After recently watching Source Code (2011), the “die and try again” theme of the movie instantly drew my mind to the 2014 science fiction action film, Edge of Tomorrow. I actually got to see this movie in theatres when it first released 8 years ago, and I remember having a pretty good time with it. Upon rewatching this movie a second time just a couple days ago, I can confidently say Edge of Tomorrow is the type of movie that holds up nicely over the years. With beloved Tom Cruise as the center of this action movie and Emily Blunt as his totally capable sidekick, you know they can’t do wrong.

Due to the repetitive nature of this film, it was absolutely essential that they kept the plot feeling fresh and interesting. In comparison to Source Code (2011), Edge of Tomorrow was more keen in playing into the humurous aspect of it all. I feel like the movie kept audiences engaged with all the repetitiveness by showing a lot more of Cage’s (played by Cruise) failed attempts and the funny ways in which he kept dying. For a majority of the first half, because we were only just starting to learn more about Cage’s reset ability and the situation at hand, the film felt a lot more upbeat. Without having to face the consequence of actually dying, this opened up the film to be a lot more lighthearted in the beginning. What the film did so well though was slowly balancing this with the seriousness of the daunting mission.

All this pressure really reaches its height though when Cage finally loses his power to reset the day. The creeping realization that they only have one shot left to succeed really hits hard. I really liked how clever Edge of Tomorrow was in building towards this suspenseful climax and showing the evident demotivation in Cage as he repeatedly witnesses Rita die. Up to this point I really enjoyed the progress Cage makes and the discoveries he makes, but also the draining effect it has on him. With a lot of the replayed days feeling all too familiar, it was especially interesting whenever we got to witness changes in the days or new moments we haven’t seen before.

With this being a science fiction film with aliens involved, I have to comment on the CGI and the look of the film. Visually, I thought this movie was genuinely quite stunning and I particularly liked the design of the Mimics (the aliens). They had this really metallic and deadly look to them, and when combined with their speedy and slick movements, they were truly terrifying. I mean, can you imagine how scary it’d be to have one just running at you like that?! I also really liked the heavy duty look of the mech-suits and while it seemed kind of unpractical at first given how slow it made everyone move, you quickly realize how necessary this suit is to keep everyone alive.

And finally with Tom Cruise starring in Edge of Tomorrow, you just know it’s going to be action-packed in the best way possible (which it was). It’s pretty funny to me because whenever I see Cruise in a movie, all I can see is Ethan Hunt. But with that being said, he did an overall good job with this role and really tried to bring the character to life. Blunt was an absolutely solid lead as well and totally kept up with Cruise’s antics. I think she held her own pretty well and managed to shine without being overshadowed by him.

Edge of Tomorrow has a very interesting plot that is well supported by its acting performances, great incorporation of comedy, and a steady, suspenseful build towards an exciting climax. My biggest complaint with the film though is its poor and lacking explanation of the science of the Mimics which really feels overlooked, While I’m usually pretty forgiving with the creative imagination in science fiction films, it really did just kind of feel like they wanted to skim past it without giving something at least kind of plausible. That being said, if you’re looking for a unique and compelling action film, this is a great one. With Edge of Tomorrow still holding up nicely after all these years, I’ve decided to give the film an 8/10. With minor complaints from me, this movie is a rather enjoyable and exciting watch that succeeds in checking off the boxes of a great sci-fi action film.