Tomorrow

A great job was done by Writer/Director Stuart Beattie in bringing to life the Critically acclaimed teen novel Tomorrow When the War Began!

This film helps to illustrate that Australia is making a long needed change in its cinema. Beattie clearly shows that he was paying attention when he was part of some of those great films he penned in Hollywood; Collateral, 30 Days of Night and another lesser known trilogy, soon to become a quartet, Pirates of the Caribbean.

There were some really great scenes with some superb acting by the young stars, especially Melbourne's own Caitlin Stasey who does a brilliant job as Ellie Linton. As a fan, as are many, of the books, though not having read them when I was younger but only shortly after the announcement of the film, I thoroughly enjoyed the adaptation. It provided some humour, some tension, some great action and refreshing moral take for an action film. Where the characters struggle with the idea of killing another human being, which of course is a very prevalent theme in the books and so retained well. Although I don't feel that this film tried to be more than what it really was, an action film, aimed at a teen audience. The film hit that mark and stayed there.

One of the great things about the books is that the "enemy" is never identified. The origin of the invaders is never brought to light. I wondered how, in a visual medium such as film, the film makers would pull this off. They've taken from the idea that, whichever country they did come from, it had to be over populated and close, as there had to be a need or a want of space, because if anything that's what there is her in oz.

All in all an entertaining Australian film, which I hope is the start of many good genre films to come.