Edge of Tomorrow (2014)

Does such a thing as talent exit? Was your favourite artist of director really born that way? Or was it something else? Is it possible that they have become as good as they have simply because they put in enough time to learn their trade? As someone who likes learning new things I really don’t believe in talent. It is all about gaining experience, making new techniques your own and repeating something a lot. If you put in enough time you will become good at it. Of course the speed you learn that skill might differ from person to person. Edge of Tomorrow proves that with enough time you will be able to amaze everyone, but in this case that might take you a couple of lives.

And no, this isn’t a review of a game based on the movie. Tom Cruise is Cage, a military man who has been working in PR for ages, has never fought and is actively trying to prevent doing so. That mindset works against him though en something happens which forces him to head to the head of the battle. There a battle is fought against an alien enemy who seems to be able to counter any attack planned against them. Cage doesn’t have any fighting experience and what he lands himself into turns out to be a nightmare.

The attack at the start on a beach in France immediately makes you thing of Saving Private Ryan, albeit with some sci fi sauce over it. Left and right soldier are being killed and Cage tries to do whatever he kan. He manages to shoot one alien, but is killed. To his surprise he wakes up again and finds out that he is at the start of the day again. The comparison with Groundhog Day is an obvious one. Although he initially is disoriented and can’t believe what is happening, he slowly starts to realize the advantage of it. When he meets a female soldier, Rita (Emily Blunt), who tells him that he should find her the next day he has hope that she might be able to explain what is happening to him. With Cage having to fight the battle every day though there is the question if he will ever be able to defeat the enemy.

Edge of Tomorrow already can be called one of the best science fiction movies of the year. It offers loads of action, comedy and the repeating timeline is effectively used. As a viewer you never know if the Cruise’s character has already experienced something or if it is his first time, which puts you at the edge of your seat. Visually the movie is a feast for the eyes with aliens that look very original an unlike anything I can remember seeing before and soldiers who all wear exoskeletons allowing them to carry larger weapons and have a lot more power.

The only flaw I thought the movie has was the disappointing ending, which felt like something that was just pasted on to it without much thought. Still it doesn’t take away much from the experience as a whole. Both Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt are fantastic in their roles and you even get to know the supporting characters (like the sergeant played by Bill Paxton) through the time loops. Through those loops others see Cage as someone who is very talented, but the reality is different: Repeat, repeat, repeat and you’ll eventually will become good at it.

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