Edge of Tomorrow

Plot synopsis:
A series of fragmented news broadcasts describes how an asteroid carrying an alien race called the Mimics has crashed in Europe and devastated the continent in a deadly war. Losing battle after battle over five years, the NATO-led United Defense Forces finally win a victory at Verdun, France, utilizing new mechanized "jacket" combat suits. UK Special Forces soldier Sgt. Rita Vrataski (Emily Blunt) is hailed as "The Angel of Verdun" after killing hundreds of Mimics single-handedly. She becomes an instant icon and a recruiting boon for the human military as the united human armies prepare to use the momentum at Verdun to commit all their forces in a multi-pronged final assault on Europe. One of the talking heads on the newsreels telling Vrataski's story and boosting the war effort is Major William Cage (Tom Cruise) of the US Army.Cage awakens from a doze on a helicopter trip to London the morning before the invasion of France is set to take place. He meets with the Commander of the Western allies, General Brigham (Brendan Gleeson), assuming the General wants Cage to help him boost his public image or prepare for a post-war political career. Instead, the General orders Cage to accompany the first wave of Allied troops to land in France and provide ground coverage for the media. Cage, who was a college ROTC Cadet and majoring in advertising and has no experience in combat, tries all of the tricks he can think of to avoid the order to embed with combat units and avoid deployment, ending with an effort to blackmail the General using his media skills. The General agrees that Cage won't film the invasion, but orders Cage arrested. Cage attempts to escape but the guards Taser him, rendering him unconscious.Cage wakes up on a pile of duffel bags in the afternoon at Heathrow Airport, which has become a huge military base and the jump-off point for the invasion of the Continent. A Sergeant kicks him and calls him 'maggot' before Sergeant Farrell (Bill Paxton) takes over. Sgt. Farrell has orders received from General Brigham that describe Private Cage as a deserter who has impersonated a Major. Cage is assigned to a band of odd-ball soldiers, J-Squad, who are caught gambling while playing poker by Farrell when Cage is introduced to them. Farrell forces J-Squad to eat the cards they are gambling with and then instructs them to get Cage ready to deploy with them tomorrow. Cage is immediately taken by the squad for Physical Training (PT).The next day Cage is a nervous wreck. He is given a battle suit but the members of J-Squad won't teach him how to use it, including how to disable his weapon' safe mode, because they believe he will just die quickly. As they are about to drop from aircraft onto the French coast, the back of their aircraft is struck by an enemy weapon and the squad drops prematurely. Although the operation to retake Europe was meant to be a surprise attack, the Mimics are completely prepared, and slaughter the humans. Sgt. Vrataski also lands on the beach but is killed within minutes. The surviving members of J-Squad are all killed rapidly. Still shell-shocked and about to die, Cage grabs a Claymore mine as a giant blue Mimic, an Alpha, jumps on him. The ensuing blast kills the Alpha Mimic, and just before Cage dies, the Alpha's blue blood covers Cage's wounds.Cage immediately awakes in a panic in the same spot he was the day before, on top of the duffel bags. The same sergeant calls him a 'maggot' and Farrell again takes him to J-squad. Despite his desperate attempt to explain that the Mimics will ambush the entire invasion, nobody believes him. Stuck in a time loop, he is repeatedly deployed and dies in a variety of ways, only to wake up again and again on the duffel bags. With each time loop, he becomes slightly more adept at killing Mimics and saving members of J-Squad and Vrataski, but the Mimics are too numerous and eventually kill everyone. In one loop, he survives long enough to tell Vrataski that he is stuck in a time loop. Recognizing his situation, Vrataski tells Cage to "Find me when you wake up," before they are both killed again.Cage awakens on the duffel bags again, but cooperates with Sgt. Farrell and J-Squad to buy himself time to find Vrataski. After several fatal attempts in the base at slipping away, Cage finally manages to get away during PT and finds Vrataski in a training bay surrounded by training drones. The special forces soldiers are all hostile towards him and Vrataski greets him rudely, but when he explains that Vrataski asked for him, she whisks him away to a weapons building bay where her acquaintance, Dr. Carter (Noah Taylor) works. There they go to a back room and Vrataski and Carter explain the time