This Doug Liman science fiction action film was released worldwide on May 30, 2014, and
stateside the following week. Produced on a budget of $178-million dollars, the film
is forecast to bring in at least $300 million internationally, but it has the potential
to do much better. The incredibly versatile Tom Cruise stars as a freshman solider fighting
a war against an invading alien force, who is forced to relive the same day over and
over again every time he dies in battle. The picture borrows heavily from the repeating
time-loop concept made famous by the brilliant "Groundhog Day", but puts its own unique spin
on the concept, not the least of which is providing a quasi-believable sci-fi explanation
for what's cause the temporal anomaly. Now in his 50's, Cruise is still as charismatic,
charming, and athletic as ever... perfectly suited for the wide-ranging duties required
of him in this mile-a-minute 116-minute picture. I've seen over 25 of his films, and with very
few exceptions: this guy has never made a bad one, indeed this thrilling experience
is no exception. On his repeating day from hell, Cruise encounters a wise-talking drill
sergeant from Kentucky, wonderfully portrayed by the always capable Bill Paxton, a fierce
and formidable solider, played by Emily Blunt with a delicate balance of feminism and strength,
and Brendan Gleeson as an uncompromising general. Initially, Cruise is a frightened and inexperienced
solider, complaining to another private that's he's not ready battle. This character playfully
replies, "I've never been with two girls before, but you can bet when that day comes, I'll
be ready." With each death, Cruise learns more about his futuristic tech, his compatriots,
and how to battle their alien enemies. Later, during a fast and entertaining training sequence,
Blunt amusingly helps Cruise improve his skills by intentionally resetting time, so he can
start fresh. That is to say, she repeatedly shoots Tom in the head, following a montage
of fails and losses. It's this unexpected, morbid sense of humor that anchors the film
from becoming too serious or preachy, infinitely strengthening it as
a result. The PG-13 rated movie boasts some absolutely superb visual effects, especially
with the alien adversaries. Never before has a creature been so frightening yet simultaneously
intriguing... their full reveal smartly saved until 30 minutes into the picture. Behind
each gritty and vibrant frame is the brooding and appropriate sounds of Christophe Beck's
powerful score... which revs in intensity during the thrilling action sequences, but
remains emotional during the film's slower character moments. Despite the rather outlandish
and absurd premise, the events on-screen unfold with a fair amount of realism and believability...
these are authentic characters exploring a very lived-in world. A combination of several
different tropes and gimmicks we've seen before, the blended execution here is a markedly better
than the sum of its parts... resulting in a white-knuckle adventure that remains playful,
thought-provoking, and an absolute blast to watch. While this movie doesn't reinvent anything,
it is, without a doubt one of the best science fiction action films in years - which, as
you know, is my favorite genre. Sure, it has its share of flaws, but the magic of this
picture is the sleight-of-hand tricks it employs to make you forget about all of that. Distracting
with jokes, explosions, and the overall spectacle, the few issues that do exist quickly fade
from relevancy. A rare treat that is masterfully edited, this picture delivers a truly entertaining
experience from the fascinating start to the suspenseful finish. I can't wait for a temporal
reset so I can watch it again. "Edge Of Tomorrow", a "Smart premise with spectacular execution".
No audience votes for this one, but I'm scoring this movie a TEN. Undoubtedly, my being a
fan of sci-fi action with a twist of time-travel, and starring one of my favorite actors was
bound to be a recipe for success. And although this movie is far from perfect, I have no
answer to the question: why doesn't it deserve the highest score? I thought it was AMAZING,
and I encourage you to go out and see it.