Genre: Action | Sci-Fi
Directed by: Doug Liman
Starring: Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton
Written by: Christopher McQuarrie (screenplay), Jez Butterworth (screenplay)
Synopsis: An officer finds himself caught in a time loop in a war with an alien race. His skills increase as he faces the same brutal combat scenarios, and his union with a Special Forces warrior gets him closer and closer to defeating the enemy.
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An action film where the hero relives the same day over and over until he gets it right? It sounds a lot like Groundhog Day with a few guns and explosions in the mix. Surprisingly enough, this would be a fairly accurate assessment of Edge of Tomorrow but while it may share a similar formula, it’s a formula that’s already been proven to entertain. Many of the scenes were edited just like Groundhog Day, in a repetitive yet humorous manner. The humor was actually a welcomed addition to the action slowing the pace down with brief moments of humor in between the intense battle scenes.
The humor can be just as fun as the action.
Outside of the familiar formula, the plot was a first for this type of action film. Cage (Cruise) would relive each day of the battle which in turn gave him a tactical advantage over the enemy knowing when and how they would attack. Because of this, over the top fight sequences could be reasonably justified by the audience which allowed for an “anything goes” mentality when it came to choreography. There were no members of the audience snickering “He couldn’t do that” because with Cage’s advantage, he could arguably achieve anything from flips through the air firing a gun to an improvised kill shot with a random object on the ground. Between the choreography and the next generation weaponry, I would say the action was more than adequately pleasing.
The battles were clean and fun to watch
When it comes to action and Tom Cruise you can expect the usual “Cruisisms.” Luckily his signature run was kept to a minimum due to the use of the battle suits in the films, but despite his signature actions, he tends to do very well with the action genre. He made Cage a likable character and has proven himself as a seasoned action star which is reinforced in Edge of Tomorrow. His counterpart, Emily Blunt, proved herself as a capable action heroine as well. What I liked about Blunt was her ability to be gritty and tough while also maintaining her femininity making her sexy as well. She also bridged the sexism gap by proving herself as the dominant hero and acting as a teacher to Cage.
Blunt exudes a rigid sex appeal
I think Edge of Tomorrow may be a film forgotten in a few years, getting lost in the numerous other blockbuster action films, but at this point in time it is a fun filled, creatively written summer blockbuster. The summer is a time for movie thrill rides and this ride I definitely enjoyed.
Edge of Tomorrow – 7.5 out of 10
A creatively entertaining, summer thrill ride…
