https://harpersvalley.wordpress.com/2014/06/05/edge-of-tomorrow/
as well as being able to catch it at a reduced-price, 3D screening. It was worth it.
Although not a particular fan of Tom C. I do find his screen-presence tolerable enough. I certainly don't share the aversion some have of him, so that helped.
Cruise is here in (yet another) futuristic science fiction extravaganza, set mainly in and around London, involving an end-of-humanity struggle with earth-colonising alien creatures (looking and acting quite effectively scary to me) with the added twist of a time-replay attribute which he discovers that he has and eventually gets to exploit to the aliens' detriment, though only after much trial and error. His partner in his saviour-role is Emily Blunt (at times uncannily resembling Uma Thurman, I thought) who used to have a similar time-re-setting talent and lost it by chance, so she now shows the militarily-inexperienced Cruise how to train, develop and use his ability to save the world. It's mostly good fun and fast action. The repetitions of situations are handled adroitly with good editing so it doesn't seem as repetitive as it could have done. I didn't find it boring, though only towards the end, during the final, predictable, big-scale confrontation, did I start to feel a little weariness and thought the film might have been improved with, perhaps, 15 minutes shorn off it. But, on the whole, it holds up well. (The individual armoured and armed exo-skeletons that the terrestrial soldiers have to wear must have been murder to have had to move around in. As well as having their visible bulk they give the impression of being really unwieldy.)
Director Doug Liman doesn't have a particularly auspicious pedigree in directed film work, though that does include 'The Bourne Identity' (2002), and here he also acquits himself well.
Most of us will have seen a few films before which play with the idea of time-slip. It's always an interesting idea and keeps one alert with the 'if only' questions. This film doesn't shy away from the dangers of over-indulging in the replay of scenes already viewed, though with a purposed change to alter the outcome of events, and manages it with aplomb.
I rate this as one of the more successful of recent blockbusters and am pleased to give it a more-than-satisfactory.........................7.
As I said, after reading the review at HV, I just can't with Tom Cruise.
ReplyDeleteAnd I won't.
Fair enough, Bob. Each to his own.
DeleteYour point about the editing making the repetition less tiresome was well taken.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad you liked it as much as you did.
If it wasn't for your own review I wouldn't have seen it at all, H.K., so thank YOU.
DeleteAversion here. I refuse to see any more Tom Cruise films... on principle... although I don't know what the principle is.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if your 'principle' is anything at all to do with the Dianetics connection, Mitch, or is it that you just think that Tiny Tom is just a crud? Either way I'm not going to argue.
DeleteI won't see a movie with Mr. Cruise.
ReplyDeleteHe says mean things about me.
Well no one can possibly top that for a reason, Dr Spo. It totally explains the rationale of your attitude and, besides, it's unforgivable..
DeleteHe and his ilk would be tolerable if they merely left my profession alone, but he goes out to hurt it. No Tom C movies - ever!
DeleteAh, now I see it clearer than before so I can understand why you've fully exempted yourself. Maybe we others ought to bear it in mind more.
DeleteRay,
ReplyDeleteI'm one of those who has a visceral antipathy towards Tom Cruise. Sure, he's a capable actor but I just can't get past knowing who and what he is, a short, little control jerk who acts by shouting and running. There are three actors who I cannot abide: Cruise, Brad Pitt and Scarlett Johannson. Actually there are more, Jennifer Lopez being one of the most prominent in the second tier but I won't go there now. Thanks for the review, might have been a nicer movie with another (taller) actor.
Ron
I remember you saying something along these lines about Little Tom before, Ron. I don't share your hostility although I'm not exactly a fan either. However I didn't know (or had forgotten) about your feelings towards Pitt, Johannspn and Lopez - the last of which I can understand more than the other two.
DeleteBut if T.C.'s presence on screen in this film is going to bug one, it would be too distracting to watch it. However, its interesting time-slip concept lifts it out of the ordinary and, notwithstanding the main star's presence, I would still recommend it.