Now Watching: Edge of Tomorrow *SPOILERS*

Like the title says, there WILL BE SPOILERS!

@Avid: If you want to throw up a questionnaire please do so.

Seeing's how you and I discussed your issues over Destiny chat, I don't know what else to add here. I guess I'm waiting on T-Wolf now. Or anyone else for that matter.

What I said is basically the tone shifted towards the end and there were many unnecessary sub plots. The actual conclusion didn't bug me though. But the shift from light hearted fun to trying to have substance wasn't needed. And the love interest thing was completely phoned in like the character development of the platoon roster.

Still a fun movie I will purchase when the blu ray hits $10 or so.

Well I don't know what you guys talked about so now I feel all left out...

That said, the shift in tone didn't necessarily bug me but I do remember the love interest thing and trying to make us care about those platoon people right at the end did feel like a bit of a cheap shot. The ending and the way it played out kind of stank to me of Hollywood rewrites against the rest of the film that really seemed to be using its premise to the fullest.

But again, it's really hard to talk specifically since it's been quite some time since I saw it (and it's not out on DVD here to watch again). But if you threw up some talking points it might jog my memory.

And don't you guys mean LIVE, DIE, REPEAT: Edge of Tomorrow

I saw this...

Now Watching: Ed

and the rest was a mystery. I was really hoping it was Ed Wood or Edward Scissorhands.

Or EdTV.

pspiddy wrote:What I said is basically the tone shifted towards the end and there were many unnecessary sub plots. The actual conclusion didn't bug me though. But the shift from light hearted fun to trying to have substance wasn't needed. And the love interest thing was completely phoned in like the character development of the platoon roster.

Despite the numerous hilarious moments, the film never lets go of the sense of impending doom from the alien attack; it's always in the background. I like the stretch of the film where Cruise keeps trying to change things or save others (whether its Blunt or members of the ragtag platoon he's assigned to) but I feel they stayed on that long enough. Transitioning from that to the last ditch-effort to kill the Omega feels like the right move in order to avoid stagnation in the narrative. The shift from fun to serious isn't as egregious or awkward as in, say, Armageddon (where being a comedy throughout would've been the smart move, IMO).

As for Cruise/Blunt's relationship, I never felt it was forced. The two characters have to understand and respect each other before any feelings developed. When Cruise reunites with her at the end, there's no guarantee that they'll hit it off all over again (the point of the end being that Cruise is relieved to see her alive again).

The one thing I did remember though, and I"m curious as to your guys' take on it is the ending. And by ending I do just mean the last 5 minutes or so. To me it STANK of Hollywood rewrites. I was hoping for a much darker and/or much more ambiguous ending. Something that wouldn't indicate success or not since there were kind of hints and things leading to that sort of ending.

Now, I haven't read the Japanese novel it's based off of to say that with certainty, but I'm hoping to get on that at some point.

Again, this is just personal opinion here, but I was kind of hoping for an Inception style trick ending, a little playful "what if...?" for the audience in the end. It wouldn't have ruined the resolution since the whole time bending aspect was kind of futile in a way anyway.

The ending works perfectly for me. The usage of the time-loop (as it was in Groundhog Day) was primarily for charting the evolution of Cruise's character from feckless, craving coward to brave, selfless soldier and leader (worthy of the rank of Major). In order for things to be set right, he needs to be that person before he has that early, pivotal meeting with Brendan Gleeson's general character.

If you're thinking that the movie cheats by sending him that far back, remember that he kills the Omega the night before the assault, that the alien blood comes into contact with him (just like the Alpha's did earlier in the film) upon death. Within the film's line of logic, it works. If you wanted him and his comrades to die and bring about the notion of accepting death and the full measure of sacrifice...well, technically they all die before he's sent back. Again, it's not just about sacrifice.

Maybe its a case of the film having tonal shifts, jumping from comedy to thrills to darkness, building up to a moment of catharsis and emotional relief. Sometimes tonal shifts can throw viewers (Fargo being a good example of this) but the movie never loses control or focus.

You posted about what you would've preferred or anticipated and how the end result clashed with that. Its an understandable reaction.
I try to judge films not by what I want them to do and whether or not they do it but by understanding the intentions of a film and whether or not it accomplishes its goal. By this criteria, Edge of Tomorrow works for me.

It wasn't cheating, I just thought it was lame that everything worked out so hunky dory. Also, I think my thoughts on the ending might come across as purely opinion because I haven't seen the film in quite a while so the specifics of what led up to it allude me a bit. I agree, that films are not about what your expectations are, and I do judge a film based on its own merits, but that ending stunk of "happy hollywood ending" to me.

