Intelligent science fiction

Rating: 7/10 (30 May 2014)

What if humanity faced an enemy that could control/manipulate time? What would the best response be? This is the main premise of this film. At first, the whole idea of an alien invasion sounded unappealing as it a used and abused theme. In this case however it has been intelligently reworked.
Initially, it appeared as just another Tom Cruise movie since the first 10 minutes were about his refusal to join a combat unit by being his usual charming self. Following this and having been forced into battle, he soon dies but that rather than being the end it was just the beginning.
As soon as he died, his final day restarted. Again and again. He encounters the same people and has the same conversations all over again. The initial shock and disbelief were followed by learning to use this to his advantage in order to help win the war. My favourite bit of this film is the smart way in which the main character's final day was rebooted without ever becoming tiresome.
So whilst it has all the elements of a blockbuster, it also shows that when you elegantly present the story it can really add to the experience.