The Tomorrow War

2021 Amazon MGM Studios

Rated: PG-13

Length: 2 hr 18min

Action ~ Adventure ~ Sci-Fi

Starring: Chris Pratt, Yvonne Strahovski, J. K. Simmons, Betty Gilpin, Sam Richardson, Edwin Hodge, Jasmine Mathews, Ryan Kiera Armstrong, and Keith Powers.

“If I have to save the world to save my daughter, then I’m damn sure gonna do that.”

In the middle of the world televised 2021 Soccer World Cup games, time travelers arrive from 2051 to deliver an urgent message: 30 years in the future mankind is losing a war against a deadly alien species. The only hope for survival is for soldiers and civilians to be transported to the future and join the fight. Determined to save the world for his daughter, Dan Forester (Chris Pratt) teams up with a brilliant scientist (Yvonne Strahovski) and his estranged father (J. K. Simmons) to rewrite the planet’s fate.

That’s the synopsis from Amazon Prime’s site. Society and Governments decide after that little interruption that they need to have a worldwide draft, and help the future fight. Each service consists of a week in the future, counted down in hours by the electronic metal arm sleeve they attach. Dan Forester (Chris Pratt),one r, (inside movie joke) is drafted and leaves his wife and young daughter behind to serve his week in the future. There are two major story lines and two sub-plots here:

The invasion of a deadly alien species hell bent on humanities destruction and demise.
Time Travel between now and thirty years into the future.
The relationship between Dan and his daughter Muri (Yvonne Strahovski)
And Dan’s tumultuous relationship with his estranged father (J. K. Simmons).

I’ll be honest, I put off watching this one for awhile. I have seen the reviews and had it on my watchlist. Given the reviews I thought, “Ehh…I don’t know….I’ll save it for a rainy day or a cold winter day.” Last night was the end of a cold Winter’s day so…..I watched it last night. Sci-Fi can be tricky, it is either really good or it is at best a B-movie. It can be a fine line and The Tomorrow War straddled that line. The effects were outstanding. I loved the Alien creatures, stealthy killing machines that were fascinating to watch. Reminded me of The Creatures in the A Quiet Place Movies.

It also reminded me of Edge Of Tomorrow and Looper, because of the time travel scenario. Looper was kind of hard to follow time travel wise because of the implications of every action in the present affecting the outcome of the future. It was deep and you really had to pay attention. The Tomorrow War is not that deep, like the people that had to be transported 30 years into the future and fight, you don’t need to think about it. You just need to buckle up and experience the ride. I think the star power helped it’s cause, if there had been lesser known actors it would have fell into the B movie Sci-fi category.

I liked Chris Pratt, Yvonne Strahovski and Sam Richardson in this. Sam had me chuckling at his character. I liked J.K. Simmons but his role wasn’t that deep or detailed. He didn’t really have much of a presence until the very end. And when the heck did J.K. Simmons get so buffed out? I remember seeing him in Red One and asking myself that question. I didn’t really find anything implausible with this movie’s time travel scenario or the movie itself, but then I wasn’t looking that hard. I went in thinking I’m just gonna turn the brain off and get lost in a movie. And I did exactly that, I got lost in it. The almost 2 and a half hours flew by

And that is exactly the kind of movie it is. You want to put down the notepad, quit analyzing, grab some popcorn and a beverage and lose yourself in the journey. That’s what this movie is, a good escape, an Action Adventure Sci-Fi thrill ride that takes you to another place and time. Dealing with things that are imaginary, outside the normal scope of our day to day.

There is a sequel in the works The 2morrow War and I would watch it to see where they take it.

It’s worth a watch on a rainy day or a cold Winter’s night.

A Quiet Place

A Quiet Place Part II

A Quiet Place: Day One

Edge Of Tomorrow

Red One

Passengers

Gladiator II

2024 Paramount Pictures

Rated: R

Length: 2 hr 28min

Action ~ Adventure ~ Drama ~ Epic ~ History

Directed by: Ridley Scott

Starring: Paul Mescal, Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Fred Hechinger, Lior Raz, Derek Jacobi, Connie Nielsen, and Denzel Washington.

“The gates of hell are open night and day, smooth the descent and easy is the way.”

Gladiator II starts out with animated painted scenes of Gladiator, like a mini recap of the first movie. The story begins:

16 YEARS AFTER THE DEATH OF MARCUS AURELIUS,

HIS “DREAM OF ROME” HAS BEEN FORGOTTEN.

UNDER THE TYRANNY OF TWIN EMPORERS

GETA AND CARACALLA, CORRUPTION FLOURISHES.

