Edge of Tomorrow: Live. Die. Repeat makes its arrival on 4K Ultra HD and the alien invasion time loop film has never looked better.

This film is a time loop movie unlike anything we’ve seen before. For one, it takes place during a futuristic alien invasion when most of Europe appears lost. The Battle of Normandy plays a strong influence in the film’s look given that this is basically the same thing except it takes place in the future during an alien invasion. From there, Edge of Tomorrow has a realistic aesthetic even for a sci-fi movie. Instead of shooting on a beach, they built it on a backlot instead with a 300 ft. x 300 ft. set. You could have fooled me!

U.S. Army Major William Cage (Tom Cruise) is the last person one would expect to find on the battlefield. He’s a public relations official with hardly any combat experience. Next thing you know, General Brigham (Brendan Gleeson) orders him arrested. Cage wakes up to learn he’s now a private and assigned to J-Squad under Master Sergeant Farell (Bill Paxton). Because it’s a time loop film, there are no shortage of humorous moments. I mean, Cage cleverly finds ways to keep escaping, many of these moments are off-screen.

Once we get to the landing in France, it couldn’t get any worse if they tried. They are sitting ducks in the water if you know what I mean. When Cage kills an Alpha, the blood gets all over him and he wakes up at Heathrow. After repeatedly dying on the beach and reliving the same day, Cage rescues Sergeant Rita Vrataski (Emily Blunt), the angel of Verdun, thanks to living through a time loop. Because of her previous experience, she orders him to find her when he wakes up. Given the J-Squad assignment, this is easier said than done. She gives him the necessary training and slowly but surely, they keep making it further inland to Germany. The more they work together, the more Cage becomes attracted to Vrataski. However, she’s only interested in their mission hand.

The key to defeating the Mimics and winning the war is to find the Omega in Germany. When Cage finally gets to Germany, he realizes that the Omega isn’t there so it’s right back to square one. This leads them to the Ministry of Defence building so that they can get Dr. Carter’s (Noah Taylor) prototype. Lucky for the audience, this isn’t Cage’s first time so we’re in for quite the treat. What they soon learn is that the Omega is hiding under the Louvre Pyramid. Unfortunately, Cage and Vrataski end up in a car chase as a result of their actions. Ending his life isn’t an option and the blood transfusion breaks the time loop.

Cage and Vrataski bring in J-Squad in order to help them defeat the Omega and end this war once and for all. The battle is fatal for everyone. However, they are successful in their mission to defeat the Mimics. When Cage wakes up next, it is a complete reset to before his arrival. While it is a victory for the United Defense Force, one can only wonder a what-if at the end of the film.

The relationship between Cage and Vrataski feels somewhat forced. Much like Groundhog Day, he spends plenty of time getting to know her. However, she doesn’t know him in the same way because she’s not stuck in a time loop. In another universe, maybe they might make a good couple despite their age difference. But here’s the thing: she’s a soldier and trains Cage to get to the level where he needs to be. There doesn’t need to be any sort of romantic relationship here–it’s a war movie! I’m here for the sci-fi action of it all. Hollywood has this way of forcing romance where it does not need to be and Edge of Tomorrow is no exception to the rule.

In terms of costume design, the soldiers are one-man walking tanks. To give you an idea, the suit weighs 85-90 pounds, 130 pounds with weapons. Basically, the film is creating super soldiers sans the Captain America serum. Musically speaking, composer Christophe Beck does not approach this film as one traditionally does. It’s his first sci-fi score so has some room for trial and error in his approach, which ultimately utilizes both percussion and a distorted orchestra. There are couple of themes for characters but Beck manages to have some fun with the humor. Take every time Cage dies–the distorted orchestra just adds to the humor. Meanwhile, Doug Liman makes it the biggest visual effects film of his career. The Omega, Alpha, and Mimics all get their own unique designs.

Edge of Tomorrow: Live. Die. Repeat manages to keep audiences on the edge of their seats in this WWII-esque sci-fi action thriller.

Bonus Features

• Operation Downfall
  • Operation Downfall – Adrenaline Cut
  • Storming The Beach
• Weapons Of The Future
• Creatures Not Of This World
• On The Edge With Doug Liman
• Deleted Scenes

DIRECTOR: Doug Liman
SCREENWRITERS: Christopher McQuarrie and Jez Butterworth & John-Henry Butterworth
CAST: Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton, Brendan Gleeson

Warner Bros. released Edge of Tomorrow in theaters on June 6, 2014. Grade: 4/5

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