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Live Die Repeat: Edge of Tomorrow (2014)

Edge of Tomorrow Movie Review by Matt Palmer

Edge of Tomorrow doesn’t aspire to be anything more than a summer popcorn thriller. And it does that very well. Since the plot outline is available in any number of places, I’ll get right down to a spoiler-free review of the movie.

This movie embraces its role as a summer blockbuster. It’s an entertaining movie with cutting edge special effects that won’t offend and won’t make you think. The plot moves quickly, and there’s never a dull moment. I’m especially impressed with the director’s pacing. Given that the plot moves cyclically as Tom Cruise’s character relives the same day, he found a great balance of repetition and novelty, interspersing humor very well.

It should be no surprise that the strength of this movie was the special effects and the sound. The CGI fits in as seamlessly as I’ve seen in a movie. I get very distracted when it becomes obvious in a film that the actors are interacting with cartoons. But I never was pulled out of the movie by the animations. The sound was superb. It was never overbearing, but managed to draw me deeper into the plot, especially in the beach scenes, which were executed with great skill.

The 3D was a mixed bag. At times it was gratuitous. But that seems to be the case with all 3D movies. At times, as with all 3D movies, it was outright bad, with much of the screen fuzzy at times. But the 3D came through when it mattered most, in the action sequences. They managed to scale the effects back in the action scenes, and that’s when it added most to the movie.

If this movie has a weakness, it’s the ending. I found it thoughtless and cheap. The director really went out of his way for a gratuitous 45 seconds of plot tension in the audience. I won’t say more than that to avoid any spoilers. But please leave us a comment when you’ve seen the movie to tell us what you thought of the ending.

I can’t list the acting as either a strength or a weakness. Like most popcorn movies, nothing in this movie calls for any special skills in its cast. But nobody screwed it up, which is all you can ask for in a film like this.

In all, I strongly recommend this movie if you want some popcorn fare. This will be a huge financial success as scores of moviegoers head out for two hours of fun. If you’re looking for something cerebral or artistic, you’ll be quite disappointed. But just let this movie be what it is and enjoy it for a good time.

Buy the Film

Live Die Repeat: Edge of Tomorrow (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital) [4K UHD]

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Warner Bros. Pictures released Edge of Tomorrow on June 6, 2014. Doug Liman directed the film starring Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, and Bill Paxton.

User Rating: 2.9 ( 1 votes)
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@TheFilmOracle
9 years ago

It gets 4 out of 5 from me. Thoroughly entertaining action movie – I thought Cruise and Blunt were great (lacking chemistry perhaps, but no biggie). Like you say, the ending is a bit of a dud, especially when you think about it at length. From a linear perspective it didn’t make sense, but then it might if someone can explain it to me.

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