Review of Edge of Tomorrow (2014) by Mike S — 01 Nov 2016

In a blend of Groundhog Day and Aliens, Tom Cruise plays a soldier who keeps reliving the same battle against alien invaders over and over. The movie explains why Cruise's character William Cage is stuck in a time loop, although it doesn't make much sense. Once you accept the premise, though, it's a fun ride.

At first, Cage tries to change the course of the battle he must continually repeat. When that doesn't work, he tries to avoid it altogether. But he ends up dying anyway when the aliens conquer Earth, only to wake up a day before the final battle yet again. Slowly, with the help of one other soldier (Emily Blunt) who has had a similar experience, Cage realizes he must defeat the aliens to escape the time loop. With each loop, Cage becomes a better soldier, slowly gaining more ground each time he goes into battle.

The training scenes, where Cage dies over and over and comes back to try again, are quite funny. Things get a bit more serious when the heroes finally have a plan to defeat the aliens. I won't reveal too much, but why is it that so many movie aliens are hive creatures under the control of a central queen? The production values are solid and the effects are great. Cruise, for all the weirdness of his off-screen life, is still a very watchable actor. And in the final scene of the whole movie, Cruise says nothing, but gives a look that reminds you he's also a very, very good actor.

It's just too bad there wasn't a way to drop Bill Murray into this somewhere.