EDGE OF TOMORROW

2014 / Director. Doug Liman. 
Review by Glenn Cochrane.
Mild Spoiler Alert.

I've never given Doug Liman much credit. I have enjoyed some of his films while others have been mediocre and he's never really given me a reason to shout "FUCK YEAH!". Well that time has come and his latest film EDGE OF TOMORROW is amongst the best action sci-fi movies of the past decade. The premise, as most people have noted, is essentially a sci-fi war version of GROUNDHOG DAY. I usually resist making those types of typical statements but that's the simple truth of it. Earth is being invaded by an alien race and time is running out. Tom Cruise plays an army PR officer who finds himself unwillingly on the front line of the war's deciding battle. He is killed only moments into the fight and suddenly wakes up to find the day repeated. The same routine plays out and he dies, wakes up and then dies again. Discovering that his body absorbed some of the alien DNA he begins to use his replay ability to find an effective way to outsmart the enemy forces. His day is relived over and over and over... and with each re-do he gets smarter and closer to victory. The plot may sound generic and annoyingly repetitive but it's quite the opposite. Doug Liman has directed a smart, edgy and incredibly fun action movie that breathes new life into the genre. Tom Cruise is excellent and relishes the role. He could have easily phoned this performance in but he embraces the concept and has fun with it. I imagine it would have been an exhausting shoot too with his role being physical for the entire duration. It's fast paced, action packed and hypnotic. As crazy as it sounds, the repetition isn't at all repetitious. For all of the complex CGI throughout the movie there is an equal amount of practical FX, which elevates the texture above a lot of other typical blockbusters. The support cast is good too with Emily Blunt, Brendan Gleeson, Bill Paxton and Noah Hathaway lending an added chunk of credibility. EDGE OF TOMORROW might just make my top 10 this year... we'll see. Whatever the case... FUCK YEAH!!

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