THEIR RUTHLESS AGGRESSION SPREADS LIKE A PLAGUE

THROUGHOUT THE EMPIRE.

THE FALL OF THE CITY IS IMMINENT.

ONLY THE HOPES OF THOSE WHO STILL DARE TO DREAM REMAIN…

NUMIDIA 200 AD: The Roman forces are approaching from the sea, led by General Acacius (Pedro Pascal). The Kingdom prepares for battle, Hanno (Paul Mescal) and his wife Arishat suit up and take their places along the fortress walls. The roman ships approach the fortress walls and breach the hold, eventually conquering the Numidia Kingdom. Arishat, Hanno’s wife is killed and Hanno and the other male survivors are taken as slaves. They are taken to the Port of Rome where they are forced into the arena to fight large Baboons with long fangs. Hanno survives by savagely killing the baboons and is closely watched by…….

Macrinus (Denzel Washington) who has a stable of Gladiators and is always looking for the “One”. Macrinus has an ambition to de-throne the twins and become Emperor himself. Macrinus recruits Hanno to fight for him and tells him that if he wins enough fights for him, he will get Hanno close enough to General Acacius to exact his revenge for his wife’s death. Just like Maximus in the first movie, Acacius returns to Rome a hero and the twin Emperors call for games in the Coliseum to honor the General’s victory. The General re-unites with his wife Lucilla (Connie Nielsen) and hatches a plan with Lucilla and the Senators to overthrow the twin Emperors.

And the journey to dethrone the Emperors is on, Macrinus on one side and General Acacius, Lucilla and the Senators on the other. Hanno, we find out later, has another name and ties to Lucilla and Maximus. He fights in the Coliseum for his freedom and a chance to kill General Acacius under the guidance of Macrinus. There are a lot of plots at play here and you have to pay close attention to who is doing what for which aim. It is truly an Epic film, from the very first battle scene to the games in the coliseum, it is grandiose in spectacle.

Is it better than the original? I don’t think you can touch the original with Russell Crowe, it is a classic. 25 years later this movie follows the storyline 16 years after Gladiator ends, without Russell Crowe, obviously. But I think it stands on it’s own. The plot is very similar to the first, just with different characters it seems. It is supposedly based on true Roman history but I’ll just take their word for that. I liked it but I don’t think the storyline was as good as the first. But I did enjoy the ride, it is a spectacle to watch, grandiose even. The Coliseum fight scenes were way more intense and graphic, but then CGI and technology has evolved a lot in the last twenty five years.

I would recommend going back and watching Gladiator first before you watch Gladiator II. The storyline will make more sense.

Two Thumbs Up!

Gladiator

2000 Paramount Pictures

Rated: R

Length: 2 hr 28min

Action ~ Adventure ~ Drama ~ Epic ~ History

Directed by: Ridley Scott

Starring: Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, Connie Nielsen, Oliver Reed, Derek Jacobi, Djimon Hounsou, and Richard Harris.

“I will win the crowd, I will give them something they’ve never seen before.”

Russell Crowe stars as the Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius, leading his army to victory in Germania in 180AD. The dying Emperor Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris) tells Maximus that his son Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix) is unfit to rule as his successor and wants Maximus to become the new Emperor. Commodus does not take that news well and strangles his Father claiming he simply died of natural causes, “He ran out of breath.” He then asks Maximus for his loyalty but Maximus refuses. This angers Commodus and he has Maximus taken prisoner back to the battlefield to be killed, and orders that Maximus’s family be slain.

Upon arriving at the battlefield and just about to be executed, Maximus is able to turn on his captors and kill them all. He rides horseback to his family home trying to stop the murder of his family, but arrives too late. The Commodus’s men had raped Maximus’s wife, and then crucified and burned both his son and his wife. Maximus buries them and then collapses at the foot of their graves. He is found by slave traders who sell him to a former Gladiator named Proximo (Richard Harris). Proximo keeps and train slaves worthy enough to fight in the Gladiator Games. Commodus organizes 150 days of Games in the Roman Coliseum to commemorate his father’s passing.

Proximo takes his Gladiator troupe to Rome to fight in the Coliseum games. Which is exactly where Maximus wants to be, he desires nothing more than to get close to Commodus and exact vengeance for his family. And to restore the balance of power to the senate like Emperor Marcus Aurelius desired before his death. “The General who became a slave, the slave who became a Gladiator, the Gladiator who defied an emperor. Striking story! Now the people want to know how the story ends.” It is the story of Maximus’s journey to take down Commodus, exact revenge and set the Roman Empire right, while he battles in the coliseum, fighting for his life.

