Edge of Tomorrow – Enjoyable Alien Film

What day is it? – Tom Cruise’s character William Cage
For you, Judgment Day. – Response from soldier
Edge of Tomorrow

I’m glad an ill-meaning undercover U.S. cop feigning as a commenter/reviewer on the SI Blog prevailed upon me to watch the Tom Cruise film Jerry Maguire last year because it provided a nice frame of reference for the star’s new film Edge of Tomorrow.

Jerry Maguire is doubtless a fine movie but no patch on Hollywood’s new alien adventure, Edge of Tomorrow.

East Meets West

In my not so humble opinion, most Hollywood alien films are intolerable crap burdened as they are by absence of an interesting narrative and overburdened by computer gimmickry featuring giant or weird creatures.

Dei gratia
, Edge of Tomorrow is different.

It’s not often that American screenplay writers put forth imaginative stuff. Must be the gallons of soda they consume that’s numbed their brains.

Thank God for the Asians!

Edge of Tomorrow has its origins in the pen of Japanese writer Hiroshi Sakurazaka.

The movie is based on Sakurazaka’s 2004 novel All You Need is Kill and adapted for Hollywood by the trio of Christopher McQuarrie, Jez Butterworth and Johna-Henry Butterworth.

The novelty of Sakurazaka’s book, one that’s neatly adapted by Edge of Tomorrow, is in introducing the premise of time-loop of life and death into the framework of an alien film.

Alien films with even top Hollywood A-listers like Tom Cruise or Robert Downey Jr and gazillion dollar budgets become tiresome affairs without the glue of a novel idea to bind it all.

Introducing the time loop novelty and melding it with two solid actors (Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt), Hollywood’s gee-whiz techno effects and crisp, frequently witty writing makes Edge of Tomorrow a top contender for the biggest hit of this summer.

Tom & Emily

Tom Cruise owns Edge of Tomorrow via his character Major William Cage, a PR guy in the U.S. Army.

Cage is headed for London when Europe is at war with the alien Mimics.

The deadly Mimics have cut a wide swath of destruction and caused millions of casualties, leaving the world’s future hanging in the balance.

Thanks to bad behavior with General Brigham (Brendan Gleeson), Cage finds himself stripped of his rank, labelled a deserter and thrown into the front ranks of the war with the aliens.

Cage is now cannon fodder.

The movie beautifully captures Cage’s evolution from a battle-scared coward who can’t stand the sight of blood to a fearless warrior in one of his best performances to date.

Ever since I first glimpsed her in The Devil Wears Prada as Miranda’s senior assistant and Andy’s colleague, I’ve been besotted with Emily Blunt.

Emily is a first class talent and here she plays a battle-hardened tough warrior, a role model for other Earthlings fighting the aliens.

There’s more than a hint of a romance between the lead pair but we never get to see the denouement except for a kiss.

Overall, I found much to be pleased with Edge of Tomorrow – The acting, the story, the writing and the execution.

If alien movies can be as interesting as Edge of Tomorrow, I don’t mind a dozen more.

Call me pleased. 🙂

9 Responses to "Edge of Tomorrow – Enjoyable Alien Film"

  1. Madmax673   June 6, 2014 at 5:47 pm

    Will watch it this Monday.

    I am not that much into Sci-fi movies.

    Until now I haven’t watched “Avatar” fully. I own a DVD though 🙂 I gave five genuine attempts.

    Fifth one was critical as I had to watch it to please certain family members but somehow fell asleep post halfway mark. Maybe if I had watched it in theater I might have enjoyed it.

    Tom Cruise was really good in “Valkyrie”, too.

    SearchIndia.com Responds:

    Edge of Tomorrow is not really Sci-Fi in a big way….Although there’s a scientist who mumbles on about Alpha, Omega etc.

    The movie seems set in a fairly near future.

    To my surprise, I did not find many vexing elements in Edge of Tomorrow….Except for unfulfilled romance. Things have got to go beyond the kiss! 😉

    I will see Valkyrie soon.

    • boopalanj   June 7, 2014 at 10:46 am

      *** May contain Spoilers ***

      Watched it this afternoon IST.

      Good movie.

      Although I’m gradually growing tired of this alien-war stuff, and Tom Cruise performs with much ease.

      The “reset” technique and sequences reminded me of “Source code”.

      SearchIndia.com Responds:

      The time-loop stuff is more “straight-forward” in Edge of Tomorrow even if it’s time-backward.

      I watched Source Code in 2011 and had forgotten it. So just went to Wiki to read the synopsis….Made no sense at all.

      • Naveen   June 19, 2014 at 1:46 am

        I didn’t think much of “Source Code” but I liked “Edge of Tomorrow”. Emily Blunt was kinda cute.

  2. sam   June 6, 2014 at 11:47 pm

    http://www.newindianexpress.com/nation/Killers-Befriended-Me-to-Keep-Track-of-Indira-Says-Rahul/2014/06/07/article2267200.ece

    Off-topic

    The Trauma of an innocent 14 year old…………………..

    SearchIndia.com Responds:

    Just read the piece in your link.

    Anything Rahul Gandhi says should be treated with caution.

    As I’ve said on countless occasions, Rahul is the Abhishek Bachchan of Indian politics who’s clueless more often than not.

    In any case, Indira Gandhi was devil incarnate. 🙁

    • boopalanj   June 9, 2014 at 5:56 am

      If Rahul’s incessant talks make no sense, what is more nonsensical is the author taking it seriously, terming them as “chilling” picture of the plot, concluding that a bigger attack could be on the anvil, and comparing it to the assassination of Mujibur rahman (which was a military coup by the way).

    • Naveen   June 19, 2014 at 1:57 am

      Off-topic:

      Funny Rahul Gandhi spoofs…

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tAEmawPZlYk

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mf1NFaGoj-Y

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54SaK7xKiWs

      SearchIndia.com Responds:

      The second one is funny beyond words.

      • boopalanj   June 19, 2014 at 10:05 am

        Second one is hilarious.

        It is a well-known and repeated humor that is made on known personalities.

        http://www.freakingnews.com/funny-pictures/parachuting-pictures.asp

        SearchIndia.com Responds:

        1. So even our cartoons and spoofs are copied! Shame! 🙁

        2. We must not underestimate the Congress.

        Even if Rahul Gandhi is an idiot, there are many other crooks in the party who are not. And they must be so restless now, itching to get back to power and their dirty, corrupt practices.

        So expect Congress to create all kinds of Tamashas (dramas) soon.

  3. sam   June 11, 2014 at 6:21 am

    Off-topic

    http://entertainment.oneindia.in/bollywood/box-office/2014/holiday-5-days-collection-box-office-crosses-rs-50-cr-mark-143386.html

    SearchIndia.com Responds:

    No ever accused Indians of being classy people.

    I’ve seen the Tamil movie on which Holiday is based. It’s utter garbage.

  4. sam   June 11, 2014 at 8:32 am

    New Malayalam Movie Banglore days, starring mamooty’s son dulqar salman and others..

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqZqqlvT54U

    SearchIndia.com Responds:

    I shall see it for my two favorite “N” gals – Nazriya and Nithya.

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