For the majority of the running time Edge Of Tomorrow is one of the most enjoyable, smart, funny and well put together action science fiction films, not just of the year but perhaps of all time. It's also the best film about video games without being about video games.
Unfortunately the beginning and end both disappoint. After an excellent opening sequence which perfectly sets up the world we get the first run of the day and I found that it really dragged. Perhaps it has a lot to set up for subsequent runs and won't seem as bad on repeated viewings but on my first viewing I couldn't help think back to whoever said that you could chop the first 15 minutes of most films and get straight to the point.
The ending is more problematic when an obvious plot development is required to inject some stakes back into the action, the film loses nearly everything that made it so special in the first place. The resulting end sequence then suffers the same final third problems that plague just about every modern film, all overblown action and very little to care for. Worse there are two Hollywood cop-outs that betray the the rest of the film's smartness. One is character related and would have been easily solved by a bit of role reversal. The other just feels like a cheat (although I think it does work within the logic of the story) leaving the story crying out for a more satisfying conclusion.
Also why doesn't Cage drag a bunch of other soldiers to where he first dies?
June 12, 2014 at 07:14PM
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