A Sci-Fi film with fantastic pacing and breathtaking CGI

Rating: 8/10 (19 February 2015)

Tom Cruise plays Cage, a military officer who is forced to be a solider and thrown into the front line to help the human race end the alien invasion of earth. Some of the rare, more powerful aliens have abilities to reverse time and reset the day when they die, Cage develops this same power when he kills one of those aliens in battle and is burnt alive with the extra-terrestrial being. Cage now has the ability to return to the moment he awoke prior to the battle and restart the day again, offering him countless attempts to try and end the war.
On paper it doesn't sound like anything ground-breaking and sounds like it would have many unoriginal Sci-Fi elements we have seen many times before. While it does have its faults it certainly excels in other aspects and delivers an extremely effective Sci-Fi/action flick.
Visually this film is absolutely stunning. Every aspect of the CGI is perfect and you really feel immersed into the environment. The action scenes are sometimes a little shaky and up-close but the camera work is very well done that it blends in different angles to ensure you see the majority of the action clearly. There is a scene with a car and a caravan which stands out to me, look out for it! The Alien creatures also look good with really impressive movement and features. The weapons and battle gear that the soldiers wear are created with a futuristic look but not too far-fetched, they look quite realistic and believable.
The pace of the movie is perfect. A problem with plenty of Sci-Fi films is when they delve into the scientific jargon, taking 30 minutes to tell the viewer irrelevant bits of information, over complicating matters. This is what usually puts me off Sci-Fi movies and the fact that Edge of Tomorrow decided to keep the science talk to a minimum was very much welcomed by myself! It keeps it to a minimum and only reveals key info, keeping the pacing of the film very well. Tom Cruise dies dozens of times in this movie and has to relive his previous hours many times. The directors did a great job in editing this so the viewer doesn't get bored, the fact Cage dies many times and relives the same hours 20+ times but doesn't feel repetitive is a brilliant achievement. The movie is just under 2 hours and I didn't get bored once.
I do however have a couple of negatives with Edge of Tomorrow. There are a few plot holes which I won't go into as to not ruin any of the story. The plot holes aren't major but do seem very simple and a little baffling as to why they weren't explained. Emily Blunts gives a great performance but her character appears clichéd with cheesy one liners and predictable actions. The love element is also something that I wouldn't welcome but it is something I have come to expect and accept from Hollywood blockbusters so I can't criticise the movie for this! I feel the start has a few too many cheesy one liners and poorly delivered jokes which takes away from the seriousness of the story.
Overall, Edge of Tomorrow is a very fun, well-choreographed, well-acted Sci Fi action flick which exceeded my expectations by quite some way. The action scenes are very well created with fantastic CGI, the action is broken up by impressive dialogue scenes that keep the viewer interested by keeping to the story and not getting carried away with unnecessary script. Great pacing, great action and a good entertaining story.
8/10