Edge of Tomorrow spoiler-free review

Release Date: June 6, 2014
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
Distributor: Warner Bros. Pictures
Budget: 178 million

 

Director: Doug Liman
Writer: Christopher McQuarrie, Jez Butterworth, John Henry-Butterworth
Score: Christophe Beck
Cinematography: Dion Beebe

 

Starring:
Tom Cruise
Emily Blunt
Bill Paxton

 

Based on: All You Need is Kill by Hiroshi Sakurazaka

 

Running Time: 113 minutes

 

  Director Doug Liman is back at the chair once again, this time adopting a popular Japanese novel to the big screen. Honestly, adaptation or not, let's just hope this is a better movie than his 2008 film Jumper.

 

   So Edge of Tomorrow is a mind bending sci-fi about a military officer who is unjustly thrown in a war against alien invasors. After a he suffers a tragic death on the battlefield, due to lack of training and experience, he finds himself waking up the day before on the military camp that he had unjustly been sent to, so every time he dies he sort of "resets" the day and wakes up the day before, knowing exactly what is going to happen while everyone else is oblivious. That's all the plot summary you really need, this movie has some serious twists and turns that some further summarizing will spoil the movie for you.

 

   I must say, this movie really took me by surprise. This movie just really keeps you interested in why he keeps waking up and starting the day all over again. The action sequences are done well, Tom Cruise is good in the movie, Emily Blunt is good as well, The special effects are very good, and the cinematography in this movie blew me away at times. This movie is like Battle Los Angeles meets Groundhog Day. Even though some people have judged this movie as a "rip-off" of Groundhog Day, I feel like that is an unfair judgement. I feel like this movie was inspired by Groundhog Day, kind of like how Inception was inspired by The Matrix. Which is a good thing, this movie takes a well known premise, inspired by another movie, and makes it feel refreshing and new, again, like Inception did with The Matrix.

 

   The movie does have a few negatives though: The second act is a little slow, Some more character development would've been sublime, and the 3D; My God, do NOT watch this movie in 3D, it does not enhance the experience whatsoever.

 

   Despite its negatives, I feel like director Doug Liman has redeemed himself with this mind-bending sci-fi action flick, expertly combining mystery with action and taking a well-known premise and making it feel refreshing and new again.
Edge of Tomorrow 8.5/10