I have to mention Commodus’s sister Lucilla (Connie Nielsen) and her son Lucius because they factor into Gladiator II. Lucilla and Maximus were lovers in the past before Maximus met his wife. Maximus’s son is eight years old, the same age as Lucilla’s son Lucius. Lucius and Lucilla both show a liking for Maximus in Gladiator, for reasons that become apparent in Gladiator II. Directed by Ridley Scott it is truly an epic film about the Roman times and The Gladiators who fought for their lives in the Coliseum. Fight or die, Kill to live. It was a highly successful film in 2000 winning multiple awards: Best Picture, Actor, Visual Effects, Sound, Costume Design, Director, Original Screenplay, Supporting Actor, Original Score, Cinematography, Art Direction and Editing.

I remember watching it a long time ago but didn’t really remember the whole movie. With Gladiator II out, I had to go back and watch Gladiator first. Streaming Movie Night tonight is Gladiator II and I can’t wait to see Denzel Washington . He is one of my favorites and I am excited to see how he factors in to The Gladiator story, and how the story plays out. Obviously I Highly Recommend Gladiator, especially before Gladiator II, as the story line continues where the first one ended fifteen years later

Two Thumbs Up!

Back In Action

2025 Netflix

Rated: PG-13

Length: 1 hr 54min

Action ~ Adventure ~ Comedy ~ Family ~ Spy

Directed by: Seth Gordon

Starring: Jamie Foxx, Cameron Diaz, Andrew Scott, Jamie Demetriou, Kyle Chandler, and Glenn Close.

“What if Mr. and Mrs. Smith had kids?”

Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz star as Matt and Emily, Secret Agents for the CIA. Matt and Emily have done what spies aren’t supposed to do, fall in love with each other. Right before their assignment, Emily realizes she is pregnant. Their mission doesn’t go as planned and they end up on a plane fighting off the crew who turn out to be covert spies themselves. Right before the plane goes down, they share a parachute and escape, landing safely. They both agree that, since Emily is pregnant, this is the perfect time to fake their deaths. Disappear off the grid, start from scratch and build a family.

Fast forward fifteen years and they are the typical suburban family. Matt and Emily are raising their fourteen year old daughter Alice and their twelve year old son Leo. Constantly battling too much screen time on their children’s devices, juggling work and after school activities. They even drive a mini-van to soccer practices and games that Matt coaches. As they try to control Alice’s covert underage nightlife activities, their cover is blown and they are forced to take the kids into hiding with them. They head to England where Emily’s Mom Ginny (Glenn Close), a former Secret Agent for the MI6, lives on a sprawling countryside estate outside of London.

There are plenty of story twists and turns as they try to vanish again, and protect their kids. It is a familiar storyline but then aren’t all the spy movies. The agents go on an assignment to retrieve the thing the bad guy has that will disrupt the working order of our world. That’s always the mission, but this time it involves kids, and Matt and Emily love their kids. The kids are awesome on their own, they have been raised well and being a spy runs in their blood. They just don’t know it yet. I really liked McKenna Roberts as Alice, and Rylan Jackson as Leo. There is plenty of action and a few laughs as Jamie Foxx and Cameron Diaz hold their own on the fight floor and the acting stage.

It has been over a decade since Cameron Diaz made a movie. She had decided that she needed to focus on her personal life, raise a family, and get off the Hollywood grid. Jamie Foxx approached her with this film and she said, “If I’m going to do a movie, I’m going to do it with Jamie. No questions asked.” It was really good to see her “Back In Action”, I think she did an awesome job, kicking butt and taking names, the Cameron Diaz we all know and love. You could feel the chemistry and the love between Jamie and the kids. She can still hold her own acting and fighting. Job well done and welcome back Cameron Diaz.

I had watched Jamie Foxx’s Netflix special on Netflix What had happened was….where he talks about his medical ordeal for the first time. Very touching story, if you get the chance you should watch it. In a nutshell Jamie came down with a mysterious illness, basically his brain started hemorrhaging for no apparent reason. He almost died, was in a coma, came to but couldn’t move his body. He then spent agonizing months in rehab and physical therapy learning how to walk again. Seeing him “Back in Action”…..you want to jump up and scream YEAH! GO JAMIE!!!! Job Well Done on all accounts, and welcome back Jamie Foxx. Ya still got it!

I love the soundtrack to the fight scenes, perfect! I loved the story, I loved the action, I loved seeing Jamie and Cameron together raising kids, I could feel the love! They did everything to protect their kids and it shone through in the movie. I didn’t pay much attention to what the bad guy was up to or the device he wanted, a mere subplot behind the parents fighting for their family and their kids.

