At the Theater - "Edge of Tomorrow" (2014) - Tom Cruise stars as the cowardly officer, "Major William Cage", who finds himself dropped into battle against an alien invasion- a chance encounter with one of the creatures leaves him caught in a time loop, able to relive each day's events and hone his combat skills with the help of an accomplished soldier (Emily Blunt) who has experienced the same rare "looping" phenomenon. Very loosely based on a Japanese "light" novel entitled "All You Need Is Kill", Edge... is an entertaining and satisfactory big-budgeted Sci-Fi/Actioner with a few nagging problems.
Overall, I enjoyed it- though the repetition (and lack of gravity given the situation) did cause me to zone out of the experience for a few moments and ultimately left me wishing it had been a straightforward invasion/war flick without the contrivance. There's no weight to a narrative where a character has a seemingly endless supply of lives in an action oriented film, with the approach removing all suspense and palpable tension. One can't possibly care if our hero dies or not at any point throughout the majority of the film's run-time. It's a movie that should thrill gamers, though I'm not a gamer. The time loop gimmick was pulled off substantially better in 1993's "Groundhog Day" and 2011's "Source Code"- the recurring scenarios were more expertly edited and handled, lending to a fresher experience.
Emily Blunt (Looper) essentially co-stars as the legendary warrior, "Sergeant Rita Vrataski" aka "The Angel Of Verdun" aka "Full Metal Bitch"- Although Cruise, once again as charismatic and as dramatically sharp as any leading man in Hollywood, is fine here, I found myself wishing the filmmakers would have pulled a switcheroo and thrust the British actress into the role of central protagonist/heroine at some point during the film's final act. The setup was there, though it appeared they were hesitant to trust in her inherent talents.
Irish actor Brendan Gleeson (Troy) is wasted as a no-nonsense General, while Bill Paxton (Titanic) pops up a few times as a Drill Sergeant. Noah Taylor (Submarine) rounds out the notable cast as a scientist-turned-mechanic who aides our duo.
Problems-
Don't give too much thought to the military strategy behind the onscreen battles- apparently the filmmakers just wanted to slap some cool visuals onscreen supported by very little logic. It's a little goofy to see a futuristic tale where Earth's assault forces consists of propeller driven (!), Osprey-like airships dropping mech-suited warriors into ground based battles via guy wires (?). What the hell happened to just bombing the shit out of the creatures, the majority of which reside just a few feet under the ground? C'Mon, Man! "It's only a movie" is the most common irresponsible reply from those making excuses from the dumb shit pulled in films. Furthermore, the absence of blood on the battlefields (sterile and whitewashed for a PG-13 rating) also bothered me throughout.
Early in the film, Cruise's Cage (branded a deserter) is handed over to a squad of misfits known as J Company- this motley band of grunts proves to be nothing more than a collection of cardboard stereotypes with precious little depth given to each character. I suspect audiences won't remember specifics concerning any one them after 24 hours of an initial viewing.
Lastly, a certain narrative convenience thrown in at the eleventh hour allows for an upbeat ending and smacks of writers who have painted themselves into a corner. Although it's a serviceable ending, it just feels shoehorned in for happiness's sake.
-End of Problems
The weaponized mechanical exoskeletons, or "Jackets", were commendably well done and practical while the majority of the warrior "Mimics" were a spinning, lashing, blurred tangle of CGI- you never get a good look at the damned things. The substantially larger Alpha Mimics are more impressively rendered, though utilized sparingly. The effects work regarding the various battle scenes and close quarters confrontations are often impressive, while the sound design is admirable- if you're going to see it, see it in a quality theater.
Director Doug Liman (The Bourne Identity) and Cinematographer Dion Beebe have crafted a rather cold looking film, often blue-grey and overcast, yet it's filmed well and events are fairly easy to follow. Christophe Beck's original score for the film is serviceable, yet unremarkable. I was a bit disappointed to find that Fieldwork's "This Is Not The End", utilized in trailers for the film, is nowhere to be found throughout its run-time (misstep). John Newman's catchy "Love Me Again" is the song that plays during the end credits, for those interested.
Cruise and Blunt keep matters interesting and the film is surprisingly funny- it's a little too busy and safe for it's own good, yet should please the majority looking for spectacle-driven, popcorn escapism. I enjoyed 2013's "Oblivion" a bit more because of the leaner, more straightforward storyline, dynamic cinematography and believe the effects work was substantially sharper (practical and set oriented).
Ultimately, Edge Of Tomorrow made me miss the simplicity and the gravitas of 1986's "Aliens"- a similarly-themed film which I believe is the gold standard for SCI-FI/War flicks.
8.0 out of 10
Director: Doug Liman
Cast: Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton, Brendan Gleeson, Jonas Armstrong, Tony Way, Kick Gurry, Franz Drameh, Dragomir Mrsic, Charlotte Riley, Masayoshi Haneda and Noah Taylor
Run-Time: 113 minutes
MPAA: Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence, language and brief suggestive material
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