loop. Carter was formerly a researcher in General Brigham's HQ, and devised a theory that all Mimics are just neural manifestations of one overmind 'Omega' alien creature.He tells Carter that the aliens posses the ability to turn time back, so each time an Alpha Mimic is killed, they cycle time backwards, enabling them to precisely anticipate the invasion forces' next actions. Vrataski explains she got into the loop when the blood of a large blue 'Alpha' Mimic was spilled on her, just as Cage experienced. She was stuck in a time loop at Verdun, allowing her to kill hundreds of Mimics single-handedly in what became her final loop.She explains that she was wounded and received a human blood transfusion, causing the alien blood to lose its effectiveness, and breaking the time loop. Vrataski tells Cage to always make sure he dies on the battlefield or in training or she'll have to kill him to start over.Carter created a device that could locate the Omega if it is stabbed into an Alpha Mimic but no one believed his theory and he was demoted and relegated to a mechanical repair unit. Cage tries to understand what he is saying but Vrataski says that to find the Omega they must first survive the invasion tomorrow. Through a large number of loops, she trains Cage, in some instances killing him over his protests when he is seriously injured so that he will resume the loop. Cage and Vrataski improved their combat skills and progress on the beach during the invasion, but despite everything, they both keep dying and Cage remains stuck in his loop. Cage becomes attracted to Vrataski and watching her die in repeated loops starts to take an emotional toll on him.Cage experiences a vision showing the Omega deep inside a dam in Germany. Vrataski and Carter believe the visions are due to Cage being exposed to an Alpha Mimic's blood. They believe the Omega can manipulate time and perception. Cage and Vrataski focus their efforts on surviving the invasion beach and getting inland to Germany.After multiple failures and deaths, Cage and Vrataski finally make it inland. During the repeated attempts Cage develops an attraction to Vrataski, and he slowly gathers details about Vrataski. In one loop, Vrataski tells Cage that she had a boyfriend at Verdun who she watched die three hundred times until she could no longer loop and he was dead for good. After they find a helicopter at a farmhouse, Vrataski realizes Cage is trying to coax her to stay in the farmhouse while he goes alone and confronts Omega. Cage admits they have looped to the farmhouse multiple times already, but every single time Vrataski dies, so he is trying to prevent her from dying again by going alone. Shocked and offended, she intentionally gets them killed.During one loop, believing the fight is pointless, Cage decides not to meet Vrataski and instead goes to London and stops in a pub. There, Cage sees the Mimic's next step in its attack: a large-scale amphibious assault on London while Operation Downfall forces are destroyed. Cage is killed in London, and Vrataski and Cage work on a plan to get off the beach. After numerous loops, they make their way inland towards the Omega.Cage eventually succeeds in making it to the German dam alone, but finds nothing and is almost captured by the Mimics before he manages to drown himself. In the next loop, Cage, Vrataski, and Carter put the pieces together and figure out the visions: Vrataski's success in Verdun was all a ruse by the Omega Mimic. The Omega had let the humans win at Verdun in order to lure the humans into invading Europe, where all the human armies would be ambushed and annihilated. With no other leads, the device Carter made which got him fired is their last chance. Vrataski and Cage switch focus to getting the device, which is at Whitehall in a safe in General Brigham's office. They infiltrate the Ministry of Defense and, after numerous loops, persuade Brigham to give them the transponder. Brigham relents and gives them the transponder before sending troops after them as they attempt to escape by car.As they escape, Vrataski stabs the transponder into Cage's leg. Cage sees the true location of the Omega: deep under the Louvre Museum in Paris. As they attempt to escape from the Allied headquarters, their car is stopped by a soldier in a mechanical jacket, and the airbag knocks out Vrataski before she can kill Cage.Cage awakens strapped to a hospital gurney, under arrest. He sees that he is receiving a blood transfusion and realizes that he can no longer loop in time. Vrataski helps Cage escape, but without the ability to loop in time again and only several hours before the doomed invasion, Cage decides to recruit the misfit J-Squad to help them get to Paris. Cage's