In 2051 the human race dies at the hands of hostile aliens even after recruiting more soldiers from the past of 2022. One of those soldiers, Dan Forester (Chris Pratt), meets his grown daughter (Yvonne Strahovski) in the future and aids her in developing a toxin that will make the aliens’ flesh melt once injected into their blood stream. When Dan returns to 2022 he and his estranged father (J.K. Simmons), with some veteran buddies, find the frozen alien ship in the Russian arctic and are able to save the future.
Chris McKay’s The Tomorrow War (2021) harks back to the spectacles of Paul Verhoeven’s Starship Troopers (1997) but adds a few Christopher Nolan inspired touches to replace satire with some modest conceptual posturing. The Tomorrow War does little more than provide viewers with images of science fiction violence. McKay works over time to be sure that there’s something in The Tomorrow War for everybody and nothing that wouldn’t appeal to anyone, leaving the film a massive husk of light escapist entertainment without even a hint of style.
The few enjoyable moments The Tomorrow War has to offer viewers come in the form of Sam Richardson’s comic asides. Always likable and very funny, Richardson is able to give the film some flavor and suggest dramatic texture that isn’t really there. It is odd to see Richardson in such a relatively small character part after having just seen Werewolves Within (2021) a few days ago. But then again, I suppose he just isn’t Hollywood’s type of leading man. Chris Pratt, on the other hand, I suppose is.
Pratt has evolved from a comic actor into a square-jawed action ace, following a career trajectory similar to that of John Krasinski. In The Tomorrow War, Pratt brings to the table his usual warmth as well as plenty of wide-eyed amazement. Every time Pratt is on screen without dialogue his eyes bulge and he furrows his brow as if he is holding back some gas. His limited range renders the father/daughter relationship at the core of the film untenable. Pratt’s character is just a goof who likes violence.
Every year Hollywood, be it for the streaming platforms or for the theater chains, churns out a dozen or so pictures like The Tomorrow War. These films are so innocuous and uninventive that they have the shelf life of a quart of milk. It really feels as though The Tomorrow War and films like it are more the product of market research than they are the products of artists. Maybe indiscriminate genre fans will enjoy The Tomorrow War more than I did.
