The Tomorrow War (2021) Poster

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6/10
One thing I just can't get over..
mackiesander3 July 2021
Warning: Spoilers
Acting was great, the concept was cool, the pace was fast and tense and exciting and honestly the cgi was so naturalistic and beautifully done, that I think the cgi alone makes this movie worth watching. BUT *spoilers ahead* I had so many issues with the basic logic in the plot. Once future Muri dies, basically nothing made any sense to me. Chris Pratt bringing the toxin back in time would erase future Muri's timeline regardless of what he did with the toxin so he was never going to be able to go back there. I had assumed the whole time that their plan was to bring the toxin back in time and then just kill the aliens with it when they showed up in Chris's timeline and then just solve the problem for humanity as a whole because of course Muri's timeline will never be saved because that's not how the writers decided time travel works. But of course, then Chris Pratt just kept telling us how he's going to go back to future muri and save those 500,000 people instead of the other 8 billion, or about how "he's running out of time" to stop the frozen aliens who we very well know aren't going to wake up for another 30 years, and god damn him just running in to their space ship blindly and trying to take them on with their small ragtag crew instead of spending some portion of their next 30 safe years planning how to deal with the aliens safely just was like wait what!! Stop! Bring more people at the very least! Everyone in the world was convinced that "people from the future came back and need help fighting aliens" but they're not going to believe that you found those aliens in a glacier??????????????? And I love how the toxin that was supposed to save humanity killed like 6 of the aliens in total, and they wound up just blowing the spaceship up instead.
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6/10
Entertaining, but...such a stupid plot.
ThomDerd3 July 2021
Time travel movies are fun, aliens are fun and Chris Pratt is fun to watch.

But, there's a limit to stupidity. You can't leave a 2-hour-something film with these huge plot holes and these silly moments of dialogue unchecked.

Why do the studios approach their audience in that un-intelligent way? I find it unfair and as a viewer, I believe we deserve more.

It's actually a pity because they took so much time to build up the characters, explain the story, the enemy and the time travel properties in the first 30-45min, but then...what happened? HUGE plot holes and a couple of odd dialogue moments which literally make no sense. Don't want to spoil it; you will know when see these.

Some good points: CGI is good and the aliens seem bad enough. Score is also alright and helps the pace of the film.

And in fact, there are some impressive moments in the film, e.g the landing to the future...but once you finish watching this film you will understand the silliness of the story.

Regardless, I can recommend it for a lazy Sunday but don't expect something special. Just switch off and enjoy.

6/10 the story could have been better.
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6/10
Was this a parody?
juanpa1-14 July 2021
Warning: Spoilers
This is the best worst movie I've ever seen.

SPOILERS-FREE:

The good: Great CGI, great action, good performances, entertaining, some interesting plot twists.

The bad: Most jokes are a miss. Clichés everywhere. Chris Pratt's hairdo and wardrobe. The script's plotholes were covered with play-doh.

Don't get me wrong. It was entertaining and good CGI. 90's vibe was so strong and there were so many cliches, at times it felt as a parody. At this point I am not sure if it was or not.

The falling heroin reaching out dramatically while falling to her death in slow motion, probably there are enought secenes like this to make a short compilation.

A slow motion body hitting a car which was completely unnecessary.

HERE COME THE SPOILERS This is what I mean by play-doh:

  • The wife's realization of the one thing that will let them find the aliens was just lazy writing.


  • They needed a Volcano expert and the best they could do, with humanity's future at stake, was a high school volcano aficionado.


  • The hero's father happened to be a government-hating airplanes pilot, just because one of such will be needed near the end.


  • The toxin that they worked so hard to get killed like 5 of the aliens, the rest were just blown up, that was hilarious.


  • After finding the alien ship, they couldn't wait a couple days to make a plan, or at least get enough people and toxins for all the aliens in the ship, instead of storming inside and killing half of them. Guess what happened with the other half? Maybe if they brought some proof, after people saw time travelers in the soccer world cup's final match, they probably wouldn't think they were crazy.


Not a waste of time, leave your brain at home and enjoy your popcorn.
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6/10
Forget logic, enjoy the action.
Nemesis422 July 2021
The logic behind main story movements in this is completely ridiculous, though these shortcuts are designed to make the film as satisfying and entertaining as possible. If you want entertainment and feel good action, have a ride with this!

The fighting sequences are brilliant and believable. The creature design is impeccable. Aspects of these creatures and even parts of the story are derived from a number of past sci-fi classics, but I must say these are some of the most frighting creatures I've seen in a while. There was no expense spared with the creature CGI and sound design.

