TOMORROW, WHEN THE WAR BEGAN, is a competent movie that plays well, especially if you keep the intended audience in mind. This is, indeed, a movie for youths and should be judged as such. It's not a perfect movie, but its also not trash. Ratings from 5 to 7 are the most defensible. Ratings of 1 and 10 are unwarranted.
TOMORROW sports an attractive cast with acceptable acting chops for a vehicle of this nature. These young actors offer professional, believeable performances, and come off as neither wooden nor over the top.
Certainly, there's nothing new here but a change of scenery. This movie is RED DAWN down under, just done better. While it's light fare to be sure, its not completely devoid of substance and touches on issues such as passivism versus self-defense, racial bias, class, and exploitation of indigenous peoples. Though it oversimplifies some of these very nuanced topics, they're touched on only lightly and thankfully don't become entanglements that detract from the overall entertainment experience.
Oddly, the filmmakers also go out of their way to avoid naming the military aggressor, which can only be China (with a possible assist from DPRK). Vague reference is made to "coalition" countries, but with a cast of Asian invaders, it's a pretty obvious and unnecessary dodge. The Chinese, I'm certain, were not fooled, and events in the region since 2010 have added a bit of weight to the movie's premise.
Overall, TOMORROW is a fun and adventurous movie that's suitable for teen and family viewing. No, it's not CITIZEN KANE, but I'm pretty sure that's not the aim.
Recommendation: Watch.
TOMORROW sports an attractive cast with acceptable acting chops for a vehicle of this nature. These young actors offer professional, believeable performances, and come off as neither wooden nor over the top.
Certainly, there's nothing new here but a change of scenery. This movie is RED DAWN down under, just done better. While it's light fare to be sure, its not completely devoid of substance and touches on issues such as passivism versus self-defense, racial bias, class, and exploitation of indigenous peoples. Though it oversimplifies some of these very nuanced topics, they're touched on only lightly and thankfully don't become entanglements that detract from the overall entertainment experience.
Oddly, the filmmakers also go out of their way to avoid naming the military aggressor, which can only be China (with a possible assist from DPRK). Vague reference is made to "coalition" countries, but with a cast of Asian invaders, it's a pretty obvious and unnecessary dodge. The Chinese, I'm certain, were not fooled, and events in the region since 2010 have added a bit of weight to the movie's premise.
Overall, TOMORROW is a fun and adventurous movie that's suitable for teen and family viewing. No, it's not CITIZEN KANE, but I'm pretty sure that's not the aim.
Recommendation: Watch.