Amazon original film The Tomorrow War is now streaming on Prime Video. The time travel science fiction film stars Chris Pratt, Yvonne Strahovski, Betty Gilpin, J.K. Simmons, Sam Richardson and Edwin Hodges. The film is directed by Chris Mckay, written by Zack Dean with executive producers Chris Pratt, Rob Cowan, Brian Oliver, and Bradley J. Fischer.
The Tomorrow War is about Dan Forester, a science teacher, Army Veteran and family man who is drafted to fight a war that takes place 30 years into the future to fight a deadly alien invasion that’s wiped out most of the human population. It’s a war story, but also a deeply human story with a lot of heart and some very cool action sequences.
Now Chris Mckay is known for his monumental contribution of directing and producing animated content like Moral Orel, The Lego Movie, The Batman Lego Movie, and Robot Chicken. The Tomorrow War is Mckay’s first live-action feature.
When I briefly spoke with Mckay about the film, he wasn’t concerned with what critics would think, but what viewers would get out of the viewing experience. He had this to say, “I hope they have a great time watching the movie – laughing, getting scared, getting thrilled – with family and friends. I hope they fall in love with Yvonne, Sam, JK, Ryan, Edwin, Jasmine, Keith, Mary-Lynn, Mike and the entire cast. And I hope they see another side of what Chris Pratt can do as an actor.”
It’s always commendable when an artist wants to branch out and try something. Having watched the film, it’s clear Mckay is comfortable with live action and knows how to create engaging visuals — which I’m sure his animation experience helped with. But this doesn’t mean Mckay is done with animation as his next project is directing a sequel to The Lego Batman Movie set to release in 2022.