REVIEW: Edge of Tomorrow

If last week saw the best blockbuster of the season so far with X-Men, then this undoubtedly gets the award for the most surprising.

There’s no denying Tom Cruise’s stock has fallen in the past few years, but this gripping sci-fi adventure shouldn’t suffer because of it.

The Cruiser still rolls out some good performances – and in the cleverly conceived Edge of Tomorrow proves A) he’s still got a screen presence, and B) it’s far better than the underwhelming Oblivion.

Cruise stars as Major Cage – a PR man who has never seen a day of combat – and gets dropped into a ‘suicide’ mission against an unrelenting alien assault, after a row with General Brigham (Brendan Gleeson) in London.

But after killing one of the master versions of these (quite impressively created) multi-tentacle aliens, he finds himself in a time-loop forcing him to live out the same brutal combat over and over again on the banks of Normandy.

And why this Groundhog Day scenario might sound preposterous to some, it’s done in such a refreshingly ingenious way with clever editing, and a sharp witty script, it ends up undoubtedly being one of the best action films in the past few years.

It is one of the best alien races seen on the big screen since erm, Alien, then this, for the most part, is genuinely compelling stuff.

The third act does end up being a bit predictable compared to the cleverness that goes before it, but The Bourne Identity director Doug Liman really does a very commendable job that deserves immense praise – especially as it puts a smile on your face during the impressive comical relief.

More importantly, Cruise shows he can still provide edge-of-your-seat thrills – and shoulder the responsibility of a blockbuster – in a movie that should be seen today, or at the very least, by tomorrow.

4/5