A Summer Blockbuster Masterpiece From 2014

Rating: 10/10 (15 May 2020)

Edge of Tomorrow is a prime example of an action film that does not need the audience to turn their brains off to enjoy the action. It tells the story of Major William Cage, who gains the ability to reset the day after getting some of the omega's blood. This movie is like a sci-fi twist on Groundhog Day, but instead of the main character just sleeping and waking up to the same day, Cage goes back to the same day every time he is killed. The premise for the movie is awesome and the writers execute this idea perfectly. Every time Cage wakes up, he gains new knowledge about the invasion and he reacts differently to the process of being recruited every single time. The same scene and lines of dialogue play again and again but it feels fresh every single time because of the way Cage reacts. This also helps him improve in combat. Every time he dies (most of the time actually), Cage gets a little further and slowly figured out the enemy's strategies. The plot progression feels organic and intense every time Cage seems to get closer to figuring out what to do. It feels like solving a puzzle. One thing that makes the script stand out is the gut-busting humor. This movie has made me laugh more than pretty much any comedy movie I have ever watched. It takes the ridiculous premise of the film to the max and does a great job with dialogue. Speaking of dialogue, it is some of the sharpest I have ever heard in a film. It kind of gives the feeling that everyone that Cage interacts with is an NPC of a video game. In fact, that is kind of what I get the feeling that the movie was going for: Poking fun of the fact that this could be a game. The other characters repeat their lines and Cage interacts with them differently each time. There is even an excellent montage where Cage and Vrataski plan how to get to the Omega and destroy it and every time they die, they create a new step for the next attempt. This could have been a monotonous experience that could make it feel more like a game more than a movie, but director Doug Liman and the writers make it to where it is fresh and exciting to watch. The world-building is terrific as well. The futuristic world looks cool but apocalyptic, the suits are interesting, and the ability to reset the day as well as losing the ability is well realized. There is a sense of dread throughout. This feels like a genuine apocalypse and it is hard to predict how it will end, nor would I want it to end. The tone is perfect. For the most part, it takes itself humorously, but it is also not overly cartoonish. It knows when it is time to take itself seriously when the plot gets progressively more intense. The climax gets some criticism, but it is intense because after Cage loses his power, he cannot die again or else the mission fails and he and everyone else are dead for good. The tonal change is earned. The story hooks you in with its great premise and it delivers in just about every way.
The characters and performances are also phenomenal. Tom Cruise plays William Cage who is without a doubt, one of the most developed characters in a blockbuster film. He starts off as a coward who tries to escape the war in any way possible and has no idea how to even use the suit, which is called the ExoSuit, properly. Each time he wakes up, he reacts differently and gains more knowledge about fighting the mimics. However, he not invincible in the slightest due to the fact of dying throughout the film, so this movie does away with invincible hero cliché. It takes him a while to thrive in combat and he is more of strategic fighter than one who uses brute strength. Even when he gets better, he is still not invincible because the mimics are strong, fast and smart. They can kill the protagonists within seconds. His character has a fantastic arc and it is boosted by an outstanding performance by Tom Cruise. He shows so much range with this character and his reactions to his new ability and each reset are perfect. His freak outs are hilarious and relatable. What makes this performance work so well though is the fact that Cruise sells his role as a coward who is not good at combat at all. He starts out incompetent at combat and Cruise does a great job showing how his character needs training to stop the invasion. Rita Vrataski is just as great of a character. She is one of the most badass women in an action film of last decade. She trains Cage to improve in combat and she kicks plenty of ass in the role. One thing that I noticed this time that I never noticed beforehand is why her character was so prominent in this world. It dawned on me that her character, having the same ability as Cage at one point, and she improved her skills each time she died and she figured out some of the enemy's weaknesses before she lost it. It is a great detail that shows why she is so cold towards the people she interacts. Oh, and Emily Blunt's performance as Vrataski is perfect. She has such a commanding presence every time she is on screen. Blunt's performance shows that Vrataski is not someone you want to mess with. Cruise and Blunt also share great chemistry as their characters have perfect interactions with each other. The best part, they both help each other out and contribute equally to the plot. Vrataski trains Cage while he informs her of all the moves that the mimics will make and what they both need to do take out the Omega. They make a fantastic team. These two protagonists are awesome and well-developed. The side characters are great too. The J-squad is made up of funny soldiers who seem to not take the invasion as seriously as they should, but they are fun to be around. Sergeant Farrell played by Bill Paxton is one of the funniest side characters out there. Paxton delivers his lines perfectly he got so many laughs out of me. Even the man who walks up to Cage to say, "ON YOUR FEET MAGGOT!" is memorable. That is how good the characters are in this film.
But as a blockbuster film, does it deliver on the spectacle? Hell yes! The set designs are terrific as they are creative with the battleground and the training rooms being the standouts. The scope of the war is grand as it feels like an apocalypse with little hope. What I adore about this movie visually is the design of the aliens or mimics. They look so creepy, but they do not look like stereotypical aliens at all. They are these octopus-like creatures that move very quickly and their abilities are menacing. They are terrifying because they kill the protagonist multiple times and they pose a real threat. The effects on the creatures just look so good as do the designs of ExoSuits and the weapons inside the suits. I wonder how it would feel wearing the suit to be honest and if they are practical or not. Now we come to the action. This movie is fast-paced and filled to the brim with action and every bit of it looks glorious. There is not a single frame of action in this film that looks bad. It is done with more frenetic camera work, but it works perfectly and the action is just so fun to watch. One thing that makes the action so fun to watch is seeing Cage learn from his mistakes each time and improving. Even though the we see the characters on the battlefield multiple times, no sequence ever feels the same. Also, it is established that these creatures can kill easily so it makes it a lot harder for Cage and Vrataski to defeat them and it becomes just a bit more satisfying when they reach their goal. In the climax, the intensity ramps up because Cage can no longer reset the day and knowing how the aliens can kill them, it is stressful to watch them get to the hideout and seeing the mimics come closer and closer to them, destroying their ship, taking out their crew and trying to kill them before they reach the Omega. It is intense as hell. It may not look as flashy as other blockbusters, but it shows that they do not need to be flashy to provide beautiful visuals and exhilarating set pieces. There is not a dull moment in these action scenes, or really, in this film for that matter. I still remember how much fun I have watching the action unfold in the theater, especially when they first hit the beach. The cinematography is gorgeous in the film. There are some stunning shots in this film and it helps make the action in the movie look great. Even when the lighting in the film gets a bit thin, there were some spectacular shots near the end of the movie. The soundtrack is the only thing that I think is a nitpick I have with production.
We have amazing fleshed-out characters, terrific performances, a beautifully written story, stunning visual effects and awesome action scenes that are both entertaining and nail-biting. What more could you ask here? Edge of Tomorrow is an action blockbuster masterpiece. Yes, it might not be the deepest film, but it knows exactly what it is, and it does it perfectly. Every time I watch this film, I find more and more things to love about and more details I did not catch beforehand. Even the climax which gets criticized, I found a lot more intense on rewatch because the stakes rise in the third act. There is not a single movie that I had more fun with or that I grow to love more each watch than Edge of Tomorrow, and it has been that way since I saw it in theaters nearly six years ago. Edge of Tomorrow is not only easily my favorite film of the last decade and it is also my favorite action film of all time.
This movie makes up the quickest hour and 53 minutes of my life, especially the first time that I saw it.