jasmine Mathews |
I had such low expectations for this film that I very nearly skipped it. Seven movies in one weekend is a big haul, even for me. But I also consider it a personal challenge to nab all seven, which I'm definitely going to complete now, but I digress. The Tomorrow War is a far cry from the generic sci-fi, Edge of Tomorrow/A Quiet Place rip-off I expected. It's surprisingly smart, with a host of decent performances and a highly engaging story. Plus, the aliens are actually quite terrifying, drawing inspiration from The Thing, Cloverfield, Alien, and those two movies I mentioned above, among others.
I do want to point out my one gripe with the film, and that's how horrifically ineffectual the future military is in this film. Not only do they barely train an army of civilians, most of whom don't even know how to use a gun, to fight a horde of vicious aliens, but they also teleport them into the fucking sky, killing most of them. It's like they're not even trying to win the war. Now that that's out of the way, I enjoyed the unique dynamic between Chris Pratt and Yvonne Strahovski, but I wish we'd gotten more J.K. Simmons. It's just a bit at the beginning, and a bit more at the end. Simmons always brings gravitas to a film, and you can never have too much of him. The Tomorrow War raises some interesting questions. How would the modern world deal with the revelation of an impending war that requires mankind's cooperation and dedication? Would we stand together or shrug it off as someone else's problem? I sometimes think movies like this expect too much of humanity. We would absolutely shrug it off. Anyway, you could do worse when choosing background noise for your Fourth of July barbecue. And it's a pretty entertaining film. |
I can admit this was my least anticipated film to see this weekend. It has been a particularly packed weekend due to the holiday and this didn’t seem to standout form the pack. The trailer didn’t exactly wow me thanks to portraying what seemed like a generic sci-fi action flick with Chris Pratt doing the same thing he’s done since Guardians of the Galaxy. So, needless to say, I wasn’t in any real rush to see this. But, seeing as there is a podcast to be done and I had nothing better going on, I eventually got around to seeing it. And just like I can admit the marketing never caught my eye, I can also admit this film surprised me with how entertaining it ended up being. Plus, considering there has been nothing but films either meant for adults or children this weekend, this is a good one to gather the family around, take a break from some of the holiday festivities, and just enjoy.
You’re probably wondering how a film which doesn’t really break any molds from what’s come before it and has a more neutered rating surprised me so much. It’s easy, confidence. This is a confidently directed film which knows what it is and delivers exactly that. A film where we have to go forward in time to find out how to defeat the alien menace and save the human race. This confidence I’m speaking of is backed by some legitimately thrilling action scenes. From the hospital (after a neat sequence of them being teleported to the future), to the capturing of the Queen, and the offshore base attack; this is a film filled with genuinely exciting action scenes. I also have to give some credit to Chris Pratt. He actually drops some of his goofy schtick to deliver a more emotional performance. Especially in regard to a certain plot development which works pretty well. Is this a film which breathes uniqueness and originality? Most definitely not. Is this a competently made film which seems to have fun with its premise? Absolutely. The action scenes are fun like they should be, and Pratt seems to get out of his comfort zone a bit. Plus, it’s always nice to see J.K. Simmons pop up. For families who are looking for something which could please everyone this holiday weekend, can’t go wrong here. |