Edge of Tomorrow (2014)

[Jessie]

The film is very enjoyable but don't believe most of the people here when they say its amazing and so-on, its just a good time to be had at the cinema which you will completely forget about the next day. These early reviews from posters on here always end up over exaggerating.

 

B+

Edited June 2, 2014 by jessie

[bapi]

Is she the one that greets him when he exits the helicopter before meeting Brendan Gleeson?

 

Charlotte Riley is the woman in J squad.

No, Lara Pulver is standing next to Cruise watching TV news at the end of the movie...

[rahvinn87]

The film is very enjoyable but don't believe most of the people here when they say its amazing and so-on, its just a good time to be had at the cinema which you will completely forget about the next day. These early reviews from posters on here always end up over exaggerating.

 

B+

 

This is the example you see when you look up the term 'damning with faint praise'

 

But seriously a B+ is still a very strong score which supports the early hype more or less. I haven't exactly seen anyone saying it's a masterpiece.

[Gazz]

Edge of Tomorrow2014, dir. Doug Liman

 

Since 2002’s The Bourne Identity, Doug Liman has established himself as a fairly competent action director though poorly written scripts and production problems have often mired the quality of his blockbuster films. The aforementioned Bourne film was wrought with production issues, ultimately salvaged by extensive reshoots, while Mr and Mrs Smith crumbled under the weight of its own star-power. And though Jumper featured some promising but pulpy sci-fi ideas, it unfortunately took them nowhere with a typically underwhelming David Goyer script (ie. piss poor dialogue and characters). Liman’s blockbuster films may pop on screen but they merely fizzle away on the page and from the outset the unfortunately titled Edge of Tomorrow (sounding more like an American soap opera than a sci-fi war film) looked typical of the director’s oeuvre. The explosive Saving Private Ryan meets The Matrix aesthetic of the trailer engaged, while the already-done sci-fi take on Groundhog Day set up hung over the film like a damp rag. But with Edge of Tomorrow Liman has delivered where so many have failed, by bringing smart filmmaking to a simple story and refusing to neglect a sense of fun. 

 

Based on the novel ‘All You Need is Kill’ by Hiroshi Sakurazaka, Edge of Tomorrow begins during the midst of a war against a race of alien creatures that have overtaken Europe. They’re known as ‘mimics’ due to their ability to predict their opponents every move. Refreshingly Liman avoids covering the initial invasion almost entirely, introducing us to the situation through use of interviews and news footage. We’re informed that humanity has begun to fight back and win in their war against these tentacled mechanical monsters. This is thanks in no small part to seasoned warriors such as Emily Blunt’s Rita (or ‘Full Metal Bitch’ as the propaganda posters call her) who has tallied more confirmed kills than any other soldier. During this montage Liman introduces Tom Cruise’s Cage as the media face of the military, who is seen beckoning young Americans to war with the promise (and grandeur) of a sure victory. Before the title sequence is over the players and world has been effectively set up. It’s efficient, to the point and allows for cutting straight to the meat and potatoes of the story. 

 

After the attempted blackmail of a senior officer, Cage’s cowardice lands him in trouble and with a first class ticket to the front-line. Out of his depth on a battlefield that is increasingly looking like a well-planned trap and surrounded by hardened grunts that are counting down the remaining the seconds of his life, Cage stumbles from one action-beat to the next until meeting his inevitable demise. But by a twist of fate Cage is forced to relive the day over and over again, meeting his end in a whole manner of violent, shocking and often funny ways. That is until he meets Emily Blunt’s Rita, who holds information that may help Cage both break the cycle and end the war for good. 

 