now-intimate knowledge of J-Squad and Vrataski's credibility convinces J-Squad to accompany them. They steal an aircraft and fly to Paris.Once in the vicinity of the Louvre, the Mimics attack their aircraft. They must avoid killing the Alpha Mimic guarding the Omega, because that will cause the Omega to reset time, so all the team members are told to "take one for the team" - that is, to accept death - and not try to kill any Alpha Mimic in case they find themselves with one face-to-face. In the ensuing firefight half of J-Squad are killed. Cage, Vrataski, and three remaining J-Squad members decide to use the remaining engine power to slide the aircraft into the Louvre. Once inside, they plan to use grenades to destroy the Omega. The rest of J-Squad sacrifice themselves in the slide, and Cage and Vrataski make it into the museum. Once there, Vrataski tells Cage she will distract the Alpha Mimic while he attempts to drop a belt of grenades onto the Omega, which is under water deep under the Louvre. Vrataski tells him that neither one of them will survive the ordeal and kisses him, telling him that she wishes she had more time to get to know Cage better.Vrataski leaves to distract the Alpha Mimic and Cage dives underwater to find the Omega. After a brief chase, the Alpha catches and kills Vrataski. The Omega senses Cage and dispatches the Alpha to kill Cage. The Alpha dives after Cage and stabs him, but before he dies, Cage pulls the grenade pins and drops the grenade belt into the Omega. The Omega explodes and dies, and all the Mimics die with it. After Cage dies, the Omega's blood washes over and seeps into him, like the Alpha's blood did on the first day of the loop, and his eyes open.Cage wakens suddenly, confused, and finds himself on the helicopter en route to London on the morning before the invasion and his meeting with General Brigham. He disembarks and hears the celebratory pealing of bells. He watches a news conference during which the General announces that a huge mysterious energy blast was detected in Paris. The General says that the Mimics have died and the human forces will commence sweeping through Europe the next day. He sees J-Squad engaging in PT at the base. Cage looks for Vrataski and everyone treats him with respect due an officer. He finds Vrataski and she greets him with the same rudeness she has every time they meet in every loop. Cage smiles broadly.

Tags: comedy, cult, violence, psychedelic, action, humor

Review:
The trailers had me believe that after 'Battle L.A.' and 'Oblivion' this would be yet another bleak, action- packed, special effects driven Sci-Fi blockbuster about an alien invasion - what the trailers failed to convey almost entirely is that over long stretches, this is also seasoned with nearly as much humor as 'Groundhog Day'.
And it absolutely IS an action-packed, special effects driven Sci-Fi blockbuster about battling an alien invasion (the trailers got that right), albeit one with a funny bone and great characters.
The design of the aliens - the production design in general - is incredibly well done, although I would lie if I said it was something ground-breaking and new the way the first 'Matrix' was (it IS breathtaking, though).So my verdict: With one of the most inventive (adapted) scripts for an original (mega-budget) film in a long time and the best Tom Cruise we've seen in years, 'Edge of Tomorrow' will have you chuckle and laugh nearly as much as drop your jaw in awe: this is what Hollywood should take as a blueprint for exciting summer entertainment henceforth.
It's an original movie as well, not a sequel or a remake (although I hear it might be inspired by a novel or graphic novel).Tom Cruise - who plays a slightly different character than usually - is good, he always brings his best.
No setting up sequels, no ambiguous crap, just a solid, fitting ending.Unlike Cruise's last sci-fi film "Oblivion", this is definitely an action movie.
One of the most ingenious film concepts ever created, a cross between 'Saving Private Ryan' and 'Groundhog Day', 'Edge of Tomorrow' is a gripping and clever blockbuster sci-fi thrill-ride accompanied with taut, fast-paced action and compelling direction.
With thrilling action sequences, clever sense of humor and surprisingly intellectual storyline, "Edge of Tomorrow" shows a real deal of summer blockbuster movie and proves itself beyond expectation especially after unconvincing trailers.
Doug Liman as director smartly exploited 're-setting the day' aspect without making it complicated and escaping it from being dull with some quality combat moments also inserting lovable drama that is commanded by memorable chemistry from Tom Cruise and Emilly Blunt have carried whole scenes in it.
