The Tomorrow War (2021) - SPOILER-FREE Review
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Directed by: Chris McKay
Written by: Zach Dean
Starring: Chris Pratt, Yvonne Strahovski, J. K. Simmons, Betty Gilpin
Runtime: 138 min
Synopsis: 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.
Of all the existent genres in cinema, disaster flicks are some of the films I find the most joy in watching. These movies are rarely original or inventive, but if the successful formulas are well-executed, they can become fan-favorite, entertainment-driven blockbusters with tremendous replay value. I never expect films such as The Tomorrow War to surprise me or do something creative with their storytelling. I simply wait for the generic developments and unavoidable cliches with hopes that they can just serve as companion pieces to the action sequences instead of becoming so heavy and repetitive, transforming the entire movie into a dull couple of hours.
With that said, Zach Dean puts a considerable amount of effort into his screenplay. Yes, it's still rather generic and based on a premise done better by dozens of other films. However, there's a surprising emotional attachment to the two main characters that I didn't see coming. Despite an exposition-heavy start, the dialogues are actually quite compelling, especially between Chris Pratt (Onward, Avengers: Endgame) and Yvonne Strahovski (The Handmaid’s Tale). Their characters receive an unusually complex treatment, which ultimately elevates their relationship. The Marvel actor is quite good as the protagonist, but Strahovski steals the show, offering a phenomenal performance, including a long monologue that goes down as one of the best line delivers of the year so far. Just an absolutely outstanding emotional range.
Until the beginning of the third act, I felt incredibly invested in the formulaic yet effective narrative. The latter might be packed with cliches, but the mission to save the world features enough mystery and intriguing questions to keep me captivated beyond the admittedly impressive action sequences. Chris McKay comes from The LEGO Movies franchise - directing The LEGO Batman Movie, producing and editing others - without ever working in a live-action feature movie as one of the main people responsible for its making, but he shows immense talent in this Amazon film.
Action-wise, every single sequence is remarkably directed by McKay. From the brutal depiction of people falling from the sky to the grand battle at the end of the second act, without forgetting a riveting staircase scene, every moment of action looks fantastic. Visually, this movie features one of the most gorgeous single shots of 2021, but it's the imaginative creature design that's hard to forget. Usually, CGI monsters are almost colorless, often hidden in the darkness where VFX imperfections are difficult to notice. The Tomorrow War not only boasts a unique look for its alien beasts, but it gives them an eye-opening white skin, showing literally everything with nowhere to hide.
The so-called Whitespikes feel extremely menacing and lethal, though the third act partially ruins what could have been a serious contender for one of the best "end of the world" films in recent memory. The Tomorrow War stretches its runtime to a point where the climax of the movie occurs with forty minutes still left to see. Usually, after this particular event, narration or flashforwards step in and finish the film, but Dean's screenplay still delves into an entire resolution act that's mostly unnecessary. Despite carrying a couple of tense action scenes and a still decent ending, it's miles away from what would have been an epic conclusion, consequently making the actual final minutes a bit underwhelming.
The last act is less interesting, less compelling, and it even raises a few logical questions when it tries to force a message about real-life governments. It also finds ridiculous ways of getting to an unknown location, which turns a sci-fi flick that was being surprisingly grounded into a more nonsensical, silly adventure. Sam Richardson (Promising Young Woman) portrays Charlie, a comic-relief character responsible for every single comedy bit in this movie. Unfortunately, the vast majority of jokes don't land, and a few of them really hurt the suspenseful atmosphere of certain sequences. J.K. Simmons (Zack Snyder’s Justice League, Palm Springs) looks incredibly badass, but his short screentime is nothing more than a marketing strategy to get more viewers since his subplot with Pratt is extremely underdeveloped.
Finally, this is more of a nitpick, but the film never really explores how time travel works in the reality established by the movie. As every film lover knows, when movies deal with time travel, questions like "affecting the past affects the current future or a new timeline's future?" are somewhat relevant to understand the plot. The Tomorrow War never explicitly explains how this sci-fi element truly works, but it becomes clearer as time goes by. Still, it takes a while to fully comprehend it, which might cause some initial confusion. Nevertheless, this is a film I'll probably rewatch countless times, which takes me to the possibility of it receiving a cult following.
Movies such as War of the Worlds, The Day After Tomorrow, and even The Edge of Tomorrow all gained thousands of fans across the years, and I firmly believe that Amazon managed to deliver a similar product. With all its flaws, this film has everything a blockbuster needs. Being available to watch in a streaming service only increases its already massive replay value, so it possesses all the attributes necessary to become a fan-favorite flick throughout the decade. It's a shame that it can't be seen on the big screen, but I'm happy that so many viewers will be able to watch it at home as many times as they wish. Huge praise to Lorne Balfe (Gemini Man, Mission: Impossible - Fallout) for yet another memorable score that elevates the overall picture.
Final Thoughts
The Tomorrow War is one of the biggest surprises of the year, boasting an impressively creative creature design, entertaining action sequences, and a contender for the most beautiful shot of 2021. Chris McKay demonstrates all of his undeniable talent behind the camera, delivering brilliantly directed action scenes featuring excellent camera work, a chill-inducing score, and exceptional VFX - the Whitespikes look stunningly scary. Zach Dean doesn't avoid the formulas and cliches of the genre, offering a generic story with no real surprises but still possessing remarkable character work. Chris Pratt is great as the protagonist, but Yvonne Strahovski is on a whole other level, delivering one of her best performances ever in a feature film. With an overextended runtime, the last act is mostly unnecessary and less exciting, ultimately making the ending a tad underwhelming compared to the epic conclusion of the second act. I wouldn't be surprised if it gains a cult following, though. Tremendous replay value. Highly recommend it.
