The Tomorrow War is a 2021 science fiction action film directed by Chris McKay and written by Zach Dean. 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.
The cast includes Chris Pratt, Yvonne Strahovski, J.K. Simmons, Betty Gilpin, Sam Richardson, Edwin Hodge, Jasmine Mathews, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, and Keith Powers.
Originally set for theatrical release by Paramount Pictures, the film's distribution rights were acquired by Amazon due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and digitally released July 2nd, 2021 via Prime Video.
THE GOOD
Let me just get this out of the way now, The Tomorrow War met, and exceeded, my expectations. Funny, engaging, and thoroughly entertaining, this movie was just a blast to watch from start to finish. It had everything I wanted in this type of movie and the biggest thing for me was that it was never boring or slow. Edge of Tomorrow (2014) starring Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt is on my list of most entertaining movies within the sci-fi genre, and I really liked how this movie had some similarities. The cast, the overall scale, the special effects/CGI, it all works very well for The Tomorrow War. To be honest, I thought the trailers were mediocre which added to my moderate expectations, so if you are on the fence like I was just give it a chance, you will be very impressed.
Even though the technical side of things will likely steal the show for most people, my favorite part of this movie is no question the story. It is extremely heartfelt with some really cool twists that you likely won’t expect, which is great because it helps to really get viewers invested especially considering how crazy the movie is as a whole. I won’t give anything away, but it will absolutely appeal to families and the importance of unconditional love. But you can also rest assured that it is far from sappy.
Okay so the technical side of things, The Tomorrow War is basically a playground for sci-fi fans. It has some really cool/damn near impossible to kill aliens hell bent on wiping out humanity. It has a great time travel element that brings with it a focus on changing the future in an effort to impact the past, which is always fun. The score and soundtrack hit as hard as you can hope for, ensuring that the action stays at a 10 for the majority of the film. Bottom line, it all works.
I already mentioned that the storyline was my favorite aspect of The Tomorrow War, but it stands to reason that the cast is a close second. I mean, one can’t really work without the other, right? So yeah, Chris Pratt is amazing as usual and plays the hardened military vet turned family man perfectly. He takes on the role that many of our veterans know all too well, which is laying it on the line for your country only to find yourself struggling to make ends meet once back in society, especially when you are trying to raise a family.
Yvonne Strahovski was fantastic in her role, and gave me a Emily Blunt in Edge of Tomorrow vibe, which is a HUGE compliment. Both gorgeous and powerful women who mean business. Her chemistry with Pratt was genuine right from the start. Most people will recognize her from The Handmaid’s Tale, but she also played Dexter’s slightly maniacal girlfriend Hannah McKay in the hit Showtime series Dexter. She is a talented character actor and I expect great things for her future. I also really enjoyed Sam Richardson and J.K. Simmons in their respective supporting roles, both brought a ton of value to the film with Richardson providing the majority of the comic relief, of course.
THE BAD
I honestly have few issues with The Tomorrow War, especially considering I went into it with fairly moderate expectations. I will say that the CGI can seem a bit cheesy at times, but to be honest it was actually much better than I anticipated. Let’s not forget this was made on a moderate budget compared to other similar films. Also those of you who like to pick apart script and storyline will surely have some fun with this movie just because of the overall outlandish premise, but it is a movie after all and it’s primary job is to entertain us. So yeah, all things considered, I have few complaints that hold any real weight. I guess you can say that the stupid pandemic keeping this from hitting theaters is on the list of negatives.
THE VERDICT
Action-packed, funny, and surprisingly heartfelt, The Tomorrow War is a summer blockbuster that exceeds expectations. The film is anchored by a stellar cast and offers much more than you would generally expect from a sci-fi action thriller with a similar premise.
Bottom line, The Tomorrow War is much better than the trailer leads you to believe, and is well worth 2+ hours of your time. They are already talking about a sequel, and I say bring it on! And if you have yet to watch Edge of Tomorrow, I say you get on that ASAP.
TED TAKES RATING - 8/10
The Tomorrow War is now streaming on Prime Video. Check out the latest trailer below (BONUS trailer for Edge of Tomorrow starring Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt below as well).