Edge of Tomorrow (2014)
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Edge of Tomorrow Movie Review
Edge of Tomorrow is a 2014 science fiction action film directed by Doug Liman and starring Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt. It’s one of the best genre movies of the decade.
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“Come find me when you wake up!“
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After the alien forces launch an attack on Earth and threaten to wipe out the human race, Captain Cage, who is trapped in a time loop, teams up with a warrior to save the planet. Based on a famous Japanese light novel, this movie functions pretty much as yet another take on that iconic time loop formula that was first established back in ‘Groundhog Day’. Thus, it isn’t original in the main idea alone, but how it approached the concept was unique.
What we have here is a SF take on a time loop narrative with aliens as the prime villainous force that has to be defeated. Above all else there is a significant video game influence on this film that was rare to find in Hollywood up to this point in time. The whole death and rebirth concept is reminiscent of the respawning concept that can be found in many games, and it was fascinating witnessing it in the context of cinema.
Tom Cruise has always had a great track record with picking out quality movies and this is no exception. Perfectly cast and quite memorable, Cruise also gets to die multiple times during this movie, which made this a different than usual role for him, one that is also quite comedic at times. He delivered in both the comedic and action chops.
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Bill Paxton is also terrific in the role of this typically aggressive American sergeant. But the major standout is Emily Blunt, who got to kick some serious ass in the role of a very cool female sergeant who accompanies Cruise’s character on the mission to fight aliens. The two had phenomenal chemistry in this flick and it was quite refreshing seeing a film where Cruise is relegated to the second coolest character.
Edge of Tomorrow benefits from outstanding action. Yes, this is one of the rare action movies that constantly engaged me as a viewer because the set pieces are superb and the action is consistently innovative and memorable. You get to see basically the same scene repeated throughout a lot of the runtime, but every single time the scene takes a different shape, which made the movie consistently fresh and exciting.
The movie has that interesting, strong mix of a playful tone and very high stakes that really worked. You realize that the extraterrestrial threat is serious, but you also get to have a great time watching the film due to its very brisk pace, kinetic energy and a lot of playful humor and dialogue employed. Doug Liman directed the film splendidly while the editing was particularly accomplished, which was crucial for this type of story.
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I also liked the aliens’ designs, behavior and just how ferocious they were. They posed some genuine threat to our heroes, which made the movie more thrilling and exciting. The sound and score are quite strong and the VFX are excellent. Yes, the third act did conclude with a serious case of dues ex machina, but that is to be expected from this kind of plot, so I ultimately forgave them for it.
Superbly crafted from a technical standpoint and genuinely riveting throughout, Edge of Tomorrow is truly one of the best genre flicks in recent memory. Emily Blunt was badass while Tom Cruise was refreshingly spirited and amusing. The basic time loop idea is familiar, but the SF twist on it was unique and so was the video game-inspired respawning conceit. It’s a film that fired on all cylinders – the action is thrilling, the stakes are high and the tone is wonderfully playful – and it’s a rare case of a modern American blockbuster that is difficult not to love.
My Rating – 4.5
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