Best mind trip since Looper

Rating: 8/10 (29 May 2014)

It's been a long time since Tom Cruise plays the role of a rookie, after Mission: Impossible and Jack Reacher, it's acceptable that he's uber awesome from the start, and it's been even longer since Hollywood produces a great adaptation of Japanese popular literature. Edge of Tomorrow, despite spawning from the grimly titled light novel All You Need Is Kill and the poster's morbid catchphrase, is actually rather light hearted, playful and humorous. With gritty near apocalypse backdrop, the movie uses more mass appealing screenplay and, to its credit, manages to make what could be a redundant concept into an entertaining spectacle.
The movie's mind bending premise is actually an old one, but it's presented differently in sci-fi thriller, and thankfully it has made the transition to cinema pretty well. Tom Cruise plays William Cage, a military PR officer who is ungracefully demoted and literally dumped on battlefield. It's a fresh look for Cruise as he has always played the role of veteran badass for about a decade now. After his fateful first day, Cage is looped in a vicious cycle; he will unwittingly team up with the actual veteran badass, Rita Vrataski, played by Emily Blunt. Contrasting to the bleak situation, Cruise adds a touch of humor to his character. He is certainly proved as an action star, but the on-screen charisma is more prevalent when he tries to overcome the hardship and fails many times around.
Emily Blunt, who has experience in sci-fi genre from her role in Looper, is good choice for Rita. She has a bit of rugged nature from countless battles and she's attractive in her own way. The repeated clip of her doing push-up can also serve as a fitness video thumbnail. Chemistry for these two works for most part as Cage is frantically trying to find answer and Rita has been tempered by battlefield until the point of indifference. Although there could be room for the characters to develop further, they share some good moments and mature attraction. What's really surprising is how director Doug Liman presents the movie in humorous manner, it's consistently funny without being too slapstick. Pacing is really well done, editing helps getting the stagnant premise moves along rapidly. There's also a bit dark humor in recycling death and it's fascinating to see apocalypse concept taken without steroid of grittiness.
Edge of Tomorrow is a visual beast, there's more than enough action to rival its blockbuster peers. The motion is fluid and fast, yet it stays focused without spamming slow motion shots. Its extraterrestrial adversaries are looking organically menacing, a mix of liquid tentacle and rabies canine. Overall color tone is bluish gray, a recent trend in this sort of movie. Futuristic equipment are showcased with more plausible technology, but they also incorporate the grandiose blazing aspect one expects from Japanese animation. Everything looks amazing, and fortunately, especially so in 3D.
Unfortunately, the final act doesn't carry the same impact as the rest of the movie. It's nowhere near horrible, but it does feel underwhelming and far fetch. Not to mention, the action looks a bit murky compared to the flashy bits of the first half. It could also spend a little more time to establish the relationships between characters, but understandably the narrative requires more time to progress. It's not perfect, but Edge of Tomorrow is an excellent movie that respectfully takes its source and creates an alternate version which is more amusing, thrilling and, I'm going to say it, edgy.