This movie was edge of your seat, entertaining. Cheesy, but fun!

Rating: 7/10 (7 June 2014)

Directed by Doug Liman, Edge of Tomorrow is an interesting movie to say the least. Based on the Japanese light novel All You Need Is Kill by Hiroshi Sakurazaka. The movie took the manga and rewrote it for American audiences. In the near future, an alien race nicknamed 'Mimic' has invaded Earth, nearly overtaken most of Western Europe. The mimics have the ability to mimic and counter Earth military combat strategies with efficiency, thus making them nearly unbeatable. A final surprise assault is planned on the beaches of France, as a last depth attempt to stop the alien invasion of England. The assault goes horrible wrong, as Major William Cage (Tom Cruise) is forced to relive the day, time after time, after being expose to the alien time loop, DNA. With each day, he gains the combat experience needed to find a way to defeat the alien beings. You can clearly see, a lot of things from previous films, influencing this movie's direction. Films like the Matrix trilogy, 2011's Sourcecode, and even 1993's comedy, Groundhog Day. It really felt like the movie was paying homage to them, but as well, trying to create something new, out of their concepts. I wouldn't say, this movie is cutting edge, as it does follows a lot of establish tropes from both video games and Sci-fiction novels. The time loop thing is a pretty interested concept that isn't really explore or explain much in the film. The movie opens more plot-holes paradoxes, than solutions. Movies like that, are not worth, getting a headache, trying find logic. It's better to just ignored it, and watch it simple-minded. Still, I can't help, wanting the film to establish the concept more. I wish they had kept the original explanation of Servers, backups, and antennae from the novel, 'All You Need is Kill' for the time loop idea rather than change it to the whole Alpha and Omega thing. It makes more sense, because antennae (Alpha) broadcasting memories back in time to a server (the Omega). It really do helped explain what was going on with William Cage. He wasn't actually teleporting through time. It was just his collected memories. The movie never show the aliens honestly using the time loop. Makes me wonder, how Rita Vrataski (Emily Blunt) could had a victory at the Battle of Verdun. I would have thought, the aliens would find a way to reset that day. Also, how is the ending of this movie even possible? You would think that the aliens would only sent Alphas to try to take his reset powers. It's not like, he being expose every time, he loops. Wouldn't the aliens figure a way to stop him by giving him a blood transfusion or something? I mean, they all connected through the same mind. Are they really that clueless of the human's plans and how their power truly works? The movie make it seem like they are able to adapt quickly, but rarely show it. Another thing about the film that sucks is the lack of suspense. When you think about it, there is nothing for stalk, here. What made 2011's Source Code, a superior film to this, was because the protagonist had a time limited, to find the enemy's identify, because if not, another bomb would go off. In this film, the protagonist has unlimited times to try to get something right. It felt like it pretty much guaranteed that he find a way to defeat the aliens. The film was bit predictable and repetition, but at less, the movie gave us a number of entertaining different scenarios, so it didn't get too boring. The only time, there were any suspense, was the last couple of minutes, due to him, not having his alien blood, anymore. It was only time, I felt invested in what the results. The movie felt more like a comedy, than a thriller. The way, the combat jackets perform are just over the top ridiculousness. The multiply ways, characters dies, are just hilarious to watch. The film truly felt like it was better off, being animation as an anime or a video game than live action film. The movie felt so cartoony and over the top with the acting. Tom Cruise comes across as a pretty good action star, who grow more mature and combat ready throughout the film. Still, I do find him, playing a younger character, a bit odd and out of place. It kinda hurts that his character wasn't play by an Asian-American actor. The whole Asian concept in the novel is nearly gone in this film. Emily Blunt really shines in this film. She really came across as one tough girl, not to mess with. The backstory of Rita's character is also missing in the film which the book established. The supporting cast are just one-dimensional stereotypes that giving little to care about. Jeremy Piven is in the film, but most of his scenes were cut out. The title was changed from All You Need Is Kill to Edge of Tomorrow because the "negative chatter" about the word "kill" in the title. Despite the movie being PG-13, with a lot of violent and characters dying. In my opinion, Edge of Tomorrow works better, as it gives the movie, a more Sci-Fi feel. The movie had this eerily metaphor of World War 1 & 2 in it, as if, telling us that history repeating itself, if nothing new is done. The whole idea of the aliens taking over Germany, like the Nazis. Then taking over Europe. The whole idea of coastal battles scenes remind me of the Invasion of Normandy. Even the date of release, June 6, 2014 is 70 years since D-Day landings is chilling. Overall: The movie is repeat watch. I doubt, I ever get bored, watching it. It's not a smart Sci-Fi movie. It's just popcorn fun.