If you love wild and wooly science fiction, with outrageous plots, lots of action, death and destruction, or if you just happen to like Tom Cruise movies, then this might be a three star rating for you.
The story has some GOOD. Cruise, Emily Blunt, and Bill Paxton perform admirably in a tale so convoluted that it would take more time than either you or I have to explain it. The special effects are Oscar level, although not up to the benchmarks set by Godzilla. There is originality in some of the action scenes and, in the first thirty minutes or so, there are a sufficient number of surprises to keep you zeroed in.
The story starts quickly and moves along at a rapid pace. The Earth has been invaded by alien creatures who have overrun Europe and are now poised to cross the English Channel. The battle to save the world looms heavy, which is where we come in at the beginning of the movie. Cruise plays Major William Cage, a military public relations officer with no combat experience or training. How he ends up in the fray is once again a story too long to tell but is an integral part of the early surprises alluded to earlier. Along the way he crosses paths with Sgt. Rita Vrataski, played by Emily Blount. She is a “poster girl” for her heroism in combat and the two eventually team up to try and save the world.
The Edge of Tomorrow
Entertainment Rating: ★★1/2
Rating: PG-13, three or four profanities, no sex, virtually non-stop scenes of violence, death and destruction.
Possible Oscar Nominations: Special Effects
There is also some BAD. The story moves along at a frenetic pace; there is very little or no rest from one action scene to another. While that can be, and in this case is exciting, a moment or two along the way to catch your breath and digest the story line would be helpful. The writers based their script on the novel “All You Need is Kill,” which is indicative of what you are about to see as you settle in. I would expect the climactic scenes of a movie like this to be exactly that, but two hours running of death and mayhem was a little too much, but some of you will relish that aspect which is perfectly fine.
Then there is the UGLY. While the special effects are at times mesmerizing, there are any number of moments where things happen so fast that you aren’t sure what you just saw, and as the climactic scenes unfold, its after dark, with no “streetlights” to help out. And speaking of ugly, you probably would not want your sister dating any of the aliens.
I am not the first to say that this film is “Saving Private Ryan meets Groundhog Day,” but that is not far from the truth. It is intriguing at times, very clever but a little overdone. And by the way, if you do see it, can you illuminate me as to where the motorcycle came from? Thanks.
Questions or comments, e-mail me at tsansom2002@gmail.com.
