Groundhog Day meets future D-Day, awesomeness ensues

Rating: 8/10 (7 December 2014)

That's the short version of Edge of Tomorrow. The somewhat longer version is that five years after a meteor strike brought the mimics- a species of shape shifting alien tentacle creatures- to earth, all of mankind's remaining armies are poised for a massive offensive to retake Europe and exterminate the alien menace. But they know we're coming. The invasion will be a slaughter. And only one man can save humanity, by living and dying it over and over again.
That man is Major William Cage, US Army press corps. As a savior, he's about as unlikely as they come. Fast talking and cowardly, it's only because of his own insubordination and the equally underhanded shenanigans of a superior officer that ever ends up holding a gun. But something happens on the invasion beach which makes it so when he dies, time resets and he wakes up again the day before the invasion. Working together with war hero Rita Vrataski, the only other person who what he's going through, he must find a way to turn the tide and save humanity.
That's just the setup. What director Doug Liman and his team of writers do with it is spectacular. Adapting the acclaimed Japanese novel All You Need is Kill, they're created a sci-fi action thriller that is not only action packed and exciting, but also complex, witty, and surprisingly deep. The time loop William is caught in isn't merely used as a plot device, it shapes the entire narrative and viewing experience.
Every time he dies and reawakens he comes back more skilled and with the knowledge avoid his previous death. Not that it necessarily gets him more than a few steps farther. At times the cycles flash by with nearly identical deaths, like an eighties training montage with more explosions and head wounds. Before long he has the assault down to an exact science, anticipating every attack and coaching Rita through the battle step by step- turn here, look there, duck now! There's no way to get an exact count, but he must hit that beach thousands of times over the course of the story. Sometimes the effect is darkly comedic. At others it drives home his sense of futility; that no matter how many times he tries it will never be enough.
The film of course doesn't show nearly every cycle, so when a new- really new- scene begins, we often don't know if this is his first time to make it this far or if he's been here a dozen times. The other characters of course have no idea what's come before. Every time he introduces himself to Rita it's the first time for her. Throughout the film he comes to know her better and better and loses her too many times to count, yet for her he's always a new face, one that she has to trust knows her and knows what he's doing. Still, there's an undeniable attraction between them that runs both way, made tragic by their circumstances.
Edge of tomorrow works as comedy and drama. As a sci-fi action thriller it excels. Fast paced and intense, the battle scenes turn repetitiveness from a weakness to a strength, giving a sense of Cage's progression and adding new twists to the same encounters. The robotic exoskeletons are every bit as cool as they look in the trailers, and the mimics are one of the best alien designs in recent memory. Constantly shifting and incredibly fast, they burst from the ground and whirl through opponents like a tornado of tentacles. They have no personality and most seem more like animals fighting on instinct than independent thought, but in their own way they're as deadly and unnerving as Alien's xenomorph.
Cruise and Blunt's performances are also noteworthy. Quite at ease in this role, Cruise has a certain roguish charm to him and embodies both the terrified rookie of the early scenes and the experienced, jaded veteran of the latter sections. Emily Blunt is likewise perfect for the role of Rita Vrataski. Gorgeously fit and tough as nails, she's reminiscent of a young Sigourney Weaver and handles alien monsters just as well. I almost pity any mimic that crosses her path. Together their performances, an abundance of action, and a finely crafted, fast paced story make Edge of Tomorrow fun, smart summer entertainment.