Turning a foreign novel into a Hollywood film succeeds

Rating: 8/10 (26 July 2014)

The trailer of Edge of Tomorrow, starring the well-known actor and the actress whose career is quite remote from a combat movie fiercely facing uncanny-looking enemies on muddy soil under a barrage of explosions looks indeed cliché and unoriginal to me. However, the fact is this screenplay is actually based on the military science fiction light novel, written by a Japanese author, Hiroshi Sakurazaka. And the movie takes me by surprise with a unique sense of humor and stunning visuals.
Having said that, adapting a successful novel into a screenplay does not always guarantee the efficacy either. A careful observation and nifty editing skill to keep the originality is a must. Also, when it comes to foreign novels, compulsory changes need to be made so that a wide range of audiences can embrace the contents without misunderstanding.
Surprisingly, the crew is able to not only westernize it well but also make the film effectively succinct. Emily Blunt's role as Rita Vrataski, the chief of the Special Forces pans out as her usual toughness and charismatic demeanor is shown professionally despite this being her first heroine as a warrior. Watching her wielding the gigantic Tomahawk is quite impressive. Tom Cruise as usual, stands out by playing the protagonist with various emotions. And the stage of becoming from a coward major with no battling experiences to a reckless and competent solider is neither over-the-top nor under-performed.
One thing that disappoints me is not being able to see the details of the mimics, the robotic creatures that resemble octopus-looking aliens with a chain of metallic arms that slice or throw human forces out. It is hard to identify what they are really capable of due to the fast- paced battle scenes. But that really does not matter because the story keeps getting interesting as it moves forward.
As this film contains a series of iteration, it may look confusing for some people. However, I can't not think of any other counterparts that explain the theory of the time loop better than this one. I also highly recommend everyone to check out the manga/comic book version of "Edge of Tomorrow", which is called "All You Need Is Kill." There are no spoilers but fresh looks with a different style to enjoy.