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After time travellers from 2051 arrive in 2022 to request assistance in a losing war against a deadly alien species, their only hope is… Chris Pratt. The Tomorrow War is the latest film to jump from theatrical release to streaming. Amazon Studios picked up the distribution rights from Paramount Pictures, which isn’t surprising…
Suspend All Belief
The film is essentially just soldiers running around for over an hour fighting aliens. They do so in a way that reminded me of the PlayStation’s Resistance: Fall of Man series. It’s as cookie-cutter as it comes to action movies involving aliens. Still, The Tomorrow War has some originality by having the alien invasion taking place in the future, with soldiers having to be drafted from the past. And that is as much of the plot as I will say as there is more to it. However, the film is largely just humans shooting aliens who seem impossible to kill.
As with most films, you must suspend all belief. Although, The Tomorrow War makes it incredibly easy from the beginning when you find out that Chris Pratt is playing a scientist. His character Dan Forester is basically a buffer and much taller version of most Tom Cruise characters. There is really nothing about his performance to praise, but also nothing to complain about. He’s fine. But that’s the issue at whole with the film — the whole cast is just okay. There aren’t any memorable performances except those from Pratt, Yvonne Strahovski, and J.K. Simmons. I only found them memorable because I know them from other films.
Running, jumping, and falling – Oh my!
The saving grace of The Tomorrow War is the budget it has been given. It does all the hallmarks of a typical Michael Bay film. I’m talking about guns, explosions, monsters, and so much running and jumping. You will wonder why no one is sweating.
The visual effects are quite good with Chris Pratt’s arrival in the future a little exciting. Athough, the moment doesn’t last very long. The aliens look pretty realistic, but they’re a little reminiscent of the aliens from A Quiet Place. The stunts are also pretty well done, even if they are mostly running, jumping, and falling. It all seems to work well for the movie because it has very little substance. However, it isn’t the sort of film that needs it because that isn’t what most people will tune in for — it’s the action, the stars, and the effects.
If you are looking for that, then The Tomorrow War is for you. At the end of the day, despite not being a good movie, it’s fun! I enjoyed it because you can simply switch off your mind and just watch it without having to think your way through it. Even the time-travel was easy to understand because the writers haven’t made it complicated for us viewers.
The Director’s Chair
The only thing this Michael Bay-type film is missing is Bay himself because it’s Chris McKay that sits behind the director’s chair. (Bay actually has nothing to do with it.) After directing The LEGO Movie and producing its sequels, this is McKay’s first live-action feature. While he certainly did the job he was hired to do, it does make me worried for Nightwing. Special effects can only get you so far. Plus, with a character as beloved as Nightwing, he will have the wrath of the fanboys to deal with if he doesn’t deliver a stellar movie.
It’s honestly not surprising that Paramount sold The Tomorrow War to Amazon. The movie has the feel of one of those straight-to-DVD/TV alien invasion movies that Apple TV has on perpetual offer, albeit just with a bigger budget. It seems clear that Paramount Pictures saw this too and were so willing to sacrifice it by putting it up for sale. Also, it’s quite telling how they feel about the result since they didn’t even want to save it for their recently launched streaming service, Paramount+.
The Tomorrow War is a fun ride because, while it never gets boring, it is very much a run-of-the-mill schlockbuster that is mostly forgettable. Still, at the end of the day and in times like this, that’s what many people are looking for — some mindless entertainment. It will be available to stream for free on Amazon Prime Video from Friday, 2nd July.
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