Edge of Tomorrow

Movie Name: Edge of Tomorrow
Year of Release: 2014

Director: Doug Liman

Stars: Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Brendan Gleeson, Bill Paxton, Noah Taylor, Jonas Armstrong, Tony Way, Kick Gurry, Franz Drameh, Charlotte Riley, Terence Maynard, Lara Pulver

Genre: Action, Sci-Fi

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7

Synopsis:

Director Doug Liman is back, following the excellent and little seen "Fair Game" (which featured a great performance by Naomi Watts). "Edge of Tomorrow" introduces us to a futuristic reality, one where aliens have invaded Earth and have almost destroyed the human race. The story focuses on Major William Cage, an officer who has never seen a day of combat, and who is thrown into that reality. Killed within minutes of being in the battle field, Cage however is immersed in the alien creatures DNA, which grants him the capability of reliving the same day over and over. Reliving this day consecutively, allows him to meet Rita Vrataski, an experienced and phenomenal officer, who had the same power as he does (who lost it in the meantime). Together they both try to devise a way to reach the hive that commands all the invading alien creatures.
Doug Liman is a resourceful director, one who excels in story lines where the central character is usually completely unaware of their own potential and strength (which was the case of "The Bourne Identity" for instance). In this case, William Cage is the unaware hero, who by force of circumstances is forced to overcome his fears, and make a sacrifice to save humanity. The action set pieces flow seamlessly, and though huge in scope and ambition, the film never feels saturated by its visual effects (they allow for the action to be simultaneously realistic and futuristic). The actors are uniformly excellent, from Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt, to the underrated Noah Taylor and Bill Paxton. The cinematography from Dion Beebe is also one of the highlights of the feature. A very entertaining film worth watching!