THE FOLLOWING REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS OF THE DISCUSSED FILM. READERS DISCRETION IS ADVISED.
The idea of a time loop is rare in comparison to time travel when being expressed onscreen. But when given the chance, the stories that surrounds it delivers.
PLOT
Based on the novel ‘All You Need is Kill’, Edge of Tomorrow is about an invasion led by extraterrestrials known as Mimics. This establishes the military alliance UDF, United Defense Force, who get the upper hand after a victory in Verdun, due to advanced mech suits. The plan is to attack at France and Major William Cage of media relations is ordered to accompany the first wave but he has no military experience. When attempting to blackmail if it fails, he gets arrested and sent the new military base at Heathrow Airport, to prepare for the attack. The landing in France backfires as the Mimics quickly get the upper hand, likely aware they were coming. When Cage is able to kill a blue Mimic, he gets exposed to its blood which dissolves him. However, we see him wake up again the day before the attack. He discovers that he is in a time loop and he does not know how to escape. When he tries to tell others what he's experiencing, no one believes him. During another day in battle, he is able to save Sergeant Rita Vrataski but she notices how skilled he is. Before he dies again, she tells him to find him when he wakes up. When he does do so, he explains to her his situation. She would reply to him that she had a similar experience but she lost the power after a blood transfusion. She takes him to Dr. Carter (Noah Taylor) who is an expert in Mimic biology. He explains that every Mimic out there is a superorganism controlled by an Omega, while the rare Alphas are the gangilas. Meaning that when one dies, it resets the day and adjust until winning a battle. Rita was able to encounter one and got exposed to its blood like Cage did. The plan is to find the Omega's location but Cage must die enough times in order to get a vision to where it could be. Each loop, he would be trained by Rita and they get closer every time. During this process, he grows feelings for her. He eventually gets a vision and assumes that the Omega could be at a dam far from the beach. He is able to get off the beach but everytime he goes with Rita, she dies too and he wants to save her. When going alone in one loop, he gets to the dam and encounters an Alpha, but doesn't find the Omega. He is able to drown himself before it could take his power. It is here where they realize that Rita's victory in Verdun was allowed by the Omega in order for everyone to be lured into Europe and get wiped out at once. Cage and Rita go to General Brigham (Brendan Gleeson) to get Carter's prototype transponder but when receiving it, they get chased by troops. When he gets injected with it on his leg, he finds the actual location of the Omega to be underneath Louvre Pyramid. When getting injured from a car accident, he is given a blood transfusion and loses his power. He goes to the J Squad at Heathrow and explains to them his situation, recruiting them to help fight. When reaching to the pyramid, the Squad is taken down one by one, sacrificing themselves in combat, until Rita and Cage are on their own. Rita is then killed by an Alpha which gives Bill enough time to get to the Omega underwater and attempt to blow it up with grenades. An Alpha is able to stab him but he was able to pull the pins in time. The Omega and its army of Mimics die but Cage gets exposed to the Omega's blood, putting him into a new timeline. He wakes up seeing that the Mimics have been defeated after an energy surge in Paris and the humans plan to eliminate what remains of them in Europe. As Cage goes back to Heathrow Airport and notices the J Squad to be alive and well, the film ends with him seeing Rita again but he smiles as she greets him rudely like before.
THOUGHTS
After seeing this film in 2014, I recall having a smile at the end as well because that is how much I enjoyed this movie. Years later, I’m still smiling after rewatching. Director Doug Liman and writers Christopher McQuarrie, Jez and John Henry Butterworth succeed in crafting one of the unique stories to ever be written in the science fiction genre. They knew this story was special but also were wise on making changes from the novel in order to make it almost unpredictable. The biggest change is the ending. Originally, the novel shows that Rita is still in her own loop when encountering the male lead, named Keji. They succeed in killing the Omega named the ‘Antennae’ in the novel but one of them has to die due to how their deaths made them Alphas, or as the novel also called them ‘Nexus’. Keji makes the sacrifice of killing Rita but rather than being the unsung hero, he continues his life and her death is permanent. There are science fiction films that go down the route of a tragic ending but this change was smart because sometimes, happy endings like the movie shows can work because without sounding cheesy, it represents how hard can pay off. The film’s ending is bittersweet because what matters to Cage is that Rita lives and he doesn’t care of the glory anymore. Getting the focus back on the movie, you’re gonna blown away when you see the action due to some dope visual effects. And ironically, this movie can be funny like other movies about time loops. I mean I can't help but admit that there times I was laughing on some of the ways Cage would die. And I am never gonna have a straight face when he got himself ran over by a truck. And the montage of Terrence Maynard as the sergeant constantly calling him a maggot every day will always get to me. I will always love this movie but after re watching it, I admit that there were moments I still itch my head about. First off, how did Cage not talk to his own CO about joining the frontline before Brigham gives him the whammy? That is something he shouldn't fly to the UK to discover. While he does get labeled as a deserter, it is odd how no one recognizes the guy who's been on TV advertising this war for months. Not everyone would be watching the new but at least someone should've spotted him like the people at the bar. And it is funny how he does eventually leave after rolling under a truck but somebody should've spotted him. Once you ignore all of that, this movie is still pretty great. I think the biggest gamble this movie had when changing things was white washing the characters as they were played by Caucasian or British actors. I was very hesitant on seeing the film because of that but they thankfully, the cast impressed me. Tom Cruise is surprisingly great as Bill Cage. The novel originally showed that the lead wanted to fight but here, he is presented as a coward. With Cruise, he succeeds in expressing the growth he creates during this journey which is common in time loop films. He goes from a selfish man to the kind of person who cares for everyone around him. He falls for Rita because based on everything she would tell him, he appreciates her. And the fact that most of the time he would see her die, it hurts him as much as how he has to start over. It is through his perspective where we learn to embrace failure because it creates a chance to look at the way we do things. Success comes from failure and after the many efforts of trial & error, you can reach the things you never thought you’d learn. After the many fails he had, he realized that there is no reason to be afraid of it. And because of that, we see that we shouldn't worry where it takes us. Emily Blunt owns it as the Angel of Verdun that is Rita. The only difference this character has is that she was heavily experienced before her loops, meaning that it was slightly changed on how badass she is. She is a conflicted person because she has to remain the warrior people see her as but she is almost vulnerable when meeting Bill. Despite opening up to him, she was always concerned about saving the world more than making friends. She is this way because it has mentally drained her like it is for Bill; She may yearn for a connection but her experience had terrified her so much, she avoids it. Whatever happens between those two in their future, I hope the bond remains as strong as it was here. And the last one that caught my eye was Bill Paxton. When playing Sergeant Farrell, he hilariously has charm with his arrogance which makes the role for me. The biggest laugh he gave me was his reaction to Bill getting himself run over. I mean hearing Cruise’s scream/squeal alone is funny but him saying ‘What the hell were you thinking?’ just iced the cake because it’s the most honest reaction to have at the moment. To wrap up, Edge of Tomorrow is a great sci fi film that gets better every time. So if you love Tom Cruise, time loops or aliens, then you’ll enjoy this awesome trifecta.
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