With “The Tomorrow War,” viewers get two or more films for the price of one. The highly anticipated blockbuster film features plenty of explosive action as a small crew of civilian soldiers and scientists fight giant lizard-like monsters in an attempt to save our planet 30 years in the future.
Long segments of the film involve family relationships for the film’s protagonist, Dan (Chris Pratt), who’s estranged from his off-the-grid father Slade (J.K. Simmons). Frustrated in his efforts to land an important scientific research project, Dan is stuck teaching high school biology classes. His normally happy home life with wife Emmy (Betty Gilpin) and young daughter Muri (Ryan Kiera Armstrong) is interrupted when time travelers from 2051 appear on their TV screen. They’re pleading for help in fighting a seemingly invincible alien invasion by the White Spikes that is destroying earth in 30 years.
The Tomorrow War in 2051
Most countries agree to send military help to help save the planet, but after a year these forces are so depleted they start drafting civilians. As a former Special Forces member who served several tours in Iraq, Dan is drafted into the Tomorrow War. He becomes close to fellow recruits Charlie (Sam Richardson) and Dorian (Edwin Hodge), and the trio narrowly escape many close encounters with the terrifying White Spikes. Charlie provides the few humorous moments in these tense situations, with the kind of funny one-liners that Pratt so glibly handled in “Guardians of the Galaxy.”
Dan assists a brilliant scientist and Tomorrow War commander (Yvonne Strahovski) in trying to find a toxin that can destroy the alien creatures. He’s tasked with taking the potion back to earth after his deployment, and enlists his two teammates to help find and destroy the alien invaders before they hatch. He also needs his father’s help, since Slade has the equipment—including a jet plane—to assist their search.
The last segment of the film is devoted to trying to find and destroy the alien creatures before they can take over the earth. It also tries to tie up loose ends for Dan, especially in mending his family relationships.
“The Tomorrow War” started streaming on Amazon Prime July 1. It runs 2 hours and 20 minutes, which is overlong for an action film, but I didn’t mind the length since it’s really two films in one. The film is rated PG-13 for suggestive references/action/language/intense Sci-Fi violence. Directed by Chris McKay, written by Zach Dean, and produced by Jules Daly, Davis Ellison, Dana Goldberg, David S. Goyer, Don Granger and Adam Kolbrenner. Production by Skydance Media, Phantom Four Films and Lit Entertainment Group.
