Tomorrow When the War Began (Caitlin Stasey, Lincoln Lewis) : Movie Review
September 6, 2010 by Tony Montana
Filed under Featured, Movie Reviews, Movies
Firmly entrenched in at least one generations’ formative years, John Marsden’s Tomorrow When the War Began series of novels about a group of Australian teens fighting back against an invasion force is the kind of thing any other country would have turned into a movie a decade ago.
Fortunately for the books’ thousands of fans, the wait – due in part thanks to John Marsden’s own reluctance about a film adaptation – was worth it.
Up north, where Australia is even more Aussie than usual (Flags! Wheat! Australia Day!), a bunch of teens who really don’t seem to have much of a reason to hang out together decide to go on a camping trip to “Hell” – an isolated waterhole miles into the bush.
They have a good time, despite an awful lot of military planes flying overhead, but when they get back they discover the farms are empty, their pets are dead, and a firmly non-Aussie military force has everyone locked up at the local showgrounds.
Looks like its time to break out the hunting rifles and take back this once proud land – though that quickly proves to be a lot more difficult both physically and mentally than they first thought.
As big screen blockbusters go, writer and first-time director Stuart Beattie isn’t swinging for the fences with his version of the Tomorrow When the War Began series’ first book. But the relatively small scale action is both impressive (for a local production) and entirely suitable.
Tomorrow When The War Began
This is a story about regular kids, not action heroes.
The low-key acting and sometimes creaky dialogue has the same effect, presenting traditional soapie-style teens and then thrusting them into a new and dangerous world.
Tomorrow When the War Began isn’t a subtle film – even the identity of the invaders (kept mysterious in the books) is fairly obvious – but despite some plot tweaks the strength of the central concept remains.
If Australia’s ever going to have a hit home-grown action film, this is it.
WATCH OUT FOR | RATING : 4 out of 5
