Tomorrow, When the War Began

Tomorrow, When the War Began

Starring Caitlin Stasey, Rachel Hurd-Wood, Lincoln Lewis, Deniz Akdeniz

Directed by Stuart Beattie

The Story:
Life is good for Australian teenager Ellie (Caitlin Stasey) and her friends.  They decide to go on a camping trip to Hell, which is, in reality, a paradise in the Australian wild.  Upon arriving home, they discover their families missing, power out, Internet down, and homes abandoned.  They discover that, while they were off the grid, Australia was invaded by the Coalition Nations, and their family members, friends, and others have been taken captive.  They decide to fight back by destroying the only bridge that connects the invading army from future resources and men.

The Synopsis:
Based off a seven book series by Australian author John Marsden, "Tomorrow, When the War Began" attains unfair connections to the American "Red Dawn," where an invading army attacks America, leaving a group of ragtag youth to take back their country.

While there are some intrinsically obvious correlations, "Tomorrow" focuses more on the character development of its eight leads rather than just attacking the enemy.  The film takes its time to introduce us to the future heroes in their natural habitat, and once it all hits the fan, we have a deep relationship with these characters and are drawn to their story, perils, and hopeful survival.  This isn't just a nameless, faceless film - it's a great character study that goes beyond the obvious roles each character is assigned.

The roster of characters seems to be pulled right from "The Breakfast Club," but as I said earlier, there's more to each character than their stereotypes mean.  Ellie (Caitlin Stasey) is the tough-as-nails farmgirl, yet also struggles with relationships.  Corrie (Rachel Hurd-Wood) is the ever-loving best friend, but is also capable of fighting when it comes to it.  Kevin (Lincoln Lewis) is the jock, who also is rather a scaredy-cat.  Homer (Deniz Akdeniz) is the bad boy of the group, with a heart of gold.  Fi (Phoebe Tonkin) is the valley girl who struggles with insecurities.  Lee (Chris Pang) is the token Asian guy who harbors deep feelings for Ellie.  Robyn (Ashleigh Cummings) is the shy, religious girl who refuses to fight, until it had to be done.  Chris (Andy Ryan) is the stoner who is also incredibly intelligent.

Each character represents a different faction of life, yet when the world crashes down around them, they band together in order to stop a common enemy.  The acting might not be the best, but the action is exciting, the cast is likeable, and the story is tight.

The Summary:
Even though many make direct parallels to "Red Dawn," "Tomorrow" focuses more on the character development and relationships, making it a much more personal story filled with explosive action and a compelling story.

The Score: A-