Edge of Tomorrow

Edge of Tomorrow - Dir. Doug Liman (2014)

Live. Die. Repeat.

If you ever thought Groundhog Day would be infinitely improved if it had explosions, robotic mech suits, aliens, and a massive body count, then Edge of Tomorrow is the movie for you. The latest action opus starring Tom Cruise was based on the novel All You Need Is Kill by Hiroshi Sakurazaka, which was also adapted into a manga by Viz Media.

The Earth has been invaded by an alien race known as the Mimics. Nearly the entire continent of Europe has fallen to the relentless extraterrestrials. The United Defense Forces hope they will be able to turn the tide with new high-tech exoskeletons. Major William Cage (Cruise) is a glorified publicist for the military. His job is to sell the war and boost enlistment numbers. However, he's never been in combat and when General Brigham (Brendan Gleeson) orders him to the combat zone, Cage attempts to blackmail his way out. Brigham has him arrested, stripped of his rank, and labeled a deserter.

Sent to the frontlines in Normandy, Cage is exposed to the blood of an Alpha Mimic and gains the ability to reset time. Whenever he dies, he goes back to the morning when he awakens at the forward operating base in Heathrow. Of course, nobody will believe him with the exception of Sgt. Rita Vrataski (Emily Blunt), alternately nicknamed the "Angel of Verdun" and the "Full Metal Bitch. Vrataski has become the face of the military propaganda after leading the human forces to their first victory against the Mimics. As it turns out, Vrataski had temporal powers too, which were lost following a blood transfusion.

Edge of Tomorrow might be the best video game movie ever made that's not actually based on a video game. The screenplay by Jez and John-Henry Butterworth (with a rewrite by Christopher McQuarrie) plays with video game conventions by allowing their protagonist to respawn and begin the level all over again. This allows Cage to train indefinitely under the tutelage of Vrataski. He attempts to survive while saving his fellow troops through trial and error, memorizing situations and enemy movements. Despite some sequences being repeated, the movie never feels repetitive. The filmmakers find unique methods to double back over specific scenes to convey new information or show it from a different perspective. They are able to keep the audience on their toes by keeping them guessing as to whether or not Cage has done this a hundred times or just once.

The budding relationship between Cage and Vrataski serves as the heart of the film, a love story that doesn't fall into the standard issue clichés. They share a bond due to circumstances only the two of them could understand, the burden of dying and watching others die countless times. Vrataski is one of the best female characters to be featured in a major blockbuster in a long while. Emily Blunt is more than up to the task to simultaneously portray fierce and vulnerable, not to mention she's drop dead gorgeous. Meanwhile, Cage fits into the two personas that Cruise has excelled at for decades. Cruise isn't ashamed to start Cage as a smarmy and cowardly individual. This is the smirking, cocksure pretty boy we've seen before in Top Gun, Rain Man, The Color of Money, and many more. With Vrataski's help, he transforms into the steely action hero from Mission: Impossible and Jack Reacher. While the supporting cast has a few colorful characters, only Bill Paxton's Master Sgt. Farell stands out. He's a good ol' boy from Kentucky with a sharp tongue and little patience for shirkers.

Doug Liman cut his teeth on low-budget comedies Swingers and Go, before emerging as an incredible action director with The Bourne Identity and Mr. and Mrs. Smith. Unfortunately, production problems on those pictures along with the failure of Jumper left Liman struggling to hit a home run. He does so with Edge of Tomorrow, which he'll follow up with a big-budget version of Splinter Cell. Liman's direction is energetic and enhanced by the gritty cinematography of Oscar winner Dion Beebe. There's a clear homage to Saving Private Ryan with the chaotic invasion of Normandy and it's no coincidence the movie was released on the battle's 70^th anniversary. Aliens is briefly referenced when Farell and his J Squad are surrounded by blips that happen to be coming from underneath their position. The digital effects are realistically rendered and the Mimic designed as undulating masses of tendrils ala the squiddies from The Matrix Reloaded.

There's a surprising layer of humor to Edge of Tomorrow that adds to the overall experience. Cruise becomes a human Wile E. Coyote as the film finds interesting ways for him to die. At one point, Cage tries to roll away only to be crushed by a passing truck. When he suffers a debilitating injury, Vrataski casually puts him out of his misery with a bullet to the head.

Edge of Tomorrow is easily the best blockbuster to emerge during this summer's always crowded marketplace. There's action, drama, and comedy built around two stellar performances from Cruise and Blunt. It's a shame the movie hasn't gained any traction at the box office likely due to the general public being burnt out on Tom Cruise. Or maybe it's the generic title, which sounds like the name of a daytime soap. Edge of Tomorrow deserves to be seen by a wider audience.

Rating: **** (*****)