EDGE OF TOMORROW (2014) MOVIE NEWS & REVIEW

edge of tomorrow (2014) movie

Genre              |   Science Fiction

Classification   |   M

Running time   |   113 minutes

Released         |   4 June 2014

cast

Tom Cruise ... Cage
Emily Blunt ... Rita
Brendan Gleeson ... General Brigham
Bill Paxton ... Master Sergeant Farell
Jonas Armstrong ... Skinner
Tony Way ... Kimmel
Kick Gurry ... Griff
​Franz Drameh ... Ford

director

Doug Liman

writer

​Christopher McQuarrie ... (screenplay by) and
Jez Butterworth ... (screenplay by) &
John-Henry Butterworth ... (screenplay by)
 
Hiroshi Sakurazaka ... (based on the novel "All You Need Is Kill" by)

cinematographer

​Dion Beebe

music

​Christophe Beck

film editor

​James Herbert
Laura Jennings

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box office result

Worldwide               $370,541,256  

Australia                 $​8,860,284​

North America        $​​​​​​​100,206,256

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the best dialogue

Lt. Col. Bill Cage: What I am about to tell you sounds crazy. But you have to listen to me. Your very lives depend on it. You see, this isn't the first time.

Master Sergeant Farell: Battle is the Great Redeemer. It is the fiery crucible in which true heroes are forged. The one place where all men truly share the same rank, regardless of what kind of parasitic scum they were going in.

Lt. Col. Bill Cage: I'm not a soldier.
Rita Vrataski: Of course not. You're a weapon.

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EDGE OF TOMORROW (2014) MOVIE IMAGES

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EDGE OF TOMORROW (2014) STORY SYNOPSIS

When Earth falls under attack from invincible aliens, no military unit in the world is able to beat them. Maj. William Cage (Tom Cruise), an officer who has never seen combat, is assigned to a suicide mission. Killed within moments, Cage finds himself thrown into a time loop, in which he relives the same brutal fight -- and his death -- over and over again. However, Cage's fighting skills improve with each encore, bringing him and a comrade (Emily Blunt) ever closer to defeating the aliens.

EDGE OF TOMORROW (2014) MOVIE REVIEW

Reviewed by Mark Geraghty   |   Review date 3 June 2014

​Pop ​Movee Rating

EDGE OF TOMORROW is an enjoyable science fiction action movie that asks for more than the average amount of concentration from the viewer in order to keep up with the story as the film’s protagonists, Tom Cruise & Emily Blunt, hurtle toward their inevitable showdown with alien invaders whose mission it is to wipe humanity off the face of the Earth. There will be some audience members who feel confused by the first half of the film, as its non-linear story sees Cruise’s character, Major Bill Cage, forced to live the same day over and over when his blood combines with one of the “Mimic” aliens he has been sent to battle on the frontline as part of the ironically-named ‘Operation Downfall’. Just at the moment of his death, Cruise wakes up back at Heathrow Airport the day before, where he has been unceremoniously dumped at an invasion staging-point after he has tried to blackmail the General in charge of the mission to recapture Europe from the alien invaders. It may seem hard-to-follow, but it’s not.

The story’s MacGuffin sees Cruise’s Cage get far enough through the events of the battle with the aliens to meet Emily Blunt’s Rita Vrataski, a Special Forces soldier who has experienced previous success against the other-worldly invaders referred to as “Mimics”. After several re-sets, Vrataski, having also been caught in the time re-sets during a previous fight, recognises that Cage is caught in a temporal loop and gives him the vital piece of encouragement he needs to change his course-of-action upon re-awakening back at Heathrow the next time he dies.

Audiences will be familiar with Liman’s work if they have seen THE BOURNE IDENTITY with Matt Damon or MR & MRS SMITH with Brad Pitt & Angelina Jolie. He likes fast-paced story-telling and is not afraid to jump the narrative forward without mountains of exposition to keep it moving. Liman has spent a great deal more time working in television than most motion picture directors and he brings an economy to his work that keeps the focus on the story. This is extremely important to the first half of EDGE OF TOMORROW, where the time re-sets are better shown as short action sequences rather than as single camera set-ups focussed on story exposition. He does allow the pace of the film to slow in the second half so that his two stars can show-off their skills and set the story on a course toward its climax. Structurally, EDGE OF TOMORROW is not dissimilar to Liman’s break-through film THE BOURNE IDENTITY, which carries the viewer along through the first two Acts with a series of chase-style action sequences and then slows in the Third Act to reveal the greater conspiracy in play.