Unlike Duncan Jone’s Source Code (that other Groundhog-Day science fiction picture) there is no thriller style mystery to unravel in Liman’s film. Starting from a similar platform, Edge of Tomorrow instead takes inspiration from Paul Verhoeven’s Starship Trooper and James Cameron’s Aliens, both in story and character (and not to mention an actor in Bill Paxton). Much like with those sci-fi classics, the marines here are all action and little thought military clichés, running gung-ho to their own slaughter at the hands of an enemy they’ve vastly underestimated. But whereas Starship Troopers has the dumb but strong Rico and Aliens’ the overlooked but brave Ellen Ripley at their centres, Edge of Tomorrow’s Cage is the coward who’d rather sit this one out, forced into action only when the inescapability of his situation becomes starkly apparent. It is easy to hate such a yellow-bellied individual as Cage, and the film practically asks us to early on. He’s cowardly, uncaring and knowingly admits to sending thousands of young soldiers to their deaths through his own propaganda tactics. By making him dislikeable, his many demises become an effective focus for comedy. But Cruise imbues Cage with just enough charm that one finds them self endeared to him as he grows. It helps that he has the always-dependable Blunt to bounce off in many of his scenes, providing the film with a couple of fleeting but decent emotional beats. Blunt’s Rita is the core of the film; she gets the best lines, the best action and is easily the most likeable character on display. Her performance in Edge of Tomorrow had me asking the question, when will Emily Blunt become the blockbuster star she’s been threatening to for years? 

 

Most interesting is how Liman has implemented the time-loop narrative mechanism to explore videogame culture; capturing both the frantic energy of the initial play and the careful planning undertaken by players when plotting a course of action against an impossible foe. Liman even somewhat examines the bonds that are forged between gamers and the heated exchanges that arise as they're forced to repeat actions over again due to one players error or the other. Time-loop films have been seen before, but never has such a mechanism been used to explore the respawn-replay nature of videogame culture and- however briefly- its players. 

 

Despite a few ham-handed scenes of exposition, Edge of Tomorrow succeeds because Liman and his writing team (Christopher McQuarrie, Jez Butterworth and John-Henry Butterworth) have focused their efforts on telling a simple story in the most engaging way possible, centring on timing and structure to deliver effective action, comedy and character beats. There’s a great deal of knowing restraint on display from Liman, allowing for the same battlefield to feel fresh an hour in to the film despite us having witnessed the action a countless number of times. But for their attention to structure, Edge of Tomorrow’s greatest attribute is instead its playful tone. In another filmmakers hands it would have been a grim-dark slog through murky battlefields with tortured souls as our guide. Instead it’s a well-structured and fast moving rollercoaster ride replete with action thrills and more than a few hearty laughs. 

 

Rating: 4/5 

Edited October 6, 2014 by Gazz

[Deep Wang]

I'm a huge fan of anything time travel/time loop related, and this one might be one of my favorites of the genre. I enjoyed the fuck out of it.

[Deep Wang]

I know it's far from a perfect movie, but damn was that entertaining.  

 

It also did something I really appreciate for a time loop movie, it didn't make us follow along the entire way.  I really liked how it skipped ahead to him doing things that he has done many times before, but we hadn't seen yet.  Especially when they finally get off the beach.  We learn in the car ride that this isn't new stuff, he has been here before.  He knows things that he shouldn't know and just how much does he know?  How far has he gotten?  We do finally catch up to him at the farm as he tries to figure out a way to save her.

 

I fucking love that.

[BoxOfficeZ]

Surprisingly good. I thought Cruise and Blunt were good. Nice visuals. 

 

A-

Edited June 6, 2014 by BoxOfficeZ

[dashrendar44]

This is the best videogame adaptation of a videogame that doesn't exist EVER made.

 

I mean the movie is the exact meta-commentary of what it is like to play a videogame: Try, re-try again and again meaning dying as much time as you need to complete the stage little step by little step to reach the upper level gaining strength/skills, finding out the right way to overcome until you just own it instinctively learning from your failures seeing through the recurrent patterns becoming a God, it's like Unreal/Halo and countless scifi videogames. Even the final sequence is like when you're left with your last "life" and it's the final stage boss, you just go berserk with all the ammos left.

 

But it never feels like countless videogame movies which are boring and fall flat because you wish you had a pad to control the action phases but you cannot.

 

Unlike those, EoT succeeds because the characters are enjoyable and feel  real enough (J-Squad riffs on Aliens/Starship Troopers and Liman channels his inner Cameron whenever he shoots those exo-suits on battleground), the movie is just fun (dark humor in seeing Cruise dying countless times like a rookie, sometimes in such stupid ways cf. Rolling under the truck wheels to escape "What the hell was he thinking...", the training scenes) and exciting to watch as it unravels.

 

Despite the more conventional ending, the first hour is so playful and quite clever with its jump cuts and ellipses leaving out enough voids to be completed further leading to alternate events that you just go along the ride until the end.

