At first glance, it would be easy to assume that "Edge of Tomorrow's" greatest folly would be its "Live, Die, Repeat" aspect. Surprisingly though, this turns out to be its greatest asset. This is the device that moves the plot, adds character, depth and even some intentionally and unintentionally light-hearted moments. Yes, "Edge of Tomorrow" is an almost too perfect film with the epic draw of a summer blockbuster, the intensity of a war film, the smartness of a true scifi flick and the right amount of humor to even things out.
In the near future, an alien race has hit Earth in an unrelenting assault, unbeatable by any military unit in the world. Major William Cage (Tom Cruise) is an officer who has never seen a day of combat when he is unceremoniously dropped into what amounts to a suicide mission. Killed within minutes, Cage now finds himself inexplicably thrown into a time loop — forcing him to live out the same brutal combat over and over, fighting and dying again and again. But with each battle, Cage is able to engage his adversaries with increasing skill, alongside Special Forces warrior Rita Vrataski (Emily Blunt). As Cage and Rita take the fight to the aliens, each repeated encounter gets them one step closer to finally defeating the enemy.
Midway through the film, when almost everything is laid out, "Edge of Tomorrow" will put a smile in your face. The "time reset" aspect could have easily been a cop out for the writers - just imagine how easy it would have been to create a generic story with this kind of power. Luckily, this never happens and the time loop itself creates something special. You see, it alone moves the story forward and even puts a few surprises in the basket. It also helps us interact with Cruise's character more as he is transformed to a cowardly general to a bad-ass killing machine and eventually something heroic. It is also the one that puts much humor into a rather hard-nosed, intense war film. What's most amazing though is how evenly it was used in the two hour run and the time reset aspect never gets tiring or boring at all. As expected, the acting was great and the visuals were gorgeous to say the least. "Edge of Tomorrow" has it all: humor, intensity, visuals and intellect. Seriously, there's nothing much to hate about it.
Rating: 5 reels
Why you should watch it:
- the time loop aspect surpisingly adds depth to the film's plot and characters
- this film has it all with great visuals, intense action and light-hearted humor
Why you shouldn't watch it:
- nothing much to hate about "Edge of Tomorrow"
At first glance, it would be easy to assume that "Edge of Tomorrow's" greatest folly would be its "Live, Die, Repeat" aspect. Surprisingly though, this turns out to be its greatest asset. This is the device that moves the plot, adds character, depth and even some intentionally and unintentionally light-hearted moments. Yes, "Edge of Tomorrow" is an almost too perfect film with the epic draw of a summer blockbuster, the intensity of a war film, the smartness of a true scifi flick and the right amount of humor to even things out.
In the near future, an alien race has hit Earth in an unrelenting assault, unbeatable by any military unit in the world. Major William Cage (Tom Cruise) is an officer who has never seen a day of combat when he is unceremoniously dropped into what amounts to a suicide mission. Killed within minutes, Cage now finds himself inexplicably thrown into a time loop — forcing him to live out the same brutal combat over and over, fighting and dying again and again. But with each battle, Cage is able to engage his adversaries with increasing skill, alongside Special Forces warrior Rita Vrataski (Emily Blunt). As Cage and Rita take the fight to the aliens, each repeated encounter gets them one step closer to finally defeating the enemy.
Midway through the film, when almost everything is laid out, "Edge of Tomorrow" will put a smile in your face. The "time reset" aspect could have easily been a cop out for the writers - just imagine how easy it would have been to create a generic story with this kind of power. Luckily, this never happens and the time loop itself creates something special. You see, it alone moves the story forward and even puts a few surprises in the basket. It also helps us interact with Cruise's character more as he is transformed to a cowardly general to a bad-ass killing machine and eventually something heroic. It is also the one that puts much humor into a rather hard-nosed, intense war film. What's most amazing though is how evenly it was used in the two hour run and the time reset aspect never gets tiring or boring at all. As expected, the acting was great and the visuals were gorgeous to say the least. "Edge of Tomorrow" has it all: humor, intensity, visuals and intellect. Seriously, there's nothing much to hate about it.
Rating: 5 reels
Why you should watch it:
- the time loop aspect surpisingly adds depth to the film's plot and characters
- this film has it all with great visuals, intense action and light-hearted humor
Why you shouldn't watch it:
- nothing much to hate about "Edge of Tomorrow"
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