Edge of Tommorow
Director: Doug Liman
Cast Headliners: Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt
Original Release Date: June 6, 2014
Edge of Tommorow is based on a manga titled All You Need
is Kill. It takes place in the not-too-distant future on a Earth that has been
assaulted and subsequently occupied by dangerous alien creatures called “Mimics”
for their ability to seemingly be able to copy the combat tactics of the allied
United Defense Forces.
It’s interesting that one of the best assets of this film
is the least explosive. Tom Cruise plays
Major William Cage, a military man in the UDF who had been used to being behind
a desk and not the front lines. Through shenangins he finds himself being
prepared to deploy on the frontlines of the war against the Mimics against his
will. Cage is incredibly charismatic and
Cruise’s performance as him really ties the movie together.
A movie about Tom Cruise being forced into being a grunt
in an alien war would be enticing enough but things are complicated when he is
exposed to Mimic blood which makes him repeat the previous day up until when he
dies, over and over. At times it can be
overwhelming to the brain to see repetition of scenes, but luckily Cruise’s
performance and director Doug Liman’s crisp editing make it tolerable. He is joined in this quest by fellow soldier
Sgt. Rita Vrataski(Emily Blunt) who is the only other person to have this power
as well. If Cruise is the heart of the
movie, Blunt’s Rita is its ultimate cool
with her fierce demeanor and combat skills.
Their dialogue is pretty good and the two of them become a great team. There is definitely a complex bent to this
film.
The action scenes are solid nonetheless. The UDF soldiers
have awesome armored battle suits fitted with AI, rockets, and powerful jumps.
It’s like something out of a video game, the difference being though that the
enemies are sometimes hard to see. The Mimics move so fast it is at times hard
to see them. It’s almost as if the soldiers are shooting so slickly and awesome
at… nothing. But this is not always the
case; some of the action moments are absolutely incredible due to the film’s
great visuals.
Edge of Tommorow manages to make the “repeating day”
formula work in a sci-fi context. It’s not perfect, but it’s highlights do
shine. 8.2 out of 10
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