Total Ripoff

Rating: 1/10 (29 June 2014)

There's something that feels repetitive about this movie, but it's not the content.
Tom Cruise stars as "Cage", a soldier who has the power to return from the dead to repeat the past day. He gets this power from magical alien blood, and off we go! Starting to sound familiar? It should.
This "original" concept was actually ripped from a 2002 classic. Instead of Cruise, we had Wow. Instead of Blunt, we had Song. I'm talking, of course, about John Schultz's masterpiece Like Mike.
Don't believe me? You're an idiot. They're basically the same movie. In Edge of Tomorrow, Cage gets a miraculous ability early on and becomes a phenomenon for the army. Like Mike's Calvin uses a pair of lightning-struck Jordans and lights up the NBA. Starting to see the connection?
Let's look at the characters a bit more. Cage is a down-on-his-luck soldier, who just can't catch a break when it comes to armying. Calvin Cambridge is a 13-year-old orphan who couldn't sink a jumper if it meant his parents coming back. Then their powers swoop in and save the day.
And if that wasn't enough, there comes the climax. For Edge of Tomorrow, it's Cage's last attempt at saving humanity. In Like Mike, it's Calvin trying to get the Los Angeles Knights into a playoff spot. I know what you're thinkingwas notable plagiarist Shia Lebouef writing this flick? It only gets better.
Shortly before the climax, each protagonist loses their respective power. Cage and Calvin are back to their old, schlubby selves. But *spoiler alert* somehow they're able to cope. Cage kills off the alien race, saving the world. Calvin dribbles in between Vince Carter's legs and the Knights win the game, making the playoffs.
Even though they've lost their powers, both guys get the "girl". Cruise's character meets back up with Blunt's character, and we're only left to assume they hook up later (probably while wearing a pair of Jordans). Lil Bow Wow gets adopted because he used to be sick at basketball and was able to catch the eye of his adoptee.
Aside from the seven "Mikes" working on-set as underwater lighting technicians, photo technicians etc., there's clear allusions to the 2002 Oscar snub. Here's a few:
(full review at http://tuckchuck.wordpress.com/2014/06/29/edge-of-tomorrow-review/)