 

Really appreciated the brit cast ("Bollocks!") and the european settings harkening back to WWII, that's more refreshing than US Marines.

 

Coward Cruise is just a riot to watch as he tries to sneak out of duty (as a man of propaganda eager to send young soldiers die on the battlefront but hides from action) the first time assault in which he is thrown that triggers the loop is as impressive as funny, his slow turn into a skilled soldier is earned. (The scene when he is becoming jaded and owns on the beach just slayed)

 

As for best blockbuster of 2014, I think we have a winner. Now I know why this script was on the black list (best hollywood scripts in development hell), it's really remarkable how it managed to juggle between ellipses, timelines, alternate events to play with and explore the concept without being repetitive, that's really a tough job that seems effortlessly executed on screen without being lost. (The helicopter keys scene showing that when we think we advance further in the plot, in fact Cruise already did way before)

 

A.

Edited June 6, 2014 by dashrendar44

[bballman24]

Go. Fucking. See. It.

 

A

[bballman24]

I know it's far from a perfect movie, but damn was that entertaining.  

 

It also did something I really appreciate for a time loop movie, it didn't make us follow along the entire way.  I really liked how it skipped ahead to him doing things that he has done many times before, but we hadn't seen yet.  Especially when they finally get off the beach.  We learn in the car ride that this isn't new stuff, he has been here before.  He knows things that he shouldn't know and just how much does he know?  How far has he gotten?  We do finally catch up to him at the farm as he tries to figure out a way to save her.

 

I fucking love that.

One of my favorite parts too.

I felt for his character BECAUSE we don't know the actual number of times he looped. He must've went through so much shit, and that fear is magnified because we find out through subtle actions (and not force fed you by the director) that he has looped way way more than we thought, and TC did so well conveying his sadness every time he looked at her.

I honestly am surprised how much I love this film. It's the biggest surprise movie of the year for me.

[Kalel009Shel]

Glad to see two more people giving it excellent ratings. 

It looked like a flop to me , but Cjohn your slowly  winning over me to  check it out. I cant believe your

giving it a near Captain America Quality  rating though.. 

[Kalel009Shel]

lol bballman loves it tooo hmm.. I May have to see this one lol. Xmen first this weekend or Friday though ...

[Kalel009Shel]

This is the best videogame adaptation of a videogame that doesn't exist EVER made.

 

I mean the movie is the exact meta-commentary of what it is like to play a videogame: Try, re-try again and again meaning dying as much time as you need to complete the stage little step by little step to reach the upper level gaining strength/skills, finding out the right way to overcome until you just own it instinctively learning from your failures seeing through the recurrent patterns becoming a God, it's like Unreal/Halo and countless scifi videogames. Even the final sequence is like when you're left with your last "life" and it's the final stage boss, you just go berserk with all the ammos left.

 

But it never feels like countless videogame movies which are boring and fall flat because you wish you had a pad to control the action phases but you cannot.

 

Unlike those, EoT succeeds because the characters are enjoyable and feel enough real (G-Squad riff on Aliens/Starship Troopers and Liman channels his inner Cameron whenever he shoots those exo-suits on battleground), the movie is just fun (dark humor in seeing Cruise dying countless times like a rookie, sometimes in such stupid ways cf. Rolling under the truck wheels to escape "What the hell was he thinking...", the training scenes) and exciting to watch as it unravels.

 

Despite the more conventional ending, the first hour is so playful and quite clever with its jump cuts and ellipses leaving out enough voids to be completed further leading to alternate events that you just go along the ride until the end.

 

Really appreciated the brit cast ("Bollocks!") and the european settings harkening back to WWII, that's more refreshing than US Marines.

 

Coward Cruise is just a riot to watch as he tries to sneak out of duty (as a man of propaganda eager to send young soldiers die on the battlefront but hides from action) the first time assault in which he is thrown that triggers the loop is as impressive as funny, his slow turn into a skilled soldier is earned. (The scene when he is becoming jaded and owns on the beach just slayed)

 

As for best blockbuster of 2014, I think we have a winner. Now I know why this script was on the black list (best hollywood scripts in development hell), it's really remarkable how it managed to juggle between ellipses, timelines, alternate events to play with and explore the concept without being repetitive, that's really a tough job that seems effortlessly executed on screen without being lost. (The helicopter keys scene showing that when we think we advance further in the plot, in fact Cruise already did way before)

 

A.

