Edge of Tomorrow Review

Rating: 8/10 (29 July 2014)

Edge of Tomorrow
Edge of Tomorrow is a sci-fi action movie starring Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt. The story revolves around Tom Cruise's character, who is enlisted to fight in the war against the "mimics". Mimics are an invading alien species that threatens to destroy human life as we know it. However, Cruise's character begins reliving the day of the battle over and over again every time he dies in combat. The eventual goal: live the day long enough to destroy the leader of the mimics.
Plot
The plot, despite leaving you thinking after the movie has ended, has surprisingly few plot holes, especially considering that its a time travel movie. Going in, I thought I was bound to be watching the same scenes over and over again, but this what not the case. In the classic "Groundhog Day" scenario, Cruise masters the events of the day, so he knows exactly when and where and enemy will be, and what they will do, making for some intense and interesting fight scenes. For some, the plot may be hard to follow, and looking up an explanation of the movie may be necessary. However, I think plot is overall very stable, especially for a time-continuum movie. The ending of this movie is a Tom Cruise "you decide what happens" ending, leaving more to be resolved, but it fits the tone of the movie well.
Acting/Dialogue
The movie features a great cast, including of course Tom Cruise, whose performance is stellar. In my opinion, Cruise is an underrated actor, but in this movie he really shows his skill. His character's character arc is special, changing from a wimpy public figure to a full- fledged soldier.
Cruise and Blunt's chemistry is perfect in this movie. Without spoiling too much, I will say that Blunt's character really holds the movie together, and her performance is almost as good as Cruise's. Almost.
The dialogue is full of humor, one-liners, and witty remarks. The fun really comes when Cruise knows what everyone is going to say, and completes their sentences for them. There are some great monologues as well. This movie is sure to have people quoting and referencing it for years to come.
SFX/Action
The special effects are amazing. They look great, and the explosive action scenes in the movie are so pretty, they almost distract from all the destruction and death. There are some great fight scenes with Blunt and Cruise kicking butt. However, some of the most thrilling moments come in Cruise's death scenes. These scenes range from comical (in a gruesome way) and very serious, the latter of which becomes evident part way through the movie.
Conclusion
This is the movie to see right now if you are a fan of sci-fi action. A great story, great acting, and great sfx make for a pretty great movie overall. I give Edge of Tomorrow an 8.5/10. Go see it if you want to see Tom Cruise at his best, and leave the theater thinking about the movie for hours afterward.