When people talk or write about Edge of Tomorrow, they will inevitably call it “sci-fi Groundhog Day” or “Groundhog Day with aliens” or something like that. It’s an apt comparison, considering that the film uses the same basic premise of living a day over and over and over again. Tom Cruise plays Major William Cage, an army bureaucrat who winds up on the front line invading alien-held France despite his complete lack of combat experience. Through sheer dumb luck he manages to kill one of the aliens, at which point he “dies” and wakes up before the invasion. And then it happens again, and again, and again, living the same day and battle until he dies and it starts again. However, since he has lived that day before, he uses his knowledge to slowly become more and more deadly on the battlefield each time he repeats, getting a little further each time. Eventually, he meets legendary soldier Rita Vrataski (Emily Blunt), and he realizes that with her help, he might be able to use his ability to win the war…
Directed by Doug Liman (Mr. and Mrs. Smith, The Bourne Identity), Edge of Tomorrow is an adaption of the light novel All You Need is Kill by Japanese author Hiroshi Sakurazaka. Although this film uses a Groundhog Day time loop as the basis of its plot, the film uses the element in a way that’s never been done before (as far as I know). What could have been just another run-of-the-mill sci-fi action movie (Cruise’s last film Oblivion springs to mind…) is actually a surprisingly entertaining film. In fact, in this age of constant sequels, prequels, reimaginings and unnecessary two-part films, this feels refreshing and new. It manages to take an old premise and change it enough to be something different.
The plot is further buoyed by Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt, both of whom I was surprised to watch perform so well. Cruise’s character starts off as a cowardly rookie (to the point that he doesn’t know how to turn his gun’s safety off), but after repeating the same battle over and over again he slowly grows into a highly competent soldier. Blunt’s character, on the other hand, is an extreme bad-ass from the get-go (she is colloquially known as “The Fullmetal Bitch”), and she plays the warrior very well. It was nice to see both Blunt in such a different role than her usual fare and Cruise act really well, proving he can actually be entertaining when he’s in a good movie.
Directed by Doug Liman (Mr. and Mrs. Smith, The Bourne Identity), Edge of Tomorrow is an adaption of the light novel All You Need is Kill by Japanese author Hiroshi Sakurazaka. Although this film uses a Groundhog Day time loop as the basis of its plot, the film uses the element in a way that’s never been done before (as far as I know). What could have been just another run-of-the-mill sci-fi action movie (Cruise’s last film Oblivion springs to mind…) is actually a surprisingly entertaining film. In fact, in this age of constant sequels, prequels, reimaginings and unnecessary two-part films, this feels refreshing and new. It manages to take an old premise and change it enough to be something different.
The plot is further buoyed by Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt, both of whom I was surprised to watch perform so well. Cruise’s character starts off as a cowardly rookie (to the point that he doesn’t know how to turn his gun’s safety off), but after repeating the same battle over and over again he slowly grows into a highly competent soldier. Blunt’s character, on the other hand, is an extreme bad-ass from the get-go (she is colloquially known as “The Fullmetal Bitch”), and she plays the warrior very well. It was nice to see both Blunt in such a different role than her usual fare and Cruise act really well, proving he can actually be entertaining when he’s in a good movie.
This is a sci-fi action film first and foremost, and the action sequences don’t disappoint. The human soldiers are equipped with cool power armor (and in Blunt’s case a massive sword…) that they use to fight the aliens, called Mimics. The Mimics themselves are bizarre, tentacled things which are entirely computer generated. The CGI is done well though, and the alien’s otherworldly appearance makes them a bit more threatening than many antagonistic aliens. The action scenes are well choreographed and put the gimmick of Cruise’s character having lived them before to good use numerous times. There’s also a surprising amount of humor due to the time loop, such as Rita repeatedly shooting William in the head to reset the day and his often amusing reactions. All-in-all, it’s very balanced between action, plot, good acting, and a dose of black humor.
I think the buzz word for this movie is surprise. I was surprised that this was more than just another clichéd Hollywood sci-fi action moneymaker. I was surprised that Tom Cruise acted as well as he did and that Blunt played such a good warrior. And I was surprised that a movie could take a unique concept that has clearly been done before (in this case, the time loop) and use it to tell a new, fresh story. While this is not a groundbreaking or revolutionary film that will be talked about for years to come, it does have much more quality and much more originality than I would expect out of a Hollywood blockbuster. Since the purpose of a Hollywood blockbuster is to entertain us, I would say that Edge of Tomorrow does its job surprisingly well.
Grade: B+
I think the buzz word for this movie is surprise. I was surprised that this was more than just another clichéd Hollywood sci-fi action moneymaker. I was surprised that Tom Cruise acted as well as he did and that Blunt played such a good warrior. And I was surprised that a movie could take a unique concept that has clearly been done before (in this case, the time loop) and use it to tell a new, fresh story. While this is not a groundbreaking or revolutionary film that will be talked about for years to come, it does have much more quality and much more originality than I would expect out of a Hollywood blockbuster. Since the purpose of a Hollywood blockbuster is to entertain us, I would say that Edge of Tomorrow does its job surprisingly well.
Grade: B+
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