Yes, yes and yes. I can’t wait to watch it again, and I just know there’s a sequel coming…BRING IT ON!

Highly Recommended!

Two Thumbs up!

The Creator

2023 20th Century Studios

Rated: PG-13

Length: 2 hr 13min

Action ~ Adventure ~ Drama ~ Epic ~ Sci-Fi

Directed by: Gareth Edwards

Starring: John David Washington, Madeline Yuna Voyles, Gemma Chan, Ken Watanabe, Sturgill Simpson, and Allison Janney.

NIRMATA:

¹ (Nepalese for The Creator) The mysterious unknown architect of advanced A.I.

² A Being worshipped by Artificial Intelligence as their creator; savior; God

SYNOPSIS:

The evolution and integration of Robots and A.I. has permeated and changed every aspect of life in the near future. In 2055 as Robot driven A.I. has surpassed man, A.I. accidently detonates an Atomic Bomb in Los Angeles. This starts a war between A.I. and Humanity. The West vows to drive A.I. into extinction, while A. I. vows to drive humanity into extinction. The West drives A.I. into the New Asia region consisting of east and south Asia. The USS NOMAD Space Station has been developed to hunt and destroy A.I. bases. Word has spread that A.I. has developed a weapon that could destroy the once thought indestructible NOMAD.

A covert military operation is planned to enter New Asia, find and destroy the new A.I. weapon. John David Washington stars as US Army Sergeant Joshua Taylor who has gone undercover in New Asia as part of the mission. As he tracks and finds “The Weapon” he discovers it is a child-size “Simulant” with growing powers to control technology with supernatural ability. He names the child “Alfie”, short for Alpha after the name of the operation. Alfie is played by newcomer 7 year old Madeline Yuna Voyles. And the race is on to protect Alfie from getting back into the hands of the A.I. and protecting her from his own forces who seek to destroy a child.

Visual Effects, CGI, and Filming:

Absolutely stunning scenery for a sci-fi movie. The effects and visuals were literally out of this world. A dash of Star Wars, a pinch of Blade Runner, a bit of I-Robot, a little Terminator, and an essence of Edge Of Tomorrow. I thought the Visual effects, CGI and the filming were all incredible.

John David Washington:

Absolutely a great performance. I remember him in BlacKkKlansman and just saw him in The Piano Lesson. Denzel has got to be proud, I think he is absolutely carrying on in his Father’s footsteps and completely doing a great job at it. Watching this I could hear Denzel in his voice and demeanor, even though he has his own style and character. This is a guy to watch as one of the next big Hollywood Stars. Great job in this one.

Madeline Yuna Voyles:

Madeleine is the star of this movie without question. The young Actress from San Diego, California was 7 years old when she acted in this movie. Her first role and in my opinion she absolutely nailed it. Obviously a completely natural talent with an incredible depth of emotion at her disposal. She has already garnered nominations for Best Young Actress and Best Actress in a Science Fiction Movie. I loved every minute of her screen time performance. Keep your eyes out for this one….again, one to watch as one of the next big Hollywood Stars.

Script/Writing/Storyline/Directing:

Somebody somewhere mentioned swiss cheese…. I think the line was this script has more holes than a slice of swiss cheese. I couldn’t agree more. It was as if each scene was absolutely perfect on it’s own merit, but from different scenarios. Like a patchwork of independent stories. Sure the central theme was there but there was so much that just felt stitched together from different fabric entirely. I felt like everybody did the best they could do given the limitation of the direction they were led in by the director.

Final Thoughts:

I am a huge Sci-Fi fan. Blade Runner is one of my all time favorite movies. The premise of the movie is so time relevant given the current advancement of A.I. and Robotics. I just saw where robots are becoming lifelike very quickly and Elon Musk just said that A.I. has already surpassed all human knowledge….and that was last year. It won’t be long before A.I. draws it’s own conclusion about the human species being absolutely useless for the future of this planet.

John David Washington and Madeline Yuna Voyles gave absolutely outstanding performances. This was a joy to watch and visually stunning to see BUT…….. it should have been much more. This should have been a Blockbuster of a movie, a touchdown. The ball got dropped somewhere and my suspicion is in the script/Directing Department. That being said I liked it, I loved John and Madeline’s performance and chemistry, but something was off that kept this from being the tremendous award winning Sci-Fi Epic Blockbuster it should be.

Regardless of what I think, you owe it to yourself to give it a watch and experience The World of The Creator.