Tomorrow, When the War Began Reviews and Ratings


  • stephenesq1
    May 16, 2012
    stephenesq1
    I'm really giving this a 4.25, but 4 stars seemed like it would be underrating the film. Tomorrow, When the War Began is a great screen adaptation of the bestselling Australian book series by John Marsden. This film is a good mix of suspense and action that any viewer can find ... read moreenjoyable. Really, it's Red Dawn set in Australia...and there's nothing wrong with that, because Red Dawn is amazing!!
  • fb100003637265940
    May 12, 2012
    fb100003637265940
    This is the best Australian movie Ive seen in a very long time. Baste on a book that looks at the idea that most of us in Australia believe will never happen including me. And its very similar to the American movie Red Dawn but I say so what this is a dame good movie I what to s... read moreee the second and the third ASAP. (12/5/2012) My Blu-ray Collection.
  • fb100000800134374
    May 4, 2012
    fb100000800134374
    Wow. What a triumph for the Australian Film Industry.

    I had low expectations for this movie. I bought the DVD a while back
    and left it in the case for a good 2 months. But I decided to watch it.
    I wanted to read the book first but because of the expectations I had
    beforehand, it... read more made me just watch it first and if it was good, read it
    later. And for a movie which was made in Australia, it definitely
    exceeded my expectations by a lot. The action/effects were one of the
    best I've seen in Australian Film Industry, considering that Australia
    isn't the one to spend big bucks on Movies. And to think that this was
    only $25 million was just wow! Lots of films in America spend a lot or
    too much for their production and usually come off as a cheesy or over-
    the-top film. But this was very different!

    The characters were quite interesting although they are quite
    stereotypical and have traits which we've all seen in the past. The
    acting of Ellie (Caitlin Stasey) exceeded my expectations by a lot!
    Before watching this I had known a little bit that she was in the show
    'Neighbours' and I've seen it a couple of times and it was cheesy and
    pretty dumb. Caitlin Stasey outdid herself in Tomorrow, When The War
    Began. Especially at her age. She pulled off a performance that many
    actors in Hollywood would struggle in. As for the other characters, I
    found that Fi (Phoebe Tonkins) not knowing what 2 Minutes Noodles was a
    bit ridiculous. I'm sure a rich-posh girl will at one point ate or at
    least heard of them before! Another interesting character was Howard.
    He was one of the stars of the film. Biggest character development
    throughout. As for the religious girl (my favorite, even though her
    traits are abit overused) I found her to be very likable and her
    acting to be pretty decent. (even though it would've not been that hard
    to play her.)

    The movie itself was very frustrating at times. 1. Not knowing who the
    opposing army were. 2. Not knowing where the hell the Australian Army
    was and not knowing where the hell the U.S or the British army were.
    But other than that, it was a great movie. And I have made a decision
    that I will buy the whole series and read it. (After I read The Hobbit
    though) And one last thing....I CANT WAIT FOR THE SECOND FILM.

