Movie Review: EDGE OF TOMORROW (2014)

The biggest a-list ‘star’ to have a consistent love affair with the Science Fiction genre returns in a big way with a ‘Groundhog’s Day’ styled movie in ‘Edge Of Tomorrow’ which takes advantage of an already used concept but still creates an engaging, kick-your-ass adventure in the meantime. Check out my Movie Review and let me know what you thought about this movie.

[schema type=”movie” url=”http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1631867/” name=”Edge Of Tomorrow” director=”Doug Liman” actor_1=”Tom Cruise” ]

Blank Page Rating: 3 out of 5 Gun Safety’s

Tom Cruise is one of those actors with a larger than life off screen personality, which usually takes over the character he plays, and leaves very little of the fictional person we’re supposed to be watching. Cruise is also known for cool and slick action hero roles, which are getting tired after decades of the same portrayals, over and over. However, ‘Edge Of Tomorrow’ sees the aging action hero as a hapless coward, who is thrust into a situation where he has to save the world, while wetting himself in fear of having to do so.

When Aliens have invaded the world and soldiers are needed, a broadcasting tycoon turns his skills towards becoming the Press Liaison for the military in order to avoid actual combat. His plan is abruptly put to an end as his refusal to fight rubs the right General the wrong way, and he is thrown into combat with a squadron of grunts, into a mechanized suit that he has no idea how to operate, to fight in a war he doesn’t want to be in. During his first battle, something happens and Cruise’s Cage is stuck in a repeating loop of living the same day over and over again, and the only way to stop it, is to save the world.

‘Edge Of Tomorrow’ is an exhilarating ride that fuses together a bunch of plot devices and story telling formats that have been used often enough to no longer be innovative, but are packaged in a fun and adventurous manner to make something new out of the old. The repeating day, alien invasion, mechanized suits are all concepts that have been done before, but with some modifications, Director Doug Liman is able to tell an interesting enough story to keep us on the edge of our seats. A big part of this has to do with the characterization of Cage, who starts off as a whiny and intolerable man, but eventually has to man up and take the responsibility that’s been placed on him by sheer coincidence.

The story follows cowardly Cage, as he lives the same day over and over again, only resetting when he dies, while being able to retain all his memories of his experiences. This allows Cage to transform from a sniveling businessman to a true action hero as his experience each day hardens him almost into a war veteran. The progression is gradual and Cruise does a great job of featuring all of it on his face alone. Emily Blunt joins him as a famous war hero who’s gone through a similar experience, and help Cage navigate through this predicament. Blunt is a wonderful actor, and it’s awesome seeing her in a role that is so physically demanding, while her otherwise charismatic demeanor lends itself to being the rigid and grumpy soldier in this movie.

‘Edge Of Tomorrow’ is yet another pretty good Sci-Fi action movie from Cruise, who knows how to pick scripts that are going to be executed well enough to be interesting and something that has repeat viewing ability (pun intended). The action scenes alone are fun and thrilling to watch, while there is just enough light humor infused to keep things from getting bogged down by too much serious-ness. Cruise plays Cage almost as an annoying character with little heart in the beginning, but matures into the genre through out the film. Liman finds the perfect balance between kick-you-in-the-throat action with enough dramatic gravitas in the scenes to make ‘Edge Of Tomorrow’ a true action blockbuster, if not only that.

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