The wasted opportunity to have a more innovative and believable story made this a bit boring for me (apart from individual action sequences).

Worth a look if you like alien action blockbusters.
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7/10
🚨 Perfect Summer Action-Adventure Film 🚨
zendoss2 July 2021
In short, is this a masterpiece? No. Is it groundbreaking? No. But what it is, is entertaining and fun. As some critics have pointed out, it feels very 90's. Which I believe works.

It has a great cast, cool yet admittedly wack concept, fun set pieces and a nice soundtrack. However, what is of course the best part of the film and it's main selling point: killer aliens and Chris Pratt. The aliens have a nice design, and are perfect for the summer blockbuster style.

Pratt is excellent and continues prove to be an actor who feels like he's in the wrong era, the perfect 80's and 90's leading man.

The story isn't all that deep or thorough, and the characters could use work. But Pratt delivers and the cast is still fun.

Perhaps one or two too many jokes, and again the writing is far from great, but the film does acknowledge what it is whilst still providing some emotional stakes.

J. K. Simmons is also excellent as always.

All in all, a decent and fun alien/monster adventure film. I feel it could've bettered from a non-PG-13 rating.

Biggest issue was the overuse of CGI. But sadly that's the ways movies seem to go these days.

That said, with all the garbage Hollywood releases, and with all the comic book and franchise films, and of course you award winners, it is nice to have a film that doesn't necessarily feel those categories. In short, a fun film. Shame it released on streaming, would've been better in the cinema.

Don't buy into the overly positive or aggressively negative reviews. This film ain't that bad or that amazing (objectively) but is exactly what you want from a sci-fi summer blockbuster.

As always decide for yourself, but if you're reading this and need some swaying: I recommend The Tomorrow War. 7.5/10.
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6/10
Is what the trailer says
pushanbanerjee5 July 2021
An action movie! Aliens, things blowing up, people with guns shooting em from endless magazines. On a Sunday afternoon, with a glass of wine, this is perfect. And Chris Pratt is cool as usual. I watched this for some no nonsense fun. It delivers. Plot holes the size of the 7 oceans aside.
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7/10
Good old fashioned fast-paced man vs alien fun...
paul_haakonsen27 July 2021
Now, as I sat down to watch the 2021 action sci-fi movie "The Tomorrow War", I was told not to expect too much from the movie, and that it was a watchable but shallow movie experience.

Needless to say that I watched the movie anyway, as it was a movie that I hadn't already seen. Actually I hadn't even seen the trailer for the movie, so I virtually knew nothing about the movie or what it was about, aside from it having Chris Pratt on the cast list.

And I must say, now that I have seen it, that writer Zach Dean and director Chris McKay actually managed to churn out something that was very enjoyable and entertaining for me. And it was the type of movie that fell right into my preference of movies.

The storyline told in "The Tomorrow War" has an interesting concept idea. Sure, this is not rocket science, nor something that requires a whole lot of thinking on the audience part, but it is the type of movie where you lean back well into the chair, munch on the popcorn and enjoy the action and fighting on the screen. So essentially, this is some good old fun.

Actually, while the storyline is sort of simplistic, I must admit that I actually found it to be entertaining enough. There are some good aspects to the storyline and it definitely makes for adequate entertaining.

As for the acting in the movie, well I was entertained. And I will say that they definitely had a good ensemble of actors and actresses on the cast list. Chris Pratt was nicely cast for the lead role and it was nice to see him in a movie such as this. And I was thrilled to see J. K. Simmons in the movie, just a shame he wasn't given more screen time, because he had a great character in the movie and he was just bringing the character to life so marvelously. Edwin Hodge and Jasmine Mathew were also very nicely cast for this movie.

"The Tomorrow War" is packed with amazing visuals, and that really brought the movie to life so well on the screen. And yeah, I must admit that I was really enjoying what I saw on the screen, because the CGI team behind this movie were just spectacular. So when you sit down to watch "The Tomorrow War" you will be in for some amazing special effects. And needless to say that the creature design was also something I really enjoyed.

As a movie viewer not overly keen on sci-fi movies, I will say that "The Tomorrow War" is one of those action sci-fi movies that proves to be incredibly enjoyable, much akin to movies such as "Starship Troopers" or "District 9".

I went in with little expectations from what I was told, but I went out with a sense of properly being entertained for more than two hours.

My rating of "The Tomorrow War" lands on a seven out of ten stars.
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8/10
Has it All - Almost
filmape1 August 2021
A hundred reviews here will tell you the story isn't logical. It's formulaic, it's predictable, and it has holes. I admit, I don't always watch movies for fine storytelling. If a quality story is your overriding interest, you should look elsewhere, because The Tomorrow War doesn't really have one.

