The Tomorrow War Review: A Sci-Fi Blast To Watch

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.

The Tomorrow War Trailer:

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The Good in The Tomorrow War:

One of the best highlights to look forward to in The Tomorrow War is the high-octane action sequences. The big budget stunts and explosions were money well spent. Every single one of them brought on some in your face thrills that are simply captivating. Much of that was supported by some uniquely innovative cinematography. You’ll notice it in the very first mission as the camera will shift into a first-person view that will make you feel like you’re right in the thick of things as the alien threats attack. Those aliens were certainly terrifying, and it was exciting to learn how they continuously pose such a huge problem for humanity.

Moreover, the action scenes perfectly worked thanks to some efficient pacing of the story. I was surprised to notice that The Tomorrow War was almost 2.5 hours long because it never felt long at all. That’s primarily since the film has some efficient pacing. While watching, each of the missions felt like a mini movie in themselves. So when one mission was over, it felt like a treat to jump right into the next. It certainly helped that the missions got bigger and bigger, and pushed the plot even more.

Speaking of which, the story for The Tomorrow War was more intriguing than I anticipated. Director Chris McKay made a brilliant move in revealing many of the plot reveals early on. It was refreshing to see that because normally in time travel movies, those same plot reveals would be the major twist at the end of the film. This was refreshing many of the typical plot points we see in time travel movies throughout the film.

It should also be mentioned that the cast provides some solid performances here. Chris Pratt is the real deal action star and The Tomorrow War proves it. While he can certainly deliver in the intense fight scenes, it manages to slip in a bit of sentimental drama to keep his character relatable and well rounded.

The Bad in The Tomorrow War:

To my dismay, The Tomorrow War was doing so well until it got to the end. It wasn’t terrible, but the ending got way cheesier than it needed to be. It was a sad departure from the previously established tone that was set for most of the film. The final scene with Chris Pratt just got a bit unrealistic and almost felt like it was treading into B-movie territory. Thankfully this was only for the last 10-15 mins of the movie, so it didn’t ruin it the entire film.

The only other knock against The Tomorrow War is the inclusion of too much comedy. The humor is fine in some situations, but the timing of it is misplaced in several scenes. If the end of the entire world is at stake, and lives are on the line, that is not the best time to crack jokes. It robs you of the sense of urgency that the film itself takes so much time to build up. Not to mention that it also felt unnatural overall. It was just a strange flow of tone to go from really serious to cheesy jokes as a follow up.

The Verdict for The Tomorrow War:

The Tomorrow War is an action-packed blast to watch from beginning to end. This movie did time travel in an easy to consume manner for any fan to enjoy and not feel overwhelmed. The original concept explored in this film does create some desire for a sequel or even a TV series. There’s a lot of potential this could have, even though The Tomorrow War works just fine as a standalone film too. If you’re a fan of the Alien movie franchise or Independence Day then The Tomorrow War will be right up your alley. Be sure to check out The Tomorrow War on Amazon Prime Video.

Director: Chris McKay
Writers: Zach Dean
Stars: Chris Pratt, Yvonne Strahovski, J.K. Simmons
The Tomorrow War will be on Amazon Prime Video July 2, 2021. Be sure to follow E-Man’s Movie Reviews on Facebook, Subscribe on YouTube, or follow me on Twitter/IG @EmansReviews for even more movie news and reviews!