Yes, I finally got around to seeing Edge of Tomorrow! The film that is being hailed by fans and critics alike as one of the most original science fiction films of the decade. Yet for some reason, this film has been failing to deliver at the box office. And this makes me very sad because this film is as good as everyone has been saying it is. Why more people are not flocking in herds to get in line and see it on the other hand is a question that I have no answer to.
Edge of Tomorrow is based on a Japanese manga called All You Need is Kill, which by the way is a much cooler title than the one they ended up going with. The story is about a military officer played by Tom Cruise who, for reasons I will not give away, discovers that he is caught in a never ending time loop between a doomed battle between an invading alien race. He later discovers of another soldier who had the same problem he currently has. Together they join arms and plot to wipe out the alien race once and for all.
I was looking forward to this film before the trailer or even a poster was released. Time travel is a topic of science fiction that fascinates me very much and I am always interested in anything and everything Tom Cruise stars in. Say what you want about him as a person, but no one in Hollywood commits to a movie more than Tom Cruise does. He's the hardest working man in the business for a reason. The guy does all his own stunts and he even learned how to sing and play guitar for his role in Rock of Ages. Oh and yeah, that Dubai Tower scene from Ghost Protocol? Yeah that wasn't CGI or a stunt double. That was all Cruise. The man is insane and will probably get himself killed. But it's that commitment and essence of craziness that makes me appreciate him as an actor. And I haven't even talked about his film track record! He has been making consistently great films since the 1980's with very few career ruining duds. And I'll tell you one thing, Edge of Tomorrow is anything but a dud.
Wow what a rush! If you want nonstop, turn-your-brain-off action for nearly three hours........ then go watch Transformers Age of Extinction. But if you're hungry for an science fiction action thrill ride crafted with intelligence and care, then this is your ticket because Edge of Tomorrow might just be one of the best science fiction films in recent memory. I would put it alongside Moon, Sunshine, Star Trek, Minority Report and Inception as a science fiction movie we're going to continue raving about long after it comes out on Blu-ray.
I was slightly skeptical of the action scenes because I absolutely detest shaky camera direction and director Doug Liman popularized this type of filmmaking with The Bourne Identity. Thankfully the action is filmed very smoothly using a lot a wide shots. And considering 75% of the film takes place during an alien battle, this film would have really suffered from poor action direction. Another technical element that I really dug were the aliens. They honestly didn't look like any sort of creature I had seen before. The only thing I can describe them to be like were the machines from The Matrix. And the way they attacked was really bizarre, hectic and erratic. They really stood out from all the other generic little green men we've seen in films like Signs, Independence Day and War of the Worlds.
Tom Cruise really surprised me in this film. The trailers made him out to look like your typical hero that has to save the day. But when the film starts out, it's the exact opposite! I won't say much else but needless to say, he undergoes a massive character arc that was really surprising. And Tom Cruise absolutely killed this role! The only other actor who might have possibly stolen the show was Emily Blunt! It comes as a sight for sore eyes to see a strong female lead in an action movie. As of recently we have seen women in action films portrayed as weak or helpless. So to see a strong woman train a helpless, weak Tom Cruise and put him in his place time and time again is not only refreshing to see, but also very funny!
The amount of humor in this film was definitely the most surprising part. Some of the humor comes from the training sequences between Cruise and Blunt. It's just hysterical watching Tom Cruise getting thrown around like a toy. But most of the comedic scenes involved the supporting cast, who were also fantastic. Bill Paxton plays an army sergeant and I instantly thought of his character from Aliens.
Roger Ebert made a rule for movies he called the "Stanton-Walsh Rule," which stated that no movie that has Harry Dean Stanton or M. Emmet Walsh in it can be altogether bad. I believe that that same rule applies to Bill Paxton playing a comedic supporting role in an action movie. Think about it; Aliens, True Lies and now Edge of Tomorrow. It's only common logic! Hmmm, maybe I'll make some more of these "rules" in the future..... I digress.
While this film is very funny at times, it isn't afraid to get dramatic and intense. I really liked the relationship that formed between Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt. It's a very interesting relationship because Cruise repeats the same days over and over again and has to meet and get introduced to Emily Blunt's character time and time again. Meaning that he gets to learn her story while she only knows him for the two days he repeats. It's a very bittersweet relationship that I'm glad the writers touched on. Even more surprising that it was never became romantic. That's a huge cliche that could have been so easy to do and the better for this film for not succumbing to popular tropes and cliches.
And that really describes Edge of Tomorrow the best. It doesn't follow your standard story with your basic characters. It thought outside the box, colored outside the lines and went against the flow. It might not have been the most successful route, but almost everyone who saw this film are glad they went this direction. As am I.
Final Report: If you are looking for a nonstop action thrill ride that never stops surprising you, then Edge of Tomorrow just might be the movie event of the summer for you. And if you enjoy clever humor and intelligent writing that actually makes its audience think, then I implore you to give this movie your time of day. I guarantee you that you won't regret it.
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