PG Score: 8/10
The Tomorrow War was released on Amazon Prime on 7/21/21.
The Tomorrow War is an action sci-fi movie meant for the big screen but can certainly be enjoyed from the comfort of your home as evidenced by being the #1 streamed movie in the world.
Plot
Ex-military turned Science teacher, Dan Forester (Chris Pratt), is called back into action by future humans who are being overwhelmed by an alien invasion in the year 2051. Service time will last seven days but the survival rate is dauntingly low due to the strength and numbers of the Whitespikes that are eating humans. He will have to leave behind his wife (Betty Gilpin) and nine-year-old daughter, Muri (Ryan Kiera Armstrong).
Director Chris Mckay (LEGO Batman) drops the soldiers and audience right into the fray. Dan is accompanied by Charlie (Sam Richardson), who provides maybe a little too much comedy, and Dorian (Edwin Hodge), who is voluntarily serving for the third time. After a 'time jump' malfunction, the team is stranded atop a Miami highrise and guided out by Romeo Command (Yvonne Strahovski), who also has a task for the team. After a semi-successful mission, we learn that Romeo Command's intention is to develop and mass-produce a toxin that will eradicate the extraterrestrial invaders.
Visuals
The Tomorrow War maximizes its $200 million dollar budget with excellent visual effects and thrilling set pieces. The Whitespikes design is truly menacing and intensified by their haunting SFX. Whether they're taking place in a claustrophobic hallway or in an open environment, the fight scenes are pulse-pounding.
Balancing Themes
McKay employs the theme of troubled fathers and abandonment to balance out the alien combat. There are some impactful moments between Dan and his daughter as well as his father (J.K. Simmons) that give the characters more life. The film is packed with homages to prior sci-fi films like The Thing, Starship Troopers, and Predator which will give Easter Egg hunters some added fun.
Entertaining Throughout
At times, logic and reason are tossed out of the window due to the messy nature of time travel and the paradoxes that accompany it. Ultimately, The Tomorrow War is an exciting Summer action flick intent on pleasing audiences, and it succeeds in that regard. If you're looking for an entertaining movie, drop in with Chris Pratt and his squad for an action-packed adventure.