But despite the fact that I have seen Groundhog Day, from beginning to end, at least 2 dozen times, this is supposed to be a review of EDGE, so let's turn our focus there:It is easy to understand why so many IMDb-ers have awarded 9 or 10 stars to this "EDGY" Sci-Fi near classic, I suppose if it hadn't been for the reason so clearly spelled out above, I, undoubtedly, would have done the sameStill, EDGE possesses many standalone qualities that have motivated me to give it a well-deserved 8 Stars!
This way we escape the war movie trapping where we know that the hero must dodge every bullet and survive to the end, here he dies again and again, some funny deaths in place of heroics; seriousness goes, expectation goes, it all becomes more fluid.And Tom Cruise is marvelously cast, just brilliant use of him that helps so much usher us in.
Despite being a big budget sci-fi action film with Tom Cruise in the lead, this movie went almost completely ignored by audiences.
Best of all, the filmmakers never bother to cram a love story between Cage and Rita into the plot as most summer big-budget action movies would be prone to do.
Cage's ability to restart the day each time he dies comes from a direct connection to the Omega, so he is now humanity's final hope in defeating the alien threat.I have never read the novel on which EDGE OF TOMORROW is adapted ("All You Need Is Kill" by Hiroshi Sakurazakaand arguably a way cooler title) so I don't know who all deserves the credit for crafting such an awesome story structure, whether it be Sakurazaka, screenwriters McQuarrie and the Butterworths, or director Doug Liman.
Lives up to expectations, Edge of Tomorrow is bold, brutal and a bloody good time with Tom Cruise as you've never seen him before.
I hate it when people say that they "feel part of the film", it gets annoying but I'm going to contradict that and say that I truly felt immersed into this movie, Edge Of Tomorrow's enormous and chaotic war scenes are so big and open, you feel like you're on the front line with Cage: Shocked, amazed and blown away.
Tom Cruise is a movie star that remains eminently watchable, as is Emily Blunt who continues to amaze, these two are a dream team, and Director Doug Liman utilises his big budget to perfection..
Its unpredictability makes you think about how it's all gonna end, but the script is so tight that the very next moment you're offered solid action and thrill, eventually making you stop thinking.I'd strongly recommend EDGE OF TOMORROW to anyone who likes movies in general.
In an era of filmmaking where most effects sequences are pre- visualized to an almost sterilizing degree, the action filmed feels remarkably spontaneous - thanks to Liman's chaotic, figure it out on set style of filmmaking, that has been aptly named 'Limania.'As Cruise gets caught in this time loop where he repeats the same day over and over, the script fleshes this scenario out where it never feels repetitive or predictable.
Now that I have seen this movie I am definitely ready to give Tom Cruise another chance because Edge of Tomorrow was actually really cool.
This movie seems determined to treat its audience with respect, something that doesn't go unnoticed and unappreciated.Cast-wise, the 50-something Tom Cruise amazes as the still utterly believable coward-turned-action man, Major Bill Cage.
The transformation of Cruise's Cage is particularly well-handled, but Blunt's Vrataski is his equal in every way.They are all clearly having a lot of fun with the opportunity to constantly tweak the same lines, even when much of that dialogue ought to be better.The production and art design does an marvelous job of evoking a genuinely anxious and desperate war time vibe, one too rarely seen and felt in modern cinema.
The beach battlefield scenes in particular are beautifully shot.For my money, this is the best Tom Cruise film of the last decade, for sure, and it feels like he took great enjoyment in making this one.
The only reason I'm giving it an 8 (would've given it a .5 if I could) is there were some minor plot holes but overall it's a great movie.I'm pleased to see Emily Blunt in a lead action role and she kicked butt.Tom Cruise is Tom Cruise, no more no less.Visually impressive, packs the right amount of action, humorous, great premise and well executed.Happy to watch it again when it comes out on DVD.Might consider watching it on 3D as well as some of the reviews give it a thumbs up..
With both Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt I was fairly certain I would like the movie, but I actually loved it.
Throwing in plenty of action, and even plenty of laughs, to make for an altogether interesting movie.Much like the recent "X-men – Days of future past" the films only real downfall is its mind boggling ending.
Here, feeling like a slapped on happy "Hollywood ending." When perhaps a darker one would have been the better way to go, in a film in which the usually heroic Tom Cruise is shamelessly killed over and over again..
