Familiar battlefield in 'Tomorrow War'

Perhaps because of a time-travel gimmick and what seems like an endless barrage of automatic-weapon fire, The Tomorrow War feels very much like yesterday’s movie. Chris Pratt portrays Dan Forester, an Iraq veteran who’s drafted by the US government  to travel into the future to fight alien creatures that are threatening to devour every human on the planet. Forester leaves his wife (Betty Gilpin) and young daughter and “jumps” to the future with a familiar assignment: save humanity. The aliens are of a common sort; i.e., they have tentacles, very sharp teeth, and a vaguely reptilian look. This part of the movie puts Dan in the company of other draftees, notably a scientist played by Sam Richardson and a hard-boiled combat veteran portrayed by Edwin Hodge.  Once transported to the future -- credit under-explained technological breakthroughs -- Forester and his cohorts land in Miami, which has been reduced to rubble. The action eventually shifts to the Dominican Republic where Forester meets Romeo Command (Yvonne Strahovski), a woman who's leading the fight against the aliens. Director Chris McKay piles on the mind-numbing action before taking Forester back to his own time. At this point, Tomorrow War adopts a somewhat lighter tone, adding a bit of humor. After appearing briefly in the first half, a welcome J.K. Simmons, returns as Dan's estranged father. It’s too little Simmons, too late. The screenplay by Zach Dean flirts with issues about fathers and sons and fathers and daughters but the major point seems to be action piled on more action, all revolving around a premise that tramples credibility at nearly every turn.