What it does have is time travel paradox, awesome action, great special effects, cool stunts, killer cinematography, an everyman hero, and the most creative monsters I've seen in a while. It even takes a stab at character development, and deals with father-daughter and father-son relationships in a way a lot of people can probably relate to.

I think truly entertaining movies are pretty few and far between, so I was pleased to see this. In fact, my whole family really liked it, and it's not easy for us to find something we're all interested in. Watch it if you want to have fun.
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7/10
Entertaining. That's all I needed.
felix-359581 August 2021
I like the actors, aliens, CGI, music, and action. Also, I am glad there were no social issues forced into the movie. Every time I try to watch some series Holyweirdos put some agenda in it. Even with plot holes this movie is entertaning.
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5/10
No money left to hire a writer.
tinus-1311 July 2021
Looks good, shame about the rampant stupidity. There are excellent science fiction writers out there but somehow they never get hired for these movies.
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8/10
The critics went too hard on this fun sci-fi adventure ride.
Top_Dawg_Critic3 July 2021
It wasn't epic, complex or extraordinary, but it was great, super entertaining, and easy on the brain. And considering this was an overall impressive, well put together story - only the 3rd ever writing credit for newb Zach Dean, it shines in comparison to many other films I've seen lately written by seasoned filmmakers e.g. Soderbergh's No Sudden Move.

It flowed rather well, had great continuity, hardly any plot or technical issues, and it was well paced for the normally too-long 140 min runtime, that time just flew by. I actually wanted more. Mad props to Dean for pulling off this impressive and fun sci-fi adventure summer blockbuster. Also, shout-out to novice director Chris McKay for the outstanding job in his 2nd ever full length feature film.

The casting and performances were excellent. Chris Pratt was amazing throughout, and the chemistry between him and Yvonne Strahovski felt authentic - when it needed to be, and even with his young daughter Ryan Kiera Armstrong. J. K. Simmons was his usual amazing self, and a perfect fit as Pratt's estranged father. The cinematography and S/VFX were excellent, but I did find the score too loud and overbearing in many parts throughout the film.

Nevertheless, I'd ignore all the critics; grab the popcorn, sit in your favorite chair, and enjoy the ride. This little gem is one of the few films I'd see again. It's a well deserved 8/10from me.
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7/10
Better Than Expected
seanmath-472-4059042 July 2021
Based on the trailer and fairly uninspired title I half expected another movie that spent all its budget on actors and cranked out another poorly produced pandemic stop-gap. What we got instead was a pretty well-made action flick with heart and self-aware humor. The story is rather formulaic but it was thoroughly entertaining.
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4/10
Script-O-Matic 9000 did it again!
filipetoreiro3 July 2021
This movie really wants us to turn our brains off, to not think about it. It wants us to ignore the out of place jokes, incredible coincidences, forced character motivations, soap opera level drama and 1000 rounds weapons. Well, if you can ignore that, I see why you think the movie is fun and deserves a high rating. But I just can't.

The script has no soul, like it was written by an android, and if it weren't for the A-list actors elevating (just a bit) the material, this movie would be suited for an awful SyFy original.

If you've ever seen Edge of Tomorrow, this movie feels like the dollar bin version of that, made by some terrible production company.
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7/10
Sit Back & Relax, your weekend popcorn entertainer is here!!
genisis_tp2 July 2021
Nothing fancy here, no wow factors, no unexpected scenes, infact we have seen this all many times in many movies but you know what, its still managed to keep my interest for over 2 hours.

So get some popcorn, get your gang together, sit back and relax on your couch and enjoy some brainless action because we all need some entertainment in these times.

Much Love to you people.💙
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7/10
Entertaining
007Waffles3 July 2021
It's an entertaining movie with a story that makes you scratch your head because it just doesn't make sense. It's actually ridiculous. But the action and the aliens keep you engaged and Chris Pratt does a good job as an action hero.

