A Sci-Fi Flick that will inevitably be very under-rated

Rating: 8/10 (15 June 2014)

I still think Tom Cruise has got it. You'd be hard pressed to find a movie that he wasn't at least "decent" in and he's been around a long time and has some truly outstanding movies. In reality he's probably one of my top five favourite actors period. I don't care about his personal life. Oblivion let me down quite a bit. I thought it was a mess in a lot of ways and tried way too hard. I had decent expectations of this and its a tough sell because of the obvious comparisons to the aforementioned film last year. Edge of Tomorrow is as different as night and day to Oblivion. It is a special effects drive, science fiction blockbuster that is worthy of its fans that are really trying to talk it up. It seems to be getting lost in the summer shuffle but I promise you that at some point this will be considered and under-rated classic and for good reason. It is fiercely intelligent, hits all the right science fiction notes and the sort of unique time travel aspect makes it very nearly riveting. Honestly, this probably would have been a nine for me if not for the silly, non-sensical and forced ending. I would love for someone to try and explain to me how the ending works so that I can change my review to a 9. I'm also thinking there were absolutely some inevitable plot holes but how could there not be when dealing so blatantly with time travel. 99% of the special effects were spot, even the 3D was decent (I hate 3D in general and think its a huge money grabbing gimmick.)
Tom Cruise commands the lead and does what he does best. He probably has more charisma on screen than any other actor in history. There is just something mesmerizing about him. But its not just his charisma because he is actually a great and versatile actor. You just accept him as the hero. His character starts as cocky, a "salesman" of sorts and the fear he shows when he is railroaded into being a soldier...was outstanding. This is no Oscar performance but as an "action/Sci-Fi" hero, he absolutely nails it. He was perfect. This also might be the first film where I can say I really enjoyed Emily Blunt. I always feel like she is miscast in her roles and have never been impressed by her. As the female hero in the film she holds her own. She is edgy and strong and as good of an action star as Cruise is. Women should flock to and love this character because quite frankly she's bad ass. I think I could have done without the inevitable implied romance between her and Cruise but its used sparingly and not a driving force in the film at all. The two stars are definitely the focal point of the movie but that's not to say the supporting cast don't deserve mention. There are vital characters played very well in various sized roles. Some of the most significant performances were Bill Paxton, Brendan Gleeson, Madeleine Mantock (would have loved to have seen more of her character), Dragomir Mrsic, Jonas Armstrong and everyone else that played in J-Squad. I really wanted to see more from that entire group but understandably this wasn't the focus.
Doug Liman has had some very good films as a director. He has done a Bourne Film, Fair Game and Mr. and Mrs Smith. However, he's never really done a sci-fi flick and I'm surprised because he handled it nearly perfectly. The cinematography was outstanding, the special effects excellent and for any lover of Sci-Fi you will appreciate this for being a terrific flick in that genre. Liman knows how to make a great script come to life and this proves that again. My one biggest annoyance were the "mimics" or the alien species they are up against. I thought their CGI was lacklustre at best. They looked hokey and that was unfortunate given how good everything else was. There is no human villain at all which is different but the mimics and the time travel aspect give you everything you could want from this story. Its far from the most intelligent science fiction movie but it does hold its own. Its a mainstream blockbuster that actually requires you to think. It has a few moments of appropriately timed and toned comedy, the fish out of water scenes in the beginning are just perfect and this is just sheer entertainment that you can and should enjoy. Don't hesitate to see this!! 8.5/10