The Sunday Mail
Film Review-Tinashe Kusema
For any filmmaker, the most annoying thing about movies and television shows that deal with time travel are the many confusing rules that govern the genre.
These rules were not created by anyone, but they just exist.
Those that ignore or disregard them have often been crucified.
I am no physicist, but I have seen a bunch of time-travel movies to have a basic understanding of the science behind it all.
And I believe writer Zach Dean did well in “The Tomorrow War”, as he skirted around the said rules.
To be precise, the Canadian screenwriter creates and navigates around loopholes and successfully nullifies any talk on rules of engagement.
But, we will get to that later.
The film follows Dan Forester Jnr (Chris Pratt), an army veteran and now biology teacher, who gets drafted into a war almost three decades into the future.
The year is 2022 and a platoon of soldiers interrupt a televised football game to inform the world that an alien species has declared war on the human race and is winning some 29 years in the future.
As the alien creatures, known as Whitespikes, near victory, the human race creates a time machine (Jumplink) with the hope of going back in time to recruit more people to join the fight.
Their efforts fail spectacularly at first.
It is up to Forester and a small squadron of ordinary men and women to save the day.
Forester joins the war, meets up with his now grown-up daughter Muri Forester (Yvonne Strahovski) and the two put their scientific heads together to identify and exploit the aliens’ one weakness.
The premise sounds interesting, but it is not the most original idea.
In fact, the movie is full of snippets and nods to the many science-fiction movies that came before it.
The only difference is in the execution.
Also, there is an added bonus of stellar performances and a delicate blend of action and drama, which further gives the movie a sharp edge.
Let me explain!
Chris Pratt is Chris Pratt and here he does what he knows best.
The Marvel man carries on his fine form of leading men performances.
He is assisted by commendable supporting acts in Strahovski, Sam Richardson (Charlie), J.K Simmons (Dan Forester Snr) and Edwin Hodge (Dorian).
Dan Jnr and Muri carry the heavy load as the hardnosed father and daughter who also have a fractured relationship to mend while the world approaches its end.
Here, Muri shines brightest.
Dan Snr and Dorian are the tough guys of the film, while Charlie provides the comic relief.
Everyone has a part to play and they all execute their roles well.
The action scenes are top-drawer while the alien design is near perfect.
The film’s biggest strength is in the script.
How Dean (the writer) navigates around the whole time-travel paradox is a marvel!
While the reveals or dialogue come off as forced, the fact that the people drafted are of a certain age (over 40) and approaching their deaths, helps skid around all the time-travel nonsense.
The whole ‘you cannot meet your future self and do not do anything that will affect the future’ is made redundant.
Everyone who time-jumps is already dead in the year and time they arrive in.
Also, one cannot do or say anything that will affect a doomed or non-existent future.
It is quite a shame that the movie was released during the Covid-19 era, as I am pretty sure that it would have done good at the box office.
