Tomorrow, When the War Began may feel like an Australian take on Red Dawn, but it is actually based on a young adult series of novels. The first twenty minutes of Tomorrow, When the War Began establishes who the characters are in relation to each other and their rural town before they go away for a camping trip. When they come back, their families are missing, the phone lines and Internet are down, and there is no electricity. While they were gone, an unknown Asian force invaded Australia, but Tomorrow, When the War Began does not get xenophobic and highlights the Asian Australians as heroes and fellow citizens. I’m not sure if the same can be said for the Greek immigrants, who are characterized as inherently wild and rebellious: “proud, rebellious Greek side.”
Tomorrow, When the War Began is a bit better than Red Dawn if only because there is one shot where the main character looks at a mural and silently relates more to the aborigines at the edge of the forest than her European forefathers. Tomorrow, When the War Began creates a moment of visual historical emotional resonance that strengthens the CW elements of the rest of the story. Violence isn’t glorified, but an ugly necessity for survival that can damage as well as protect the wielder of the sword.
The female characters show more character development than their male counterparts, but all the characters are believable as young teenage human beings. Their primary concerns aren’t pairing off, but surviving. Even if the beginning establishing shots seemed trite, they make it believable that these kids could not only survive, but hurt an invading force because they are comfortable in the wild and handling heavy machinery. Tomorrow, When the War Began stars Caitlin Stasey before she became famous as Kenna on the CW series, Reign. It is great to see Stasey play a heroine who uses her brains and brawn over her beauty. There is a great Christian female character who wrestles with how to uphold her Christian ideals during war. The uptown girl is shown as a normal person who rises to the occasion and can gradually abandon gender norms for practical concerns. The only real relationship is disillusioned when her relationship briefly falters in the face of fear and enemy fire. When relationships are discussed, danger takes over.
Tomorrow, When the War Began is a great dystopian tale that stands effectively on its own after the initial twenty minutes. Warning: dogs are in danger. I may even read the books.