The Tomorrow War (2021) Review
Directed by: Chris McKay
Starring: Chris Pratt, Yvonne Strahovski, J.K. Simmons, Betty Gilpin, Sam Richardson, Edwin Hodge, Jasmine Mathews, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, Keith Powers
Synopsis: In The Tomorrow War, the world is stunned when a group of time travelers arrive from the year 2051 to deliver an urgent message: Thirty years in the future mankind is losing a global war against a deadly alien species. The only hope for survival is for soldiers and civilians from the present to be transported to the future and join the fight. Among those recruited is high school teacher and family man Dan Forester (Chris Pratt). Determined to save the world for his young daughter, Dan teams up with a brilliant scientist (Yvonne Strahovski) and his estranged father (J.K. Simmons) in a desperate quest to rewrite the fate of the planet.
Review: Chris Pratt stars as Dan Forester, a father on a mission to save the world from human extinction. He is drafted in a war against man-eating aliens, thirty years in the future. The people from 2051 are being defeated in this catastrophic attack on Earth, and their only option is to draft people from the past.
It is not too often that we are graced with big-budget sci-fi actioners, with aliens at the forefront. The Tomorrow War hits all the high notes and the budget is well spent; the CGI and special effects are slick, and the monsters are hellishly formidable. The first close encounter with these aliens is in a stairwell which is intense and will have your adrenaline pumping. Chris Pratt and Edwin Hodge (Dorian, another draftee) steal the opening scene; they prove to be quite a match for these alien invaders, who run in packs and communicate with high-pitched, bone-chilling shrieks. The finale is set in cold Icelandic glaciers, with an epic sniper scene and heroic attack on the aliens hive.
The Tomorrow War is action-packed and although a PG-13, it has plenty of content for the R-rated fans to enjoy — just with lesser graphic details. It centres around Forester’s strained relationship with his father, an ex-veteran, played by the very muscular and badass, JK Simmons. Yvonne Strahovski stars as the hard-nosed scientist in the fight against these extra-terrestrial creatures, and her character arc is profoundly emotional.
Overall, The Tomorrow War brings it all to the table; it is a thrilling, horror-sci-fi hybrid, with tense action sequences. It is intensified because we soon realise that every character is expendable, and the odds are against our heroes. Chris Pratt is on fine form and brings his natural charm and charisma to this badass character. The Tomorrow War is not to be missed — it deserves a solid 4/5 stars.
