How often can you kill Tom Cruise?

Rating: 5/10 (7 June 2014)

Edge of Tomorrow is directed by Doug Liman and stars Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt and Bill Paxton. The film revolves around the earth being invaded by deadly aliens and the human race being on the edge of extinction. The aliens are winning the war and we decide to make one last push on the beaches of France in a deadly battle that we lose and everything is lost. One of the things that the film tries to do is defy genre convention. It tries so hard avoiding the obvious cliché that comes with a script like this and it does it so well up until the last act, which is arguably the least satisfying conclusion to a film that I have seen in a long time.
I wasn't originally going to be seeing this film in theaters but after hearing the praise it got from critics I started debating on whether to see this or X-Men but after receiving a free movie ticket I made the obvious choice of seeing Edge of Tomorrow. I mean, you can't turn down a free movie ticket! To make a long story short, I should have gone with X-Men.
On the eve of the landing, Pvt. Bill Cage (Cruise) is sent to the front line and is killed within the first five minutes of battle. This first act is so well made and treated with such respect that the rest of the film just seems underwhelming compared to the thrilling ride of the first half. Before his death, Cage was infected with an alien gene that gave him the ability to relive the same day over and over again giving the movie a lot to work with as it has so much going for it. Unfortunately it could have been so much better. The best part is without a doubt some of the clever plotting that makes the time loop aspect of the film never seem predictable or boring. There was probably not a single moment during the first half that made me want to close my eyes and fall asleep. The second half however is a cheesy, badly paced action cliché, which is a shame.
The acting was terrific, with Tom Cruise doing one of the most demanding roles of his career. Cruise's character was very complex and well thought out and I praise the writers for that. I love the fact that Tom Cruise commits himself to the action so much cause he really wants the audience to have a good time. Emily Blunt was so great in this film and I almost think that she should have been the star of the show with all her terrific action scenes. All of the actors did a really good job with their roles but what's sad is that there is almost no character development and Edge of Tomorrow suffers from that. Although the acting is great I didn't give a dime about any of the supporting characters making the film seem a little bland. Thankfully the first half mostly revolves around Cage so it doesn't hurt the overall experience to much. The cinematography was a hit and miss in this film. Sometimes the picture is just beautiful to look at with cool wide shots that hold the mediocre special effects whilst at other times the film feels like something a four year old with a camcorder could do better. It's annoying and distracts from the overall experience. I thought the soundtrack was all right and suited the film for what it is, a mediocre popcorn flick, filled with action clichés but redeems itself with an interesting main character, a plot that is all right for the most part and some cool battle scenes. If that is something you are looking for than go ahead, Edge of Tomorrow is your thing! However, if you want to see a film with a good consistent story, beautiful images throughout, good solid character development that sinks you right in and a satisfying end conclusion, you should rather go with X-Men: Days of Future Past.