With heavy metal, big guns and humans up against aliens, ‘Edge Of Tomorrow’ blasts its way into cinemas and leaves with weapons holstered and a job well done.
Based on the acclaimed graphic novel, ‘All You Need Is Kill’, the film is set in the near future where an extraterrestrial invasion has overtaken most of western Europe.
American officer Major William Cage (played by the impressive Tom Cruise), through a series of events, is stripped of his rank and thrown to the front line. We soon learn Cage was a military PR officer, and it doesn’t take long for him to be killed in combat, but not before he inherits the time-shifting ability to repeat that day, over and over again. Every day he dies, and each time he awakens, ready to go at it again.
As he learns to fight and progress further in the battle, with the help of Rita Vrataski (a fiery Emily Blunt and poster-girl for the war), Cage soon realises he’s the only chance the world has to uncover the enemy’s weakness and save humanity from slaughter and extinction. Director Doug Liman isn’t unfamiliar to big-movies, with ‘The Bourne Identity’ and ‘Mr & Mrs Smith’ to his name; his latest venture into sci-fi doesn’t disappoint. The action is aplenty, the effects are noteworthy, and with stellar performances by both Cruise and Blunt (with great support from Brendan Gleeson and Bill Paxton) we’re starting to see why ‘Edge Of Tomorrow’ is building a buzz.
A highlight of the film is the way Liman treats his audience. There’s enough thrills, gore, action and laugh-out-loud moments to satisfy all audiences, and the director lets his leading cast (along with some clever editing) present the live-die-repeat formula in an engaging way, always pushing the story onward without ever losing pace.
If you’re looking for blemishes, a Hollywood blockbuster will always produce. Occasional overacting, questionable plot-holes and a typical ending are all available for the haters to be kept happy. However, with the scourge of remakes, reboots, sequels and duds to be found almost every week in a cinema near you, ‘Edge Of Tomorrow’ is fresh and original enough to restore faith in the blockbuster genre (for now).
Cruise’s performance from dorky officer to battle-hardened hero is enjoyable and believable (and his knack for comedic timing can’t be underestimated), while Blunt’s action star entrance is as fierce as it’s solid.
‘Edge Of Tomorrow’ is this winter’s sleeping giant. Liman pulls together the balance of action, comedy, suspense and horror exceptionally well, and the cast does its job. The weapons are big, the aliens bigger, and for a Hollywood blockbuster, there may just be hope for humanity after all.
'Edge Of Tomorrow' is currently screening nationally.
This review first appeared online at This Is Film.
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★★★★
