Edge of Tomorrow reads like Groundhog Day with robots and aliens, but thankfully it is so much more than that.
Stellar performances from Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt, some great action sequences and an edge of humour, make it everything you could want from a summer blockbuster.
Check out our interviews with Emily Blunt and director Doug Liman by clicking the links above and to the left.
Cruise plays Lt. Col. William Cage, a PR guy from the United States Army sent to London only to be faced with the prospect of going into actual battle (imagine that!) against the aliens, named Mimics, that are trying to take over the world. When given his orders he doesn't beat around the bush in telling a surly General Brigham (Gleeson) that he's not a soldier and can't possibly fight on the front line. Arguably one of the best scenes in the film, these two heavyweights face off in a battle of wills and Cage, a man clearly not used to not getting his own way, ends up being taken into custody by the military police and is shipped off to battle untrained, unwilling and unaware of what is to come.
It's no surprise when Cage lands on the beach, and the Mimics attack, that he doesn't fair very well and by killing one of the Alpha Mimics before being killed himself, he ends up tapping in to some of their powers forcing him to re-live the same day over and over again, the day re-setting every time he is killed. This is where Rita Vrataski (Blunt) comes into play, she is a well-known and highly-regarded soldier - the face of the United Defence Force - and with her help and training they embark on a mission to survive the day and shut down the source of the Mimics' power.
The film is repetitive by nature, but it never feels overly so as Cruise is dynamic and engaging in every scene, and as the days wear on, and we see his character killed dozens of times, he brings something new to each scene and the clever script along with the humour and colour from the supporting cast keeps things interesting.
It's refreshing to see Blunt in this kind of role, it's a whole other side to her that we haven't seen before and while she was a badass in her own way in The Devil Wears Prada, she's a force to be reckoned with as Rita, or The Full Metal B**** as the other soldiers call her.
While the general premise of the film may sound unoriginal - aliens attacking, Tom Cruise saving the day etc - director Doug Liman (Mr and Mrs Smith, The Bourne Identity) has steered clear of most Hollywood cliches and that is where Edge of Tomorrow's strength lies, it's an unexpected thrill-ride that ticks all the boxes.
The film is beautifully shot and seeing it in IMAX makes the experience all the more immersive and enjoyable – just sit back and soak it all in.
Sinead Brennan