    (Sorry, If there were any grammatical or spelling mistakes. I'm only
    14)
  • ptunny
    April 27, 2012
    ptunny
    Great action and cute boys to look at .
  • Peandpi
    April 17, 2012
    Peandpi
    It's an interesting concept executed badly. The movie will be over before you ever feel like it has begun thanks to nothing much ever really happening. The script is terrible at time but the actors do well with what they have to work with. It ends with with the hope of a sequel w... read morehich probably wont happen which cheapens the entire movie. Its a shame, Tomorrow when the war began could have been a great film with global success, but that will never be...
  • brentage5000
    April 16, 2012
    brentage5000
    Although it is based on a YA book series (as most everything seems to be these days), there are some definite similarities to Red State, the american "teenagers waging a guerilla war in their invaded homeland" movie (and it's unfortunate remake, natch). That being said, each of t... read morehe seven leads does a great job, giving solid performances worthy of pretty much any movie. There's rarely a moment that the post-occupation atmosphere isn't fully realized, and their nervous distracting chatter about who's kissing who and such actually felt pretty genuine, as a way of keeping them from thinking too much about the fact that they could die at any moment (much like real soldiers will make plans for when they strike it rich back home). On that point, the script is very serious, never losing sight of the fact that these are still teenagers waging war with their own viewpoints on the situation, rather than a group of specially trained black-ops mercenaries as some reviewers below seem to forget they're not. The ending is extremely open, leaving things very up in the air for the characters should the production team get clearance to film the rest of the series. Even if they don't, the open ending still works well, showing that these kids aren't goping to save everything all at once and that they are still humans prone to failing, making this one excellent film by the time it's all over.
  • Rar287
    April 6, 2012
    Rar287
    Knew most of the locations that the movie was filmed in awesome stuff when its filmed in an area that you know.
  • DavidC641
    April 4, 2012
    DavidC641
    An awesome movie about a group of teenagers getting stuck in middle of a war!
  • superclerk25
    March 19, 2012
    superclerk25
    I love the concept and execution of the novel but there were times when I could tell this was created from a young adult series of books. While Red Dawn didn't hold back when it came to the reality of the risk the characters put themselves in this one seems to shy away from it. I... read moret's a great start to what could be a great series of films.
  • jeffreyjuman
    February 24, 2012
    jeffreyjuman
    Saw this last year...
  • ronronmanay
    February 17, 2012
    ronronmanay
    Hi guys 7 days left and we will gonna witness the amazing movie of the year "Tomorrow When The War Began " in selected US theaters, also available on Itune, Amazon, DVD or in Demand. This is the most awaited breath-taking, action-packed movie of the year based on the best-selling... read more novel of John Marsden, directed by Stuart Beattie. Don't dare miss this movie or like this Facebook Page http://www.facebook.com/twtwb.usa for the updates and for more information
  • fb599488522
    January 13, 2012
    fb599488522
    Interesting movie. When you begin to watch it. It starts of like a chick flick, a-lot of drama and some comedy but through the movie it turns into more action and turns into a pretty good movie. The comedy in the movie gives you a-lot of laughs. I think it's a good first part and... read more i will be waiting for the second part.
  • fb546372832
    January 5, 2012
    fb546372832
    I was surprised at how much I loved this movie. I am always ready to be underwhelmed by Australian made movies (even though I am Australian, let's face it, we don't often release something blockbuster-worthy) but I was very impressed. Not just with the special effects, but also t... read morehe acting and the way the whole movie came together. It was very -on the edge of your seat- and kept me enthralled throughout the duration. Can't wait to see the next one.
  • booklover11
    November 25, 2011
    booklover11
    Hmmmm.... I'm not sure, I'll guess I'll check it out, but it's not at the top of my "Most Awaited" list.
  • Duriretlan
    November 7, 2011
    Duriretlan
    It's not realistic, but that didn't bother me for whatever reason. Maybe it amused me. I tried reading the first book of this series as a requirement in 8th grade English but it bored me to absolute tears and I made my teacher allow me to read another book instead (the whole clas... read mores was reading the same book and it was that bad for me!). Thankfully the movie was more amusing. Might try the books again now that I'm older.
  • OakBridge
    October 11, 2011
    OakBridge
    As far as action movies go, this one is surprisingly decent. The story is captivating, the actors are above average (though none of them is truly great, though some of them show promise) and the action is put together rather well. The whole idea of war just starting out of nowher... read moree is a bit far-fetched, but it's believable enough for me to suspend my disbelief. The movie's problem is that some of the characters are extremely stereotypical (Chris and Robyn, anyone?) and quite frankly not that interesting. So it's a real pain to be forced to watch them, especially when whole scenes are dedicated to them. But, all in all I can honestly say that this movie is worth watching. It provides great action, some really decent drama and good scenery porn. Approved.
  • Reoffender
    September 15, 2011
    Reoffender
    This film really surprised me. Well made, interspersed with humour that lightened the overarching sombre feeling where necessary. Yes the romances felt a little forced and convenient. Yes it was a little odd to have unnamed Asian country as the occupiers but I think the film make... read morers were trying to step away from the indeterminate invaders of "Middle-Eastern appearance". If Australian films like this can't find a wider audience then I worry for the future of Australian cinema.
  • Awesomenista
    September 5, 2011
    Awesomenista
    "Tomorrow When the war Began" is the First book in the Series known as the "Tomorrow Series", a series of seven books and a further series known as "The Ellie Chronicles" by Australian Author John Marsden.

    This Book was Year ten English reading for many Australian schools in the... read more late 90's and early 00's

    Tomorrow when the War Began concerns itself with seven Australian teenage friends from a rural town who go on a camping trip to "Hell" (the name given to the destination), and while on this camping trip find the way to an area many thought myth, a place well hidden, while camping in this newly found place Australia is invaded by an unnamed country, changing their lives forever.

    The Movie does live up to the books, though it is ten years since I last read them, I still choke up at the thought of several of the scenes depicted in the book, and seeing them on the big screen, depicted as well as I could have hoped has left me yearning for the rest of this series to be as well done.
  • mokeypokeyrocker
    September 3, 2011
    mokeypokeyrocker
    havent read the book so i dont know if it was a faithful adaptation but it was fun to watch. the only down side is its trying to be realistic and create tension but it just doesnt. maybe thats because the moment something "dramatic" happens some character starts trying to do some... read morething funny or has some lines to move the story along. i found my self laughing when i shouldve been crying or "worrying" about a character.
  • fromturningintoamons
    August 16, 2011
    fromturningintoamons
    I loved it, this is why I love Australians (:
  • celestealmenzo
    August 4, 2011
    celestealmenzo
    a very nice movie...love it..looking forward to the next episode...=)
  • hannahteddy42
    July 13, 2011
    hannahteddy42
    I Love This Movie, Cant Wait for the Rest to come out!
  • bssmith4
    June 19, 2011
    bssmith4
    OK so now that i have seen the film and know the books it a must see so if you do then you have to read the books and see what trouble the kids get into in the rest of the books sorry can't remember the end "sorry"

    ""PLEASE NOTE""
    well on the hunt to find out if the next boo... read morek is going to be turned into a film "i came across this quote'(on Tomorrow-Movies.com) so read into what you want .

    "Looks like "The Dead Of The Night" is on its way, according to The Age!

    Tomorrow writer/director Stuart Beattie has revealed he's working on the next chapter after the success of the big-budget production.


    "I'm writing a new screenplay and they've just asked me to write the sequel to "Tomorrow, When The War Began" so I'll be working on that as well," he told reporters at the AFI awards in Melbourne on Saturday."
    This entry was posted on Tuesday, December 14th, 2010 at 6:36 am,

Summary

Tomorrow, When the War Began Summary