MOVIE OF THE WEEK (6/6/14): EDGE OF TOMORROW
"This may not be a yoga move you're used to ... But take one look at my guns and tell me you're NOT jealous!" Rita (Emily Blunt) stares in the direction of Major – now Private – William Cage (Tom Cruise, not pictured) in a scene from director Doug Liman's sci-fi action adventure EDGE OF TOMORROW. Credit: © 2014 Universal Pictures. All Rights Reserved.
WATCH THE TRAILER HERE:
KEY CAST MEMBERS: Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton, Brendan Gleeson, Noah Taylor, Jonas Armstrong, Tony Way, Kick Gurry, Franz Drameh, Dragomir Mrsic, Charlotte Riley and Terence Maynard
WRITER(S): Christopher McQuarrie, Jez Butterworth and John Henry Butterworth (screenplay); Hiroshi Sakurazaka (novel on which the film is based, All You Need is Kill)
DIRECTOR(S): Doug Liman
WEB SITE: http://www.edgeoftomorrowmovie.com/
60 SECOND PLOT SYNOPSIS (OR AS CLOSE TO IT AS ONE CAN TRY TO MAKE): Inspired in part by Japanese author Hiroshi Sakurazaka's All You Need is Kill, Edge of Tomorrow stars Tom Cruise as Major William Cage, a U.S. military officer doing his part to sell the world on the current war it is embroiled in with an alien species known as the Mimics. The Mimics have invaded the earth, leading to the United Defense Force or UDF (no ice cream is served here!) leading the charge in Europe. UDF leader General Brigham (Brendan Gleeson) calls Cage into his office to let him know of a new assignment he's worked out with his U.S. superiors: Cage is going to sell the war by going into battle firsthand to know just what the world is dealing with.
Of course, given that Cage is just a PR flack with no training, one might understand his apprehension at getting called into active duty. Thus, once he is introduced to his new unit – J Squad led by proud Kentuckian Master Sergeant Farrell (Bill Paxton) – he is promptly thrown into battle and killed quickly.
The thing is, however, is that after he dies, he wakes up ... RIGHT back where he was at the base getting yelled at by another sergeant (Terence Maynard) saying the exact same thing to him he did when he first got there, Master Sergeant Farrell taking him on the same tour of the base while yelling at him and getting thrown back into battle and dying. Repeating this pattern several times, Cage eventually runs into the "angel" of the human's one victory against the Mimics, Rita Vrataski (Emily Blunt) ... Who later tells her she knows what he is experiencing because it happened to her once upon a time, too. As Rita and Cage work together – which means Cage dying over and over and over – they eventually make a discover that could just win the war and bring the Mimics reign to an end.
All they have to do is make sure Cage keeps living the same day over and over and over again – and dying and dying and dying again – long enough to find out the key to victory.
WHO WILL LIKE THIS FILM THE MOST?: Tom Cruise fans from before he had his ... "incident," Emily Blunt fans, Bill Paxton fans, sci-fi aficionados, people who like humor mixed in with their action
WHO WON'T – OR SHOULDN'T – LIKE THIS FILM?: People who don't like Tom Cruise, people who don't like time loop movies
BOTTOM LINE – IS IT GOOD, GREAT, BAD OR DOWNRIGHT AWFUL? With an unexpected amount of humor and intelligence put into the storyline that helps balance the action sequences, Edge of Tomorrow might just be the sleeper hit of the summer - or at least, it deserves to be if audiences give it the credit director Doug Liman's final creation deserves.
WHAT'S GOOD (OR BAD) ABOUT IT? Hollywood is hurting NOT for alien invasion nor time travel stories; fortunately, Edge of Tomorrow finds a way to make the concept feel fresh and entertaining.
Even when he unleashes that terrible used-car salesman smile he is prone to, Cruise uses Edge of Tomorrow to prove once again why he is a strong lead actor, this time by utilizing the more understated elements of his performance to help build big moments. Blunt is a perfect counterbalance to Cruise's efforts, helping to guide his character along while developing hers in a manner that she is not only effective, but essential to the Cage character and the story as a whole.
As opposed to relying on the action sequences, special effects or the design of the aliens to drive the story, Edge of Tomorrow relies on a strong mix of humor and - gasp! - actual story development to make it engaging. To his credit, Liman keeps things simple which helps to drive home the danger his characters face, how they handle their situations and not trying to do too much or get lost in sub-stories, commentaries or typical sci-fi trappings that would bog down the quality of what he creates. By showing the repeated failures of Cruise's and Blunt's characters, it helps make each minor development feel like a major reveal, keeping the audience both amused and interested in his characters and their world. It sounds much less impressive than it is to watch on screen; one might argue that the 3D effects – which are sparse at best – are only there to add extra eye candy to a film that already has enough going on to compel you to see what happens next.
For an actor in need of the resurrection of his box office starpower, Edge of Tomorow proves it's not an impossible mission after all when he chooses smart, well done material that can stand on its own credibility.
WHO WON'T – OR SHOULDN'T – LIKE THIS FILM?: People who don't like Tom Cruise, people who don't like time loop movies
BOTTOM LINE – IS IT GOOD, GREAT, BAD OR DOWNRIGHT AWFUL? With an unexpected amount of humor and intelligence put into the storyline that helps balance the action sequences, Edge of Tomorrow might just be the sleeper hit of the summer - or at least, it deserves to be if audiences give it the credit director Doug Liman's final creation deserves.
WHAT'S GOOD (OR BAD) ABOUT IT? Hollywood is hurting NOT for alien invasion nor time travel stories; fortunately, Edge of Tomorrow finds a way to make the concept feel fresh and entertaining.
Even when he unleashes that terrible used-car salesman smile he is prone to, Cruise uses Edge of Tomorrow to prove once again why he is a strong lead actor, this time by utilizing the more understated elements of his performance to help build big moments. Blunt is a perfect counterbalance to Cruise's efforts, helping to guide his character along while developing hers in a manner that she is not only effective, but essential to the Cage character and the story as a whole.
As opposed to relying on the action sequences, special effects or the design of the aliens to drive the story, Edge of Tomorrow relies on a strong mix of humor and - gasp! - actual story development to make it engaging. To his credit, Liman keeps things simple which helps to drive home the danger his characters face, how they handle their situations and not trying to do too much or get lost in sub-stories, commentaries or typical sci-fi trappings that would bog down the quality of what he creates. By showing the repeated failures of Cruise's and Blunt's characters, it helps make each minor development feel like a major reveal, keeping the audience both amused and interested in his characters and their world. It sounds much less impressive than it is to watch on screen; one might argue that the 3D effects – which are sparse at best – are only there to add extra eye candy to a film that already has enough going on to compel you to see what happens next.
For an actor in need of the resurrection of his box office starpower, Edge of Tomorow proves it's not an impossible mission after all when he chooses smart, well done material that can stand on its own credibility.
OVERALL RATING (OUT OF FOUR POSSIBLE BUCKETS OF POPCORN):
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