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40x40

David McK (3692 KP) rated The Tomorrow War (2021) in Movies

Aug 27, 2021 (Updated Nov 23, 2024)  
The Tomorrow War (2021)
The Tomorrow War (2021)
2021 | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
6
7.3 (19 Ratings)
Movie Rating
I was unaware until a spot of research after I had watched this (via Amazon Prime) that this was actually one of those movies that was originally meant to be shown in the cinema.

And then the Covid-19 pandemic hit.

Which - aside from the obvious! - is a pity where this was concerned: I do feel that it would have had more of an impact, more of a presence, on the big screen than on the small.

The plot is a take on the usual timey-wimey (to steal a phrase from the BBCs Doctor Who) type of stuff, where visitors from the future (IIRC, about 30 years or so) arrive in the present to recruit their ancestors to fight in an ongoing war against alien 'White Spikes' invaders: a war which humanity is currently losing.

The film then follows Chris Pratt's ex-military (natch) character Dan Forester, who ends up being one of those drafted to fight in the future: I say drafted, as the tour of duty is only meant to be about 7 days long, but most don't make it back or come back horribly (and psychologically) scarred, so - not surprising - most people try to avoid having to go!

Yes, if you think about it too much your head will probably hurt from all the paradoxes involved ...

Yes, it's enjoyable
  
40x40

Paul Kellett (118 KP) rated This War of Mine: The Board Game in Tabletop Games

May 27, 2019  
This War of Mine: The Board Game
This War of Mine: The Board Game
2017 | Adult, Adventure, Exploration, Modern Warfare, Video Game Theme
8
8.0 (4 Ratings)
Tabletop Game Rating
Very immersive experience (4 more)
Great solo game
Stands out as a piece of art
Great teaching tool
Great storytelling game
Brutally hard (1 more)
Adult and disturbing depictions of war
Brutal Survival game
This War of Mine is a game of civilians struggling to survive in the middle of a war. It is harsh, brutal and contains scenes that some players might find distressing.

It is gritty, realistic and very hard. It's a remarkable game that really makes you think and can stand as a piece of art, capable of teaching about the harsh realities of war and humanity.

You play as a group of 3 (or 4) civilians trying to survive. You have to rebuild your shelter to try and barricade against the cold and other raiding groups.

A fully cooperative game, no player controls a single character but takes turns deciding what the group will do and resolving situations.

Split into phases, you spend the day building up your shelter, adding beds, workshops and other items that might ease your struggles.
You will try different combinations of things to try and work out the most efficient and vital components to build first. Depending on the whim of the various encounter and event cards as to how well these things will work.

The night phase is the main part of the game. You need to send people out to scavenge the nearby ruined buildings, post a guard to protect your shelter and try to get some rest. This is a fine balancing act and you will be forced to push the survivors to breaking point in order to do any of these things.

Scavenging brings danger from snipers, soldiers and other aggressive survivors trying to defend their property.
You pick one of 3 locations to investigate and build an encounter deck. As you explore, you reveal cards, find valuable resources, food, medicine, bandages, weapons and parts crucial to building better items in your shelter.

While scavenging, you will be told to reference numbered paragraphs in the Book of Scripts. This tells the story of what and who you find and it is this that brings home the grim reality of what you are doing.
You will have to make some terrible decisions - do you return home empty handed and risk one of your group dying from hunger or illness or do you steal the supplies you need from the old couple you found hiding in the ruined apartment?

This game is definitely not for everyone but I firmly believe that everyone should experience it at least once.
I borrowed a copy from someone in my game group and played a couple of short games before handing it back but I found myself thinking about it a lot afterwards and ended up buying it myself.

This War of Mine is definitely much more than just a boardgame. It is art. It is a lesson in humanity and the harsh reality of war.