The Tomorrow War (2021)

Streaming Services: Amazon Prime Video
Movie Name/Year: The Tomorrow War (2021)
Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Length: 140 minutes
Rating: PG-13
Production/Distribution: Skydance Media, Lit Entertainment Group, New Republic Pictures, Phantom Four Films, Amazon Studios, Paramount Pictures International, United International Pictures (UIP), Universal Pictures International (UPI), Amazon Prime Video
Director: Chris McKay
Writer:  Zach Dean
Actors: Chris Pratt, Yvonne Strahovski, J.K. Simmons, Betty Gilpin, Sam Richardson, Jasmine Mathews, Edwin Hodge, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, Keith Powers, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Mike Mitchell, Jared Shaw, Alexis Louder, Rose Bianco, Seychelle Gabriel
 
Blurb from IMDb: A family man is drafted to fight in a future war where the fate of humanity relies on his ability to confront the past.
 

Selina’s Point of View:
More of this please.
 
Normally, my attention drifts when I watch movies. The post-it notes on my monitor draw my eye, my phone will vibrate, I’ll need a drink, I’ll have to fix the temp in my office… really, anything will make me look away for a couple of seconds here or there. I find myself rewinding films a lot in order to ensure I don’t miss anything.
 
Not with The Tomorrow War.
 
The Tomorrow World hooked me from the beginning. It had some cute bits of character development at first. Not too much exposition, just enough so that the audience knows what’s happening. Then it drops us into the action, and horrors, of war.
 
I was shocked at how good the aliens looked.
 
The kind of CGI needed for creatures, like the ones showcased in this flick, is incredibly difficult to get right. It’s so easy for the aliens to come out campy, or unbelievable. When it’s done wrong, it becomes difficult to take the film seriously. Not an issue with The Tomorrow War. The graphics were all gorgeous, but especially the creatures.
 

The fight scenes were intense, but pretty much every moment worked well for creating tension. It was brutal, emotional, and – in a lot of ways – realistic. Instead of throwing civilians into a war and showing them immediately knowing how to kick ass and take names, the script gives us some gems of realism. I definitely thought most characters had reasonable reactions to the situation they were in.
 
I was impressed by the acting, the directing, and the writing. Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy, Jurassic World, The Magnificent Seven) really made me believe in his dedicated father, ex-military character – just as much as J.K. Simmons (Invincible, Palm Springs, Klaus) made me believe in his deadbeat-dad. Yvonne Strahovski (The Handmaid’s Tale, Angel of Mine, Stateless) was bad ass, while Betty Gilpin (The Hunt, Stuber, The Grudge) brought across the desperation of a wife scared to lose the person she loves. Sam Richardson’s (The Good Boys, Hooking Up, Marvel's M.O.D.O.K.) mostly comic relief scientist was played beautifully, while my heart broke for the jaded and traumatized soldier played by Edwin Hodge (Mayans M.C., Bumblebee, Six).
 
This is the kind of film I would watch for fun, not just for the blog.
 
I’m well aware of the reception.
 
Let me urge you, once more, to compare the scores from critics with the scores from general audiences. There is a HUGE discrepancy – and it’s the same on every review site that tracks both. Critics are giving The Tomorrow War awful reviews – but the general audience (which is the majority of people who watch movies) is loving it. NEVER take the critic reviews over those of people actually paying for their tickets. (This film may not have released in theaters, due to Covid-19, but I would have paid for it if I could have.)
 
If you have access to Amazon Prime Video, definitely watch this one. It’s long, but the time passes SO quickly.
 

Cat’s Point of View:
I do not regret listing The Tomorrow War as my #2 on July’s Top 20 Movies to Look Out For. If Black Widow (2021) weren’t releasing this month, it could have easily been #1. I can only hope that all of the movies that I’m looking forward to in July have the same amazing payout.
 
The graphics were consistently good throughout and the acting was stellar – even the minor supporting roles. Those that got airtime made the most of every second. 

This was a solid sci-fi offering and probably one of the best I’ve seen in a long time. It’s got crazy scary creatures and time travel surrounding a story about family, forgiveness, and perseverance. There are even splashes of comedy here and there to take just a little of the edge off – and it was seriously appreciated in a few places. I swear there was a moment that my heart was about to leap from my chest but one comedic element had myself and my daughter laughing unexpectedly.
 
I know I always try to find the positive in a movie and highlight it, even when the rest of it is a stinker – no such thing here. I can’t think of a single thing wrong, really. If there were flaws, I apparently was quite happy to look over them because the rest of The Tomorrow War had me so enthralled.
 

There are so many kudos to pass around here. I’m not even sure where to start. Let’s go from the top down. Chris Pratt picked an awesome movie to be his first as an Executive Producer. Chris McKay (Titan Maximum, Robot Chicken: Star Wars III, The Lego Batman Movie) doesn’t have a lot of film credits so far, but his direction of this film was a great addition. It makes me excited to see what he’s going to do with the projects he’s slated to work on in the near future.
 
Can we pause for a moment, though, and consider that The Tomorrow War is only the 3rd cinematic screenplay that Zach Dean (Deadfall, 24 Hours to Live) has credited on IMDb? Just the 3rd. I want to watch his previous 2 now, and can’t wait to see what he does as his career takes off. (No pressure or anything man, sorry.)
 
My appreciation for Sam Richardson’s character, Charlie, from the trailers has only expanded a thousand-fold now that the final credits have rolled. He is a gem and without him, this film would have been entirely different.
 
The Tomorrow War is bloody brilliant, and it’s free to Amazon Prime subscribers. If you’re looking for a great and exciting movie for this weekend – or anytime, really. Check it out!
 

Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score – 53%
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score – 81%
Metascore – 44/100
Metacritic User Score – 6.6/10
IMDB Score – 6.9/10
 
Trust the Dice: Selina’s Rating – 5/5
Trust the Dice: Cat’s Rating – 5/5
 
Movie Trailer: