(Cole's Take) Edge of Tomorrow 2014 * * * 1/2 Stars

Director: Doug Liman
Year: 2014
Rated PG-13
Rating: * * * 1/2 Stars (Click on the rating link to see Cole's on-site review)
Cast: Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton

Written by Cole Pollyea

Sci-Fi movies that I find myself wholeheartedly caring about, and investing in, the characters and what's on screen are far and few between, but there's something notable about Edge of Tomorrow that forced me to do so, and subsequently, enjoying. It could be the fact that it plays something like 1993's Groundhog Day and reminded me of something like 2005's War of the Worlds. It could also be the fact that it blends a multitude of unique, entertaining facets of film making and compiles it into one explosive, exciting film that you shouldn't miss.

This is Mr. Tom Cruise's fourth Sci-Fi entry in the past four years (next to Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol, Jack Reacher, and Oblivion) and I'm prepared to say that it's heads and tails above all three other above referenced films. It combines elements of each, but ultimately, it's a brand new, refreshing film that I, gratefully, caught a sneak peek of on a late Thursday night opening week. 

But without further ado, Edge of Tomorrow is a film that takes place over the course of a day, though it feels like a million. Why? Because Cage (Cruise) is trapped inside of a repetitive day-reset wherein every single time he dies, the day begins again. His mission, as he's, before actually facing combat in the military, forced into it by a higher power, is destroying the "omega" of the alien force that has threatened the front line (and beyond), which he is fighting in. Along the way, an abundance of crucial information to the story is revealed which makes the proceedings all the more fun.

As far as the acting is concerned, it isn't first rate (Cruise doesn't give us a Charlie Babbitt, but something of a Jack—from Oblivion) but the special effects are! What fun it is to see Edge of Tomorrow; if—impossibly, you aren't engrossed in the screenplay, the visual stunners provide enough of a show to justify a trip to see this movie, the likes of which is, actually, worth seeing in 3D.

Something I consider after every viewing of a Cruiser is how many times (if at all) I'm going to be revisiting the movie at hand. Based upon how unexpectedly I wound up enjoying Edge of Tomorrow, it's safe to say that it might find its way in front of my eyes again, and I await that day with anticipation of a great summer film.

Written by Cole Pollyea