Troubletcat

This was a fun movie. Engaging actions scenes, lots of the jokes land well, well paced and doesn't overstay its welcome. It was definitely 90 minutes solidly enjoyed.

The idea that it's particularly clever, subversive, edgy, grotesque, etc. - just no. Its commentary on modern politics and, particularly, the hypocrisy and absurdity of the elite is an effective setup for some timely humor, but overall is a bit muddled and toothless. The Menu executed the same kind of thing much more effectively.

It was, at times, frustrating that the film didn't execute its satire a little better, because it was almost truly great.

But it is good, and that's good enough for a movie like this. I would easily recommend it as a fun way to kill 90 minutes, just don't go in expecting to be blown away.

Very hammy characters/performances, lots of laugh-out-loud moments where people say/do things that are utterly ridiculous or over the top.

I wouldn't say it's quite 'so bad it's good', because it's not an incompetently made film, it's just got quite a bit of melodrama and campiness to it. It's unclear to me how much of the comedy is intended but I think it's certainly 'some of it'.

There are a few scenes that are genuinely unsettling and one fairly gnarly bit of gore, but don't go into this expecting to be really frightened.

All in all this was a great surprise - I went in expecting a fairly mediocre horror/thriller but it had just the right level of goofiness to elevate it into something solidly entertaining, without feeling like it was trying too hard. I found it very charming.

I will say, part of my reaction is probably because I watch a lot of horror movies. I'm not sure if people less accustomed to the genre would be as tickled by it as I was. Other reviews suggest a number of people found this movie quite scary, so your mileage may vary.

Tomorrow When The War began is a film adaptation of the first from John Marsden's much loved Tomorrow series. It follows the story of a group of teenagers who survive an invasion of their country by hiding in the wilderness and who ultimately decide to fight back using guerrilla tactics - the plot is one that will be very familiar to anyone who's seen Red Dawn.

I have fond memories of the books, which I read several years ago, and it's difficult not to let a comparison of book vs. film colour the review. I'll get the one comparison I really would like to make to the books out of the way straight away. I felt like the movie failed to capture some crucial elements of the atmosphere of the books, and what made them good reads. The books were very heavy on realism. The movie turns up the action a little bit higher than the books, with a stronger focus on cool explosions and excitement than almost purely on the psychological horrors of war. This is still absolutely a factor in the film, and is handled relatively well, but I felt like the greater emphasis on action in the movie hurt the realistic feel that was present in the books. Similarly, a lot of detail was omitted that's present in the books that focuses on the more practical aspects of what's going on. These changes are understandable though, and serve to make the movie better paced and more marketable. Essentially what I'm saying is that, while it'd be easy to be critical of the differences in tone between book and film, the movie is probably better, and more appealing to a wider audience, thanks to these changes.

The film's script is one of its strong points. In such a serious, grim war-drama kind of film I wasn't expecting anywhere near as many laughs as I got out of it, and yet the film manages to get away with it without feeling like a parody. There is a particularly memorable scene towards the films finale which was simultaneously very fun and extremely tense - not an easy combination to pull off.

The actors are generally Good Enough. There are a few stand-out moments where the script is really brought to life and you become extremely immersed in their performances, but there are also moments where things feel a little forced or unnatural. I think going with (mostly) unknown and inexperienced actors was a good choice for the type of film Tomorrow is, but the flip side of that is that occasionally their lack of experience shows. For the most part, the performances were competent, leaning towards good.

The film's direction and production are generally fairly standard. I like the visual style employed by the film, and some of the characters and locations really meshed with the way I imagined them from the books. There are a few choice shots in here in terms of composition, and the action scenes are well shot in that they're easy to follow and exciting to watch.

I worry that this film will be misunderstood as something that aims to demonise Australia's international neighbours, and I'm sure it's a take that we'll see in the media, but I think such an interpretation is somewhat unfair, and there are a few scenes in the film that make it abundantly clear that this isn't the wish of the filmmakers. Nor was it ever the wish of the original author, which is why details about the invaders are sparse in the books. This aspect has been preserved in the film, however I think the issue of race will definitely be sensationalised to a degree here. In some ways it might be a worthwhile film to see because the fallout might be not insignificant and worth understanding.

Tomorrow When The War Began is all around a solid film with a very good script, decent action scenes, and decent actors, all of which comes together in quite a neat little package. I think this movie will definitely stand on its own even for people who haven't read the books. I recommend Tomorrow When The War Began, and I hope they do well enough to carry through with their plans for the rest of the series - with some maturation, this could become a pretty outstanding set of films.