Edge of Tomorrow is very much that rare moment for this year's summer, but that shouldn't be surprising considering the fact that Tom Cruise almost always chooses the best projects even when they're primarily action flicks.
Edge of Tomorrow features a refreshingly unique story and instead of simply duplicating Groundhog Day's style and structure like many accused it of doing before even seeing the film, it focuses on Tom Cruise's incessant string of deaths (presented more lightheartedly than it sounds) which undeniably helps keep the film fresh and interesting.
Think Groundhog Day meets the Apocalypse and you have Edge of Tomorrow.Essentially, we have a bunch of nasty aliens that have invaded the Earth, we have to find their weak spot and kill them, and Tom Cruise is the guy who does just that.
If you're looking for a comparison it is Groundhog Day meets Starship Troopers.Tom Cruise is excellent in the role – it is refreshing to see him as a smug pathetic coward who grows into an action hero – it is his best role in years.
I like this movie so much and I would not even think to put a spoiler in my review but encourage everyone to see this on the big screen.This is the kind of movie that I love to watch and for me, it's been too long since I've seen a good Tom Cruise movie.
Edge of Tomorrow is based on a Japanese graphic novel 'All you need is kill' (that was also going to be the original title of the film - a better one I think) and in essence is a combination of Groundhog day and Starship Troopers.
Of course, if you pay to watch a film that stars Tom Cruise as an exoskeleton-clad soldier fighting aliens in a time loop that resets the same battle over and over again; you'll surely expect to enjoy a fair amount of quality action and big explosions.
All in all Tom Cruise carries the film effortlessly (he's almost 52 now, if he keeps going at this level he won't be old enough for the Expendables until he hits 90) and Emily Blunt gives a good performance too.The movie is very well paced and never gets dull, but it does end up being a little disappointing in the plot department, with a couple of weak and extremely convenient plot devices and some underwhelming revelations.
Tom Cruise's character is sent into a battle against aliens and gains the ability to re-live that day every time he dies.
This movie is much more than just action, though it does have great action and outstanding special effects.The story-line is interesting, fully engaging and this is Tom Cruise's best movie in quite some time.
Aliens meets Starship Troopers meets Groundhog Day. Edge of Tomorrow is a science fiction film starring Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt.
What intrigued me about it was that it is based on a Japanese graphic novel (or manga) called "All You Need Is Kill".The story is about an army officer named William Cage (Tom Cruise) who gets caught up in fighting a war against an elite alien race along side Special Forces soldier Rita Vrataski (Emily Blunt).
Both Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt deliver outstanding, believable performances, keeping in line with the high bar This beats any sci-fi or action film released in 2014.
There is the general stereotype that the script is the base for most of the successful movies that has created an impact on world box- office but there are some movies that has changed such perspective and showed that screenplay could play the prominent role in making that movie a winner.After watching the 2014 sci-fi ''Edge of Tomorrow'' the only think that utter so naturally from our mouth is the silence, yes no doubt that makes speechless, it's very unique and advanced stuff that has been tried in film making till now, though this theme seems to be tried in 2011 ''Source Code'' this movie has very much new things to present to its viewers, to review such a well made movie could be said with very complicated appreciations like – ''the most softly presented hard movie'' the screenplay is the soul of this flick, such a well planned screenplay and the presentation shows the brilliance worked behind such neatly made movie, Aliens invasions are very usual concept used in Hollywood but this movie with its very much unique way of presentation takes it to the next level in cinema making.Bourne director Doug Liman with such a tremendous work will surely move to the top list, Tom Cruise as Major William Cage has done a great work, his on-screen presentation and some of those typical Cruise's style makes his followers to like his performance, Emily Blunt is also appreciable for her energetic portrayal as Special Force Warrior who fight against invaded invincible aliens, it's the entire team that receives a huge applaud for making such a brilliant work..
Things don't go too well for Major William Cage in his first foray into mortal combat - he's killed, actually - but through some inexplicable fluke of nature, he wakes up alive in the time before the battle, destined to relive the incident over and over again till he finally gets it right.By far, the best element in "Edge of Tomorrow" is the fun and lively performance by Tom Cruise, who gets to run the emotional gamut from paralyzing fear to swaggering bravado, from pleading desperation to raging cock-sureness all within the confines of a single role.
