Tomorrow, When the War Began (2010)!

You might as well call Tomorrow, When the War Began the Australian version of Red Dawn…because that’s basically what it is. Now I’m not one of the people who grew up watching Red Dawn, so I don’t have any sense of nostalgia for it. Even though Red Dawn was a pretty good film, I actually liked Tomorrow, When the War Began better.

Based on the novel of the same name by John Marsden, Tomorrow, When the War Began is about a group of high school students living in Australia. They just so happen to go on a camping trip the week their country gets invaded by unknown enemies. They quickly say goodbye to their carefree teen years and say hello to survival of the fittest.

The characters are likeable and are led by a strong female, Ellie (Caitlin Stasey). It’s nice to see a smart female who keeps her cool and is willing to draw first blood if things get down and dirty. This was changed a bit from the book, but it was for the better. The story has been done before as mentioned above, but there are some differences from Red Dawn that keeps this film more exciting…like the action!

There is far more action in Tomorrow, When the War Began than in Red Dawn. There are huge explosions, lots of tension, and bullets flying everywhere. One night time car chase scene in particular was amazing enough to net the film “Best Action Sequence” award at ActionFest 2011.

Fans of the book should be pleased by the film, and for anyone who hasn’t heard of the original then you’ll be pleased to find this little gem AND its sequel coming out in 2012.

Action Rating: 2 1/2 Gasoline Trucks, out of 5!

This is the Action Flick Chick, and you’ve just been kicked in the ass!