At least watch it for the pumped up J. K. Simons.
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6/10
Pratt lifts it up
Cleorolas8922 July 2021
Stupid script, no Logic. But as someone wrote, it is entertaining and Pratt makes the movie heartwarming somehow. See it anyway!
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7/10
Action lover Its for you
dksolanki3 July 2021
Good movie with good concept acting was good. CGI was great Balance movie can be watched if you like sci-fi movies.
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8/10
Don't pay too much attention to negative reviews if you like entertaining sci-fi movies.
deloudelouvain9 July 2021
After reading a lot of negative reviews I still gave this movie a shot because by experience I know I hardly every agree with these reviews when it's about a movie in this genre, that is science fiction/action. And I'm glad I didn't pay too much attention to those reviews from people that are very hard to please or that just are eternally unsatisfied. The Tomorrow War is exactly what I expected, a lot of non-stop action (yes there's a lot of shooting), a story that looks far fetched (but then again it's a science fiction so what do you expect?), and a large amount of CGI's. Sounds boring to some but certainly not to me (neither to my wife), certainly not when it's well done like in this movie. The monsters/aliens are great, the computer generated images here are just excellent. The story is very entertaining, and even though the duration of the movie is quite long you never get bored for a second. As for the acting I've never been a big fan of Pratt but credit to him, he did a decent job. As for Yvonne Strahovski, which did a terrific job in The Handmaid's Tale, where she plays a character you can't help hating, she this time plays a totally different character and it was good again. So in short, The Tomorrow War is a perfect movie if you like sci-fi, good CGI's, and need to relax for a couple of hours with a bucket of popcorn and mindless action.
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7/10
Solid action flick
glenndl2 July 2021
If you can ignore some of the silly forced humour, and don't take it too seriously, it's not a bad 'alien invasion' action movie, and not too predictable either. Honestly, it was better than I expected.
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1/10
Sometimes a Bad Movie is just a Bad Movie
dsp10025215 July 2021
We all have our guilty pleasures, meaning there are bad movies that we like in spite of the actual quality . My friends kept telling me this was great and that it was only getting bad reviews because people were trying to cancel Chris Pratt. They either lied to me, or to themselves, take your pick. Apparently we are at the point of the culture war where both sides have to pretend a bad movie is good just because of the politics and spiritual faith of who's headlining the movie. If you liked it, more power to you, but this was an awful movie, full stop.
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8/10
Solid Action Fare
MarkAylwyn2 July 2021
So ok, better than I'd been lead to believe with some of the critic reviews prior to release.

Gotta say unfortunately that it's not Pratt's best ever performance but hell, the source material just isn't Guardians, so unfair to compare really. Overall it was solid performances by all the cast and of course JK was excellent. The standout performance was Strahovski though - she was exceptional.

Pretty awesome directing for McKay's first live action feature too.

This is definitely a great popcorn movie. Had some great moments and some genuine surprises. It's not going to change your perspective on the world but then it's not designed to. I did feel it missed some opportunities to further the theme of the parent / child relationship that could have been dealt with a little deeper, but TBH, it delivered exactly what was on the tin.

Do try to watch this on a large screen as the action scenes are worth it. Shame it missed the intended theatrical release.

Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
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6/10
Plot Does Not Work
gagehull82 July 2021
The space time continuum would've been broken and rendered the entire story impossible at multiple points. As much as I love Chris Pratt, the writing in this wasn't great. Go watch Looper if you want a fun Sci-fi time flick.
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1/10
Painfully stupid
alanhowden-863675 July 2021
Warning: Spoilers
The special effects and in this movie are good. A lot of money went into this and it is clearly well made.

Unfortunately it seems to have been written by people who were either joking or morons.

I don't need a movie to be brilliant to enjoy it. I don't even need it to be plausible. I do however need it to at least look like it's trying to give me the outline of something that could make sense.

There is too much stupid in this movie to give an exhaustive list but my top 3 annoyances are:

1) With the benefit of 30 years notice of an alien invasion and a time travel portal that can seemingly transport an unlimited amount of people and material both ways, we are meant to believe the best solution the entire world could come up with to fight the aliens is to hand civilians with no training guns and then batch drop them into the alien hordes in their hundreds of thousands to be slaughtered.

2) When the aforementioned civilians are being slaughtered 10 mins after arriving in the future, instead of being struck dumb with terror, they still have time for plenty of wisecracks.

3) The ending... oh the ending. Just when I thought peak stupidity had been reached, after consulting a child in high school class (I kid you not) for the solution the 'heroes' decide not to involve governments of the world and end the alien threat all by themselves with Chris Pratt killing the final alien in hand to hand combat.
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7/10
Back to the future of Aliens!
andrewiles-9823923 July 2021
Chris Pratt goes back to the future! This film surprised me. It was good solid action adventure explodey shooty shooty goodness with a story. The actors were great. The story was engaging enough. And although the time travel info explanation was a tad JJ Abrams-esque, it didn't take away from a damn good time. Think Aliens, meets World War Z, meets Edge of Tomorrow.
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6/10
Above decent & enjoyable
david_mccarry5 July 2021
Yoooo - Pretty decent film all things considered.

Chris's Pratt - does a good job, as expected.

Story has a few holes but nothing big enough to dampen the overall enjoyment.

6.5 stars for me.
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