Edge of Tomorrow

In what is possibly the most entertaining film of 2014 thus far, Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt give excellent performances in what may be my favourite original sci-fi film in years. The story is interesting, the acting is great, and the action and effects are spectacular. If you've seen any of the trailers, you know the main hook of the film, yet may be skeptical as to whether or not the film could fall into the trap of being repetitive and boring. I am glad to say that this film is not repetitive nor boring, as the story moves forward at a brisk pace, and by the end feels like a complete, coherent film. As I mentioned before, Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt are fantastic as the leads. I was pleasantly surprised by how complete the story arc for Tom Cruise's character was. He developed throughout the film, and was given scenarios where we could genuinely cheer for the character. The rest of the supporting cast was fine, as they all did what they needed to do, however no one other than Cruise and Emily Blunt were given significant screen time. The action was spectacular, especially in 3D! I prefer to opt for 2D showings whenever I can, however I can never make the show times and am usually stuck with 3D. In the case of Edge of Tomorrow, I am glad I saw it in 3D, as the filmmakers used the technology to full effect, making certain scenes really stand out in 3D. The "shaky-cam" trick was used a few times, and while this is usually my biggest pet peeve, the tactic worked well here giving the action sequences a sense of grittiness and realism. Edge of Tomorrow is also quite funny, which is something the marketing hid. Without resorting to goofiness, the film adds elements of subtle humor that are actually quite funny without taking away from the seriousness of the plot. The only negative I have about this film is that there were a few conveniences in the story line that helped the hero get from point A to point B. There was also a scene where they try to explain the science behind what is going on that doesn't make a whole lot of sense. However, if you can just accept this, it won't matter. Edge of Tomorrow is one of those movies meant to be seen on the big screen and is the quintessential summer blockbuster entertainment. It is a ton of fun, and if you are a fan of sci-fi or action movies in general, you can not miss this movie!