Wow Dash you really loved this film... YOu think this is better than the Captain???!!!  I didnt think any Blockbuster this year can lay claim to that one.. I will check it out , since a few of  our pals here and yourself really enjoyed it.

 

How you rate this movie vs Captain2 and Xmen 2014?

[lilmac]

A

 

 

Probably the best movie of the summer so far (EOT or CA:WS).  Excellent acting, wonderful and inventive creature design, alot of tense moments, and a good dose of humor.  

 

 

Winner goes to Christopher McQuarrie for his tight script.  Doug Liman for the excellent pacing.  And finally Emily Blunt for just being awesome. 

 

Highly recommended.

 

Guys, we've complained about the lack of original Sci-Fi.  Well...here we have it and it's a good movie.  Support it.

[dashrendar44]

Wow Dash you really loved this film... YOu think this is better than the Captain???!!!  I didnt think any Blockbuster this year can lay claim to that one.. I will check it out , since a few of  our pals here and yourself really enjoyed it.

 

How you rate this movie vs Captain2 and Xmen 2014?

 

Better than both.

 

Captain 2 was good and fun but the shakycam was very annoying and choppy at times getting in the way of showing the action choregraphy, the movie could have benefit of longer steady shots to compliment the set pieces.

 

X-men DOFP felt promising on paper but I felt it was deflating (Future world mutants are not fleshed out, didn't care for any of them, that was fanservice at best. Action scenes felt small despite being a 200M+ blockbuster I thought First Class was as impressive despite costing way less. The most exciting moment amounts to a character that leaves as fast as he can because Singer doesn't know what to do with him or realized Quicksilver could resolve/end the movie much earlier if he was used at full capacity like in the Pentagon scene, lot of filler talking and exposition about "path", "hope") and just becomes another X-men romp with the same selected few that got most of the screentime Wolverine, Mystique and Xavier/Magneto old couple. The emotional aspect relies heavily on nostalgia and your knowledge of the previous movies to work. Unfortunately, I don't have any peculiar attachment for this franchise so it was kinda lost on me.(Like seeing Jean Grey and Cyclops making a cameo, fans may be in tears but I wasn't feeling anything special at all)

 

EoT's qualities outweighs its flaws and they're not as glaring as both movies, the script is tight and uses its timeloop concept at full potential without being confusing nor repetitive (great editing job, the repetitive aspect is avoided by small humor touches), no filler dialogue even in small character moments because every pieces serve a purpose to further the story, acting is consistent throughout by everyone involved with solid performances all around, Liman's direction serves the script visually being showy when it needs to (first assault is exhilarating) using the exo-suit potential for pumping action shots (It's no Elysium firecracker) so it ends up being the (surprising) superior movie of the summer season out of them all for me.

 

(Godzilla doesn't belong in this Dojo, sorry)

Edited June 6, 2014 by dashrendar44

[bballman24]

lol bballman loves it tooo hmm.. I May have to see this one lol. Xmen first this weekend or Friday though ...

This movie shows how to do a great blockbuster. Even with so much stuff going on, you can actually tell apart what's going on without using slomo effect that a lot of directors use (after a bunch of shaky cam crap).I really mean it. I'm not saying it's better than Terminator 2 but I got the same feeling of excitement and fulfillment from those great blockbusters in those days. It really reminded of James Cameron's movies: great blockbusters.The execution and the tight script are really noticeable, and I am truly impressed with it.

[A Marvel Fanboy]

It could have been better but apparently the director is uncapable.

 

Great Cruise, solid photography, good script, meh supporting roles, poor designs, terrible directing.

[John Marston]

It could have been better but apparently the director is uncapable.Great Cruise, solid photography, good script, meh supporting roles, poor designs, terrible directing.

You were going to hate it right from the beginning since you kept bitching about the director

[Crusader]

I'm still waiting to hear someone who hated it ( someone eligible )

[lilmac]

With Edge of Tomorrow I avoided the trailers so just about everything was unseen to me.  I didn't even know what the plot was about.  So glad I did!  Ignorance truly led to bliss!