The Tomorrow War
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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. Determined to save the world for his young daughter, Dan teams up with a brilliant scientist and his estranged father in a desperate quest to rewrite the fate of the planet.
What critics thought
DivisiveCritics landed squarely in mixed territory on this one, with the central argument being whether a clever premise and committed cast can overcome a bloated, derivative script — most concluded they couldn't quite. The film's pacing, length, and heavy debt to better genre predecessors drew consistent fire, while its creature design and popcorn energy earned it a minority of genuine defenders.
“The Tomorrow War is an earnest effort to bring something new to the time-travel action genre, but this movie is a 2021 vehicle made of parts from the 2010s and the 1990s and 1980s.”
Richard Roeper·Chicago Sun-Times
“The creature design is first-rate – the aliens are ravenous, rapid, and equipped with a pair of death tentacles. And Pratt, and in particular Betty Gilpin as his wife, give likable, grounded performances. But the screenplay is a bloated, unwieldy thing that is at least 30 minutes longer than it should be.”
Wendy Ide·The Observer
“It is a fool's errand to imagine what someone like Verhoeven would have done with The Tomorrow War's material – this is a movie made for the express purposes of delivering some lazy woo-hoo summer fun, not any kind of sneaky subversiveness. But if I had a time machine, I'd punt myself to the past just before The Tomorrow War went into production, and save everyone the trouble.”
Barry Hertz·The Globe and Mail
“Yet it would probably be a mistake to emphasize the relationship aspect of The Tomorrow War too much. At its core, this is just a really good monster movie. All the same, there's a touch of beauty to it.”
Mick LaSalle·San Francisco Chronicle
“The Tomorrow War has got a trashy popcorn vibe to it that it wholeheartedly embraces, and a cornball machismo that you can't help but get taken in by, even if just for a second.”
Hoai-Tran Bui·/Film
Genres
Action, Adventure, Drama
Cast & Crew
Chris McKayDirector
Chris PrattDan Forester
Yvonne StrahovskiColonel Muri Forester
J.K. SimmonsJames Forester
Betty GilpinEmmy Forester
Sam RichardsonCharlie
Edwin HodgeDorian
Jasmine MathewsLt. Hart
Ryan Kiera ArmstrongYoung Muri Forester
Keith PowersMajor Greenwood
Mary Lynn RajskubNorah
Mike MitchellCowan
Jared ShawTank
Lorne BalfeComposer
Zach DeanWriter
Larry FongCinematographyThe Tomorrow War
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. Determined to save the world for his young daughter, Dan teams up with a brilliant scientist and his estranged father in a desperate quest to rewrite the fate of the planet.
What critics thought
DivisiveCritics landed squarely in mixed territory on this one, with the central argument being whether a clever premise and committed cast can overcome a bloated, derivative script — most concluded they couldn't quite. The film's pacing, length, and heavy debt to better genre predecessors drew consistent fire, while its creature design and popcorn energy earned it a minority of genuine defenders.
“The Tomorrow War is an earnest effort to bring something new to the time-travel action genre, but this movie is a 2021 vehicle made of parts from the 2010s and the 1990s and 1980s.”
Richard Roeper·Chicago Sun-Times
“The creature design is first-rate – the aliens are ravenous, rapid, and equipped with a pair of death tentacles. And Pratt, and in particular Betty Gilpin as his wife, give likable, grounded performances. But the screenplay is a bloated, unwieldy thing that is at least 30 minutes longer than it should be.”
Wendy Ide·The Observer
“It is a fool's errand to imagine what someone like Verhoeven would have done with The Tomorrow War's material – this is a movie made for the express purposes of delivering some lazy woo-hoo summer fun, not any kind of sneaky subversiveness. But if I had a time machine, I'd punt myself to the past just before The Tomorrow War went into production, and save everyone the trouble.”
Barry Hertz·The Globe and Mail
“Yet it would probably be a mistake to emphasize the relationship aspect of The Tomorrow War too much. At its core, this is just a really good monster movie. All the same, there's a touch of beauty to it.”
Mick LaSalle·San Francisco Chronicle
“The Tomorrow War has got a trashy popcorn vibe to it that it wholeheartedly embraces, and a cornball machismo that you can't help but get taken in by, even if just for a second.”
Hoai-Tran Bui·/Film
Genres
Action, Adventure, Drama
Cast & Crew
Chris McKayDirectorChris PrattDan ForesterYvonne StrahovskiColonel Muri ForesterJ.K. SimmonsJames ForesterBetty GilpinEmmy ForesterSam RichardsonCharlieEdwin HodgeDorianJasmine MathewsLt. HartRyan Kiera ArmstrongYoung Muri ForesterKeith PowersMajor GreenwoodMary Lynn RajskubNorahMike MitchellCowanJared ShawTankLorne BalfeComposerZach DeanWriterLarry FongCinematographyStream
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