Edge of Tomorrow

Edge of Tomorrow

Rating 7.5 out of 10

Welcome to the Summer Action movie time.  This is not a movie you will see released around Thanksgiving and I'm fine with that.  I would call Edge of Tomorrow a mix between Groundhog Day and Matrix III.  Both movies I liked and director Doug Liman (He directed the first two Bourne movies and Bragalina's Mr and Mrs Smith) does a good job mixing the two and not making the repeat day after day become monotonous.

Tom Cruise is Major William Cage several years in the future.  As in most movies based in the future aliens are trying to take over earth and exterminate all living humans and as with this movie they are usually just a day or sometimes moments away from taking over if our hero does not save the day.   Major Cage tho is no super soldier trained to kill all the alien robots (that look like the aliens in Matrix III).  He is just a public relations guy that mostly works with the military leaders on how to sell the war to the general public.  When he ticks off the wrong general he sees his rank dropped to private and put on the front line which means almost certain death in the D-Day type assault.

Only when he is dropped into battle just before he dies he kills a funky looking blue alien robot.  He finds himself waking up again the day before in the same place in time.  Turns out the blue robot was a special robot made by the aliens to control time travel. When the aliens lose a battle he could turn back time thus learning what they did wrong and knowing how to win the next time.  It's blue "blood" spills on Cage thus giving him the power to do just that.  It takes Cage a while to figure out how to use his new power.  Mostly when helped by super soldier Rita (the always lovely Emily Blunt).

Just as in Groundhog Day the day after day repeat is handled in a way that keeps the story moving and you don't actually feel like you are watching the same thing over and over and over.  First Major Cage has to become a soldier with Rita's training.  Then he has to figure out how to get to the main mother ship and destroy it and all others.

Good cast and as I said the story flows along to keep it interesting.  The action and effects are first rate and fun to watch on the oversized screen like I saw at my local NCG theater.  My main gripe is early on director Liman brings one of my big pet peeves with him from the Bourne movies.  The dreaded shaky cam.  Happily about thirty minutes into the movie he figures out where the loose screw was on the camera and is able to hold it still.  The shaky cam is not really a factor after that.

I thought the acting was good and was entertained.  I would probably go see this movie again.