Emily Blunt and Bill Paxton are additional standouts in an excellent cast.Unfortunately, as with even the better forays into big-budget movie-making, "Edge of Tomorrow" does eventually hit a point of diminishing returns, as we get flummoxed by the occasional plot hole and overwhelmed by a surfeit of special effects (though the CGI here is, indeed, very impressive).
Die. Repeat." really cool slogan.#2 Emily Blunt one of my favorite artist (she is more sexy with blonde hair).#3 Amazing plot line.#4 "Love Me Again (by John Newman)" is perfect soundtrack.#5 Very interesting moral and mental lesson.#6 Very adventurous action.#7 Leave the ending to our imagination.Yes, I recommend this movie, and hoping someone makes a sequel (or better: make this trilogy)..
Though Tom Cruise is the lead actor in Edge of Tomorrow, but Emily Blunt is presented as his equal in the film.
Even the film's poster shows the two actors very much on the par with each other.To stress on the special effects and the action sequences, is like saying that four star Michelin restaurant is a good place to eat, it would be stating the obvious, but what can be said about it is that, for the first time in a long while, the role of the CGI and the stunts make for a good marriage with the plot, without overpowering it and relying solely on the smoke and mirrors's ability to impress audiences.Edge of Tomorrow is a movie which can be appreciated by die-hard sci-fi buffs, who will recognize actors from other films of the genre, i.e.: Bill Paxton, from Aliens and The Terminator, among others.
As a big fan of these time travel/repeat days over and over again stories, I really thought this would be one of the better movies of the year.
The story seemed quite dim even during the time loop Tom Cruise experiences and it wasn't a very interesting concept either,maybe it had but wasn't properly executed.What could have been a masterpiece for a scifi movie lover turned out pretty plain and boring with nothing much to offer.The movie disappointed me in every way, not even the action, acting or the characters could save this 'movie'.
Side Note: Whatever you think of the man and his religious beliefs, Tom Cruise does know his way around a Hollywood action blockbuster.The most surprisingly pleasant aspect about "Edge of Tomorrow" has to be the dark humor throughout.
In fact, he single-handedly transforms the repetitive nature of the story structure, which (in lesser hands) could have come off as excruciatingly boring, into something that is edge-of-your-seat entertainment.Final Thought: Even though the third Act sees a more generic Mission Impossible, save the world Tom Cruise, as the film becomes more reliant on the action aspect rather than creative storytelling, and the plot inevitably stumbles into a sci-fi pitfall sequence drowning in over-complex explanation, AND the ending doesn't make a whole lot of sense, at the end of the day, none of that matters.
So is the basic premise for Doug Liman's "Edge of Tomorrow." Not your average Tom Cruise vehicle, the film is built on the premise of a solider who, by some form of luck -- good or bad -- has attained the power to hit refresh on the same day.
Doug Liman has managed to increase the efficiency of a well-crafted script, in a first very well put, exciting and surprising hour and half.Although we could figure out some bad points, for instance the extraterrestrial aspect of the movie (about the CGI, the origins, the story, etc), or the last thirty minutes of the films which tends to be much more closer to the classic narrative of the others summer blockbusters and focused on the "Tom Cruise's heroism", Edge Of Tomorrow remains a very nice surprise and an entertaining moment you'll enjoy to live, and to repeat..
In doing so, it did a very good job and even added a few new things to the genre.This movie bears a strong resemblance to Groundhog day, and has a lot of good humor in it along with great action sequences and effects.
This film stars Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt and is directed by Doug Liman.
The story is about Tom Cruise's character, William Cage, being put into this D-Day type attack against these alien creatures that are invading earth.
I love those movies and it should also say something that I think Edge of Tomorrow is Tom Cruise's best work in a while and maybe ever.
You would think that a sci-fi action flick like this would be pretty serious and dark, but it has honest-to-goodness great bits of comedy in it that give you a break from constantly being on the edge of your seat.Getting back to some of the actors and actresses in the film though, aside from stellar performances from Blunt and Cruise, Bill Paxton surprised the heck out of me in the film and also Brendan Gleeson, despite not being in it for very long.