Come find me when you wake up

Rating: 7/10 (8 July 2014)

I imagine pitching Edge of Tomorrow to Warner Bros was the easiest thing in the world. With a juicy high-concept like "Groundhog Day meets Aliens and Saving Private Ryan", executives were probably excited to throw money at it. Turns out it wasn't such a good deal for them, as the movie reportedly under-performed. A pity: apart for a glaring flaw (the ending), it's a slick, clever sci-fi blockbuster; Liman is a fine action director whose set-pieces here - apart for the somewhat lackluster last battle - are fluid and kinetic.
Enough with the premise, which you either already know or should learn nothing more about before watching. Cruise gets to play a more compelling character than his usual stoic protagonist and has a fairly interesting arc. Bill Paxton as a marine sarge (Hudson got promoted!) and Brendan Gleeson as an icy general provide solid supporting turns. Stealing the movie, however, is gorgeous Emily Blunt as one of the most convincing action heroines in years, finding the perfect balance between being tough as nails and haunted by her ordeal.
Without spoiling anything, the conclusion doesn't work. It breaks all previously established rules and triggers the kind of "ehhh, whatever, it was all space magic anyway" sheepish epitaph which is never a good sign; the stench of last-minute rewrite is almost toxic. Given how much Edge of Tomorrow appears to be inspired by video games in terms of structure and general feel, I was almost expecting the message "Achievement unlocked: bad ending!".
Still enjoyable, but joining Minority Report, War of the Worlds and Oblivion in the club of fine sci-fi movies - curiously all starring Tom Cruise - damaged by their epilogues.
6,5/10