The Tomorrow War

(Possible spoilers!) Chris McKay's film certainly doesn't escape comparison to the (for me) famed sci-fi film Edge of Tomorrow, with the makers of The Tomorrow War also taking a slight nod in the direction of The Thing and Prometheus. The film's biggest negatives are its overblown running time and the sometimes reprehensibly deadpan build-up of the plot, which goes hand-in-hand with a number of typically American scenes (kids and the next generation being the top, the heroism of ordinary people, the blatant political correctness within the cast, etc.). Yet, I'm willing to rise above these aspects to enjoy the decent load of action and a sci-fi level that definitely had potential, albeit slightly buried by the family-themed dialogue. I liked the look of the aliens, the locations, and one almost comic book-like shot that made me think of 300. If the editing had omitted the unnecessary "weeping scenes", which would have shortened the running time, I would have been comfortable with a higher rating. (07/04/2021)

The Tomorrow War tries to bring a flashy science fiction story with gritty action scenes, strong family drama and a heavy dose of explanatory scenes to the television screen, however, it does none of it consistently, originally or memorably. The next day, after watching it, the only thing that sticks in your mind is that it was fairly paced and sort of OK, if you can get past the rushedness and the many really stupid tropes. All in all, it is just a rehash of many things you have already seen in other movies where they were much more skillfully executed, (especially the recent Edge of Tomorrow, whose finale is blatantly copied in this movie), and is unfortunately just a superficial, big-budget TV movie. (07/04/2021)

Forget logic, enjoy the action! The Tomorrow War is a fine sci-fi caper with aliens (monsters). It is not another Edge of Tomorrow, but on the other hand, there hasn't been anything better since it (7 years I should point out!), and I'm not really going to count that Independence Day 2 crap, so I was able to enjoy the movie properly. I find it funny that someone here complains about waiting 50 minutes for the action, but they don’t skimp on the stars with a three-hour gay drama! The film manages to draw you in from the start, Chris Pratt is likeable, though I admit his acting was on the edge at times, Yvonne Strahovski is great, she's hot as hell, J.K. Simmons is traditionally excellent and it was nice to see Sam Richardson comedy relief throughout the film, though I could have imagined more room for him. The visuals are awesome, the monsters are absolutely amazing (I didn't expect we'd get competition so soon after Quiet Place). If the film had been R-rated, it could have been a regular monster horror film, the “Alien" finale was a nice indication of that. I liked the attack on the base the best though, it will probably remind many viewers of World War Z. So yeah definitely great fun, my only complaint is with the dramatic scenes, the emotions and the family, I just don't like that, if they left that out, there would be room for another action scene, which I would have preferred, But today's audiences can’t do without the mandatory drama, because unless there are tears flowing, it's as cold as a polar bear's ass in the Arctic. Story 3/5, Action 4/5, Humor 3/5, Violence NO, Fun 5/5 Music 4/5, Visuals 4/5, Atmosphere 4/5, Suspense 3/5 8/10. (07/03/2021)

Pure-blooded military sci-fi for dads and their daughters. An interesting story structure, where things don’t follow one after the other and the biggest punch up doesn’t come at the end; it works well and you don’t get bored. McKay successfully surfs on the waves of humor and pathos, but manages to shoot serious scenes too. Surprisingly the biggest strength of The Tomorrow War lies in the emotional sphere. The action is excellent, only at places it seems rather video-game like, but it’s mainly the small scenes which go against the pulse of today… about the traditional family values and about the fact that wanting more is bad for a relationship and can kill you… these scenes carry the whole thing along nicely. (07/02/2021)

The Tomorrow War is pure guyish pleasure, an enthusiastic B-movie packed with everything that we love about the action sci-fi genre. Human characters with sincere, emotionally charged relationships, unpredictable and richly escalating plot development, set in an attractive fantasy world, with delicately brisk action and well-made repulsive aliens. Cleverly written and directed with heart, cunningly hiding its art behind a false mask of cheap trashiness, this is the best Emmerich movie without Emmerich. (11/13/2021)