The point in the story that allows the relationship between Cruise and Blunt to become the focus of the movie, comprising most of the Second Act of EDGE OF TOMORROW, certainly gives the film its strongest moments. The first part of the Second Act sees an escalation in the use of the temporal re-set device, however, it is used less throughout the second half as the pair make more progress with each successive mission. This leads to a more conventional narrative in the second half of the movie, allowing for some welcome character development between Cruise and Blunt’s characters. The story’s structure allows Cruise to play some nice moments, as it becomes clear that both Blunt and the audience are experiencing events for the first-time that he has been reliving every day for as long as he can remember. Credit for this must also be shared with screenwriters Christopher McQuarrie and Jez & John-Henry Butterworth. McQuarrie is currently one of the global film industry’s more versatile writers, having penned such diverse projects as THE USUAL SUSPECTS, THE TOURIST, VALKYRIE and JACK REACHER. His previous collaborations with Cruise must have been enjoyable, as this marks the pair’s third film and McQuarrie has signed to direct him in the next MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE movie. 

In addition to the film’s screenplay, other great behind-the-scenes talent has contributed to make EDGE OF TOMORROW a first-rate piece of entertainment. Director of Photography Dion Beebe is also no stranger to working with Tom Cruise, having lensed arguably one of his best films, Michael Mann’s COLLATERAL. Beebe was also the recipient of an Academy Award for his work on the critically-acclaimed 2002 film CHICAGO. German Production Designer Oliver Scholl is no stranger to big-budget science fiction movies and has designed films such as INDEPENDENCE DAY & GODZILLA for Roland Emmerich and also worked on JUMPER, another Doug Liman movie. Scholl is highly-regarded conceptual illustrator and, in this capacity, has worked on a diverse range of genre movies including BATMAN FOREVER, BICENTENNIAL MAN, Steven Spielberg’s A.I: ARTIFICAL INTELLIGENCE, THE POLAR EXPRESS and ZATHURA: A SPACE ADVENTURE.

In front of the camera, Cruise and Blunt are supported by two very familiar character actors in Brendan Gleeson and Bill Paxton. Like many others on the film, Gleeson is no stranger to working with Tom Cruise having appeared in John Woo’s MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE II. Gleeson’s character of General Brigham is the man responsible for sending Cruise’s character to the frontline of the invasion and plays an important role in enabling Cage and Vrataski to find out where they need to get to in an effort to stop the “Mimics” from successfully crossing the English Channel and invading London later in the story. Versatile character actor Bill Paxton is a familiar face to movie-goers around the world. He has been part of James Cameron’s go-to troupe with supporting roles in ALIENS, TRUELIES and TITANIC. Paxton also played Bill Henrickson, one of the central characters in the acclaimed TV series BIG LOVE which ran from 2006 to 2011. In EDGE OF TOMORROW he plays Master Sergeant Farrell, responsible for making sure that Cruise’s character is sent to the frontlines to what is certain death. It’s an important role, as Farrell, at points, has to demonstrate a sympathetic attitude without deviating from his orders. In the hands of the wrong actor it could have been very hammy, but Paxton, under Liman’s direction, gets the job done nicely.

So, is EDGE OF TOMORROW a good film? The answer is “Yes”. It’s well made. Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt work well together and, unlike some Cruise’s co-stars, Blunt's character retains her strength throughout, largely unaware that Cruise’s Bill Cage has gotten to know her well enough to want to protect her from one version of the future in the hope that another one can play itself out. 

The next question is whether or not EDGE OF TOMORROW is a good science fiction film ... The answer to this is more problematic. It’s less of a science fiction film than OBLIVION; Cruise’s 2013 entry into the genre. Besides the time re-set, there’s less ambiguity about what is happening. The film’s militaristic elements also make it feel less like a piece of speculative science fiction and many of the settings are present day environments such as London and Paris. The story’s “alien scourge” antagonists are more like the “Zombies” from Brad Pitt’s WORLD WAR Z as they are somewhat homogenous without any great character and have a singular focus on ridding the Earth of humanity. It may not be the best “Science Fiction” but the story does take Cruise’s Bill Cage on the ‘Heroes Journey’ and this examination of the lead character’s ability to cope with adversity is extremely important to good science fiction. Whether he succeeds or fails is best left for the viewer to discover on the big screen, where EDGE OF TOMORROW is definitely best enjoyed!

EDGE OF TOMORROW (2014) USEFUL LINKS

Edge of Tomorrow - Wikipedia
​Edge of Tomorrow (2014) - IMDb
​Live Die Repeat: Edge of Tomorrow (2014) - Rotten Tomatoes​

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