"Edge of Tomorrow" Review

Edge of Tomorrow

4.5 out of 5 stars

Family appropriateness rating: 3.75 out of 5 stars

Rated PG-13

-One minor depiction of backside male nudity

-Two or three mild, non-descriptive, sexual references

-Mild amount of profanity including one instance of an incomplete f-word and a few shots of written profanity

With even pacing and a storyline that keeps the audience involved from beginning to end, "Edge of Tomorrow" is what I hoped "Elysium" would be.

Earth is being overtaken by a race of aliens known as mimics. The world's militaries have been losing their battles against them until recently, and they plan what is hoped to be a final attack in Europe. 

Tom Cruise plays Major Cage, an American military officer who has a very cushy job. Not a lot is described about his duties, but it seems like he is there for the public relations aspect of the war effort. Needless to say, he has never fought in any battles. 

Despite his protests, he is forced by higher officials to storm Europe with the other soldiers. The battle proves to be more of a slaughter as the mimics are killing off the humans. Major Cage dies in that battle only to wake up the day before. 

This happens again and again as he goes off to fight in the same battle. Eventually, he finds someone who knows what is going on and why: the war hero Rita (Emily Blunt). She also knows what it takes to win the war, and she uses Cage to do so.

From beginning to end, this film is very entertaining. This is due to a script that gives the audience an interesting character who has a satisfying arc. At the beginning, he is a total wuss, but he becomes braver as the story develops.

Tom Cruise made this possible. Say what you want about his personal life, he is a great actor. His performance is believable in this film. There are parts where he gets very frustrated with how things are turning out, and it is easy to empathize with the character.

The storyline is driven by the concept, which reminds me of "Groundhog Day." Not only is it an interesting thought, the writers were able to make it completely relevant. Unlike the Bill Murray film, the reason for Cage to relive every day is explained, and it has to do with what is going on in the war.

There were only two problems I had with this film. One of them is in the beginning, Cage seems to be demoted, and he is forced to fight in the war, but this aspect is never adequately explained. 

The other problem is the ending is a little too convenient. I will not reveal what happened, but it seemed like the writers wanted certain things to happen, so they happened without very much explanation.

These are very minor problems. The film as a whole is very entertaining. I definitely recommend seeing it.