The Tomorrow War (2021)

Soldiers from 2051 step out of a portal in the middle of a World Cup match, and not one person in the movie wonders who was winning. Chris Pratt plays Dan, a science teacher drafted into a future war against fast, screeching aliens, and the first jump into a burning Miami is a legit great set piece. Sam Richardson’s panicky Charlie is the best thing in the movie. J. K. Simmons shows up as Dan’s estranged dad with arms like he’s been bench-pressing the plot. Then the time travel rules start bending to whatever the next scene needs, and at 138 minutes the third act feels like a whole new movie bolted on. A reported $200M bought great creatures and mostly flat people, and since it went to streaming, it made just $14.4 million worldwide in theaters. A 4.2 because the first hour is a blast and the rest collapses under its own logic. $2.71 says the next time you watch a soccer match, you keep glancing at the corner of the field for a portal.

What works: The first trip into the future, a few strong creature attacks and Sam Richardson’s nervous comic relief.

What doesn’t: The time travel logic falls apart, the 138 minutes drag, and the third act feels like a different movie.

Who it’s for: Action fans who want big alien battles on the couch and won’t pause to check the math.