The Tomorrow War is a different take on an alien invasion premise, which does help give it a slightly fresher appeal that lasts until a few moments before things start to feel cliche. This premise also helps set up the final third of the movie with a twist covered by one blink and you’ll miss it climate change theme. Do not expect to be blown away by this film as this is one of those better watched on the big screen for the effects, but it filled two and half hours without feeling too long.
Despite the interesting premise, it seems more like a less creative recycle of things from other Science Fiction films. The majority of the runtime involves chasing and attempting to kill some large, nubile monsters that otherwise seem completely incapable of interstellar travel or advance civilization. There is little time for character development, and as a result, you care very much about what happened to them. Chris Pratt’s character is given a good arc but not the rest. His daughter, played by Yvonne Strahovski, and his relationship is the best part of the film. But the thing is, she arrives too late and leaves too early to have a greater impact. In fact, the story itself should’ve focused on that point. I honestly thought that it was the climax when Pratt’s character returned to the present with the virus but it wasn’t. Of course, the plot point they follow is important but it never felt organic fitting it with what we already had. It could’ve been used for a sequel. That would’ve fitted the purpose better as what we get in the final act is nothing but popcorn scenes.
A lot of things seem coincidental and you will feel that anytime something weird is mentioned, it will pop up later. There are times when things are subtle and then there are times of bonking people on the head. This film has impressive production quality, but all those expenses for the special effects were probably wasted since this film will be instantly forgotten because of no cinema release.
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Overall, you might be surprised to actually enjoy this film. I did for most parts. It’s not a masterpiece and probably won’t be remembered in years to come. Regardless, despite some action sequences and sloppy script, it can be engaging at times and is carried by a very good cast although, it’s a real shame that the supporting cast did not get more screenplay and character development. It is a decent dumb action sci-fi film, but at the same time, it’s frustrating because there’s a lot more potential and with additional thoughts and efforts in the writing, this could’ve been a classic.
K- Score: 63%
STW: 16/30, D: 15/25, E: 3/5, C: 6/8, PVD: 10/12, A: 6/10, S: 7/10
