Watch. Sleep. Repeat?
Edge of Tomorrow is one of those films that I didn’t want to watch enough to see it in the cinema and so got it in Blu-Ray later on in the same year it came out in the cinema. It took me a while to get round to watching it; but it was worth the wait. It’s a great film.
Edge of Tomorrow, or Live. Die. Repeat. is a refreshingly unique film. But this comes as a bit of a shock, because the trailers and everything made it look like one of those generic, pretty good at best sci-fi action films; but it has a few things that put it above any other films similar to it. Firstly, its story. This aspect is the one that keeps you watching, nail-biting and on the edge of your seat. It’s got all you want for a satisfyingly good story: action, aliens, romance and a good dosage of complicated spacey stuff — but not so complicated that you can’t follow it. It follows the odd journey of Lieutenant Colonel Bill Cage, or, for short, Cage (Tom Cruise), from a public figure and advertiser for the US army to a confused soldier in the front line of battle. You are as confused as he is when he is thrown into the front line and proposed a fraud; and you are even more confused when he wakes up in the same position as he did the day he was thrown into the front line and does the exact same things as he did the day before the next day… After dying a gruesome death.
Don’t worry, Tom Cruise, you’ll be fine! If you die, you’ll just have to go through this again!
This confusing intro, or, rather, intriguing intro, is what keeps you watching and wanting to find out what the hell is going on. The film is filled with thought provoking moments and teasers for what the hell is going on, and you are told just enough to get you through the film without your brain exploding; and that’s a good thing for an action sci-fi film, because if there’s no interesting story it’s just a bland action film with aliens. This film isn’t just a bland action film with aliens, and the story never fails to interest.
However, just having a good story doesn’t quite make a good film; because without Tom Cruise I’m not sure this film would be as good as it is. I can’t imagine Cage being acted as well by anyone other than Tom Cruise; he acts with sincerity, expression and perfectly fits his role. This film is one example of many that illustrates how good an actor Tom Cruise is, and how much of a positive effect he can have on a film. And you really grow to be attached to Cage and his companion in battle, Rita Vrataski (Emily Blunt) as the film goes on to its exciting climax.
Please don’t die again…
Now, the climax has some action; which is what I will talk about now. This film has boundless amounts of action, with all the explosions, guns and violent aliens you’d want in a movie like it is. The action is quick-paced and filled with brilliant special effects; with every explosion being as enjoyable as the one before it, and every action sequence being as much of a spectacle as the one before it — and being as exciting as the one before it.
Verdict:
Edge of Tomorrow is as exciting as it is unique; with fantastic action, a clever story, a script that forces you to love the main characters and a gimmick that really does work with the whole living, dying and repeating thing. However, the best thing about the film may be Tom Cruise, as he is so good in the film that I’m not sure it would be as good as it is without him. This is definitely a film I would recommend, but I don’t think it would have anywhere near the effect it has on you the first time if you watch it again — hence the ‘Repeat?’ bit at the start of the review.
But, yeah, it’s a great film.
So I give it: 80/100.
– Speedy.
Stuff and That. 