Note: Edge of
Tomorrow is based on the novel All You Need Is Kill and P&P's review can be
found right here.
STORY:
Bill
Cage (Tom Cruise) is about to have a terrible day. He's being forced onto the front lines of a
battle against an alien army and he's never set foot on a battlefield. Hilariously, Bill Cage is going to brutally
die. But it's okay, because when he finally
does bite the bullet or get hit by a truck or shot in the head, his life simply
resets and he starts the entire day all over again. But Cage wants nothing more than to win the
battle and the loop to end. So his only
hope may be learning how to fight from a ferocious soldier named Rita (Emily
Blunt). Leveling up, morbid jokes, Home
Depot Mech suits, and continuous deaths ensue.
"Listen, are you positive Home Depot plumbing supplies and a bike helmet will be enough to keep me safe out there?"
AND NOW A BRIEF
WORD ON BACKWARDS MARKETING:
Let's
face it: stupidity is everywhere, including the movie business. And since P&P has Hollywood connections (not really), we're delighted to bring
you the exact moment of marketing greatness below.
"Hey,
since the film didn't do too good in theaters, I've got a great idea to sell
more home copies."
What's
that, Bob?
"Well,
how about we change the name again when it's shipped to stores?"
Great
idea, Bob! But what will we call
it?
"Live.
Die. Repeat."
Holy
Shmoly, Bob, I think you've got something there.
And that concludes our brief but necessary word on backwards marketing. The review will now resume.
"There's no reason to be scared, Xenomorphs hardly ever make it aboard spaceships."
THOUGHTS:
Before
you discount the Edge of Tomorrow as a Sci-Fi knock-off of Groundhog Day, you
should understand that at no time did you ever see the legend that is Bill
Murray running and gunning with aliens on his tail. Sure, the Edge of Tomorrow doesn't have an
angry groundhog driving a truck off a cliff, but very few movies do.
Just
like in Groundhog Day, the Edge of Tomorrow repeats and repeats and
repeats. But never in any given moment
are you bored. Each repeat has a slight
twist or added addition to make each scene feel fresh, allowing the protagonist
to grow as every minute passes. And even
though the movie seems like a serious Sci-Fi action thriller, there's also a
ton of humor spread throughout. Whether
you're laughing at Tom Cruise continuously dying, Bill Paxton's rambling as
Sergeant Farell, or people having planes dropped on their heads, the film
constantly surprises you. On top of all
that, the Edge of Tomorrow is aware of its convoluted story about loops, Alphas,
and Omegas. Even Cruise states in
dialogue that his plight is as ridiculous as it sounds. So it's better to just sit back and enjoy the
fun action, than actually attempting to dissect each and every loop.
"Let me tell you something, I've seen you dance in your underwear and...Eh, I'm not impressed."
THE BOOK vs. THE
FILM:
You
may be thinking, "There's no reason
for me to see the movie, because I've read the book." And you'd be dead wrong. Where the book was a quick Sci-Fi romp that
could be considered an appetizer, the film on the other hand is actually the
main course. The premise of a continuous
looping day during a battle with aliens largely remains the same between the
two works, but this is the only thing that carries over to the film. The book was set in Japan and had a Japanese
protagonist. Here you get London and the
legendary—and occasionally neurotic—Tom Cruise.
Who, in fact is not Japanese. The
mimics in the book were shaped more like giant bloated frogs, and in the movie
they're more like the Matrix's sentinels.
The book focused on ending the battle loop and getting the protagonist
to the next day. The movie actually has
many more set pieces, keeping the large battle scenes to a minimum, while also
focusing on character building and the relationship between Cage and Rita. The coffee subplot from the novel does make
an appearance in the movie, but it's not as prominent. So it's safe to say the movie feels more like
an extension of the novel, instead of a direct interpretation. As a result, you can read the book first and
then enjoy a totally different experience watching the movie. Or vice versa.
"Allow me to put this in terms you'll understand. You're ugly and I'm Tom Cruise. Period."
THE ACTING:
If
you didn't know…this is a Tom Cruise film.
So did you really think he wouldn't be putting his all into the
production? The man, no matter what kind
of movie he's in, always gives one hundred percent. And enjoying this film comes down to one
thing: whether or not you like him as an actor.
If you don't like Cruise then there's really no reason to watch this
movie (unless you want to see him die
repeatedly). But you can't deny his
ability to portray a wet-behind-the-ears recruit in the beginning, only to end
up as a battle-hardened soldier with unmatched killing skills by the end. And his progression from scared to frustrated
to desperate to angry to awesome-sauce is nothing short of fantastic acting.
Emily
Blunt shows up in all her beauty as Rita Vrataski. At first you might have thought there was no
way in which she could possibly portray a military killing machine, but after
the first few minutes as the Full Metal Bitch, you'll quickly understand she's
perfect. And her relationship and
chemistry with Cruise feels completely natural at first, moves towards respect
in the middle, and then turns to affectionate by the end. Weird Science's angry turd, Bill Paxton,
shows up throughout the film for comic relief and random silly dialogue, while
just about everybody else is cannon fodder for deaths and surprise laughs.
THE MECH SUITS:
What
happened? With all the money that was
poured into the production, you'd think—besides the aliens—the Mech suits would
be the next most important concept design.
Cruise looks like he was caught in the middle of a Home Depot explosion
and plumbing pieces just happened to stick to whatever shirt he was
wearing. The only redeeming factor is
the special effects that are used with the Mech suits. The operator's ability to crush, punch, and
move at lightning speeds is what pushes the design to mediocre levels. Even Rita's team of Special Ops soldiers look
like they just lost a paintball tournament that also included motor cross.
"Why are you gawking at me? You act like you've never seen a woman play paintball before."
CONCLUSION:
If
you love action Sci-Fi with big headliners as the cast, then don't discount the
Edge of Tomorrow. If you have a disdain
for Cruise (even though he spends most of the time dying) then you might want
to sit this one out. But if action,
humor, aliens, explosions, somewhat nonsensical plots, and Emily Blunt are your
cup of tea, then be sure not to miss this film.
If you're a gamer that understands the challenge of doing something over
and over until you've mastered every piece of the level, then you might just be
able to relate to the story. The only
problem the film could have is it might change its name one more time before
the disc actually lands on shelves.
4 out of 5 Stars (minus a star for slightly convoluted story and Mech designs)
No comments:
Post a Comment