Yes it was consistent with Cage's learning about his own self and sacrifice and whatnot but it could have been done without the "WELP, I GUESS THE ALIENS ARE DEAD AND EVERYONE'S FINE NOW" sunny side up ending they went with is what I'm getting at. I was hoping for more of a commitment to the sci-fi premise instead of an easy way out. So you can say it's all my personal preference but the film had a very nice tonal progression in terms of the initial shock, the more lighthearted training section, then the more futile looping bits, then the setback, then Cage loses the ability to loop and fights anyway.

Having refreshed myself on the plot, the thing that struck me was they set up pretty concretely that Cage was going to lose that ability to loop but defeat the thing anyway. It was setting up a wonderfully ambiguous ending wherein we wouldn't necessarily know if it's successful or not. And even if it wasn't ambiguous, I will just flat out admit that given the rules presented in the film I didn't understand why that final loop worked the way it did. If the power to loop was once again transferred to Cage, is that permanent, wasn't it dependent on the Omega being alive in the first place? A lot of people were saying they didn't know what was going to happen and of course what we got is "oh, it will turn out perfectly" and given the lead up to that, it didn't sit right. That said, I wont say it ruined the movie. Just like the ending of Mass Effect 3 didn't ruin Mass Effect. It was just a kind of weird jolt at the end that stunk of 'well, we didn't know how to end it so...

OK let's just do a vague questionnaire and for the sake of discussion let's keep answers short for now and then expand later based on people's answers:

1. Did you think Tom Cruise was the right choice for the role?

2. Did you think the time-loop concept was used well or to its full potential? Was there anything in particular you felt wasn't addressed or conversely was there something done particularly well?

3. Did you like the aliens?

4. Emily Blunt: Awesome? Or Super Awesome?

Also to answer my own questons:


1. Did you think Tom Cruise was the right choice for the role?

Tom Cruise was not bad in this movie. But he was Tom Cruise. When Tom Cruise plays a character in a movie he is Tom Cruise. He doesn't really make you lose yourself in a character. He certainly didn't ruin it, he's perfectly fine, but I think having someone who could convey a bit more sarcasm, a bit more hopelessness would have only helped the movie. A Sam Rockwell, perhaps? But when I saw Tom Cruise supposedly being a "slimy Military press officer" I just didn't buy it. He looks like Mr. America, not a slimy character at all.

2. Did you think the time-loop concept was used well or to its full potential? Was there anything in particular you felt wasn't addressed or conversely was there something done particularly well?

I thought it was used fantastically well. When I saw Source Code, all I could think is: "I wish they used that looping concept more to show how the character learns new information". Edge of Tomorrow did this wonderfully, and the explanation they give for why it happens was clever and explained just enough to get the point across without it leaving itself open to poke holes into. For once, the film embraced the power of the sci-fi set up to develop everything in the story - the character grows because of the loops, the action scenes progress because of the loops, the plot moves because of the loops. It feels very well integrated.

3. Did you like the aliens?

I loved the aliens in this movie. I thought they looked amazing, and they looked, well, alien. A lot of aliens tend to look like humans or are just identifiable as looking like something. But these felt otherworldly, the way they moved was cool and threatening. The CGI was tastefully done too. My only gripe was I wish that the way the aliens took over wasn't glossed over like it was. Yes, it was mentioned, but a bit more of "showing" not telling would have benefited the movie. Even just a few more lines of "They seem to know everything before we do" would have done a lot to make the twist of the Omega more meaningful. Because the twist reveals the "how" of Alien's dominance, not the "when" or or the "what".

4. Emily Blunt: Awesome? Or Super Awesome? [/quote]

Super, super awesome.

If the power to loop was once again transferred to Cage, is that permanent, wasn't it dependent on the Omega being alive in the first place?

It is dependent on the Omega and since it is destroyed, Cage only loops once. Yup.

1. Did you think Tom Cruise was the right choice for the role?

I don't have any hangups on Cruise like some do. What he does with his personal life (whether it gets reported or not) doesn't interest me; his work does and he's one of the hardest working actors out there. It doesn't guarantee that everything he touches is gold but he stays committed.

I completely buy him as the wuss that he starts out as to the capable soldier he becomes. He's been down the action hero road so many times that it felt like a breath of fresh air that he starts the film completely spineless and uncoordinated.

When he's used well, he can be impressive. But you can say that about most actors, if not any.

2. Did you think the time-loop concept was used well or to its full potential? Was there anything in particular you felt wasn't addressed or conversely was there something done particularly well?

I think it was used very well. It could generate moments of comedy or terror. During the training montage, it took on a serious tone when the repetition and the mental wear or impending doom began to wear on Cage despite his progress. I enjoyed that quiet scene at the farmhouse between Cruise and Blunt. The sense of futility was pretty strong in the second half.

3. Did you like the aliens?

They're menacing enough. Design wise they're okay even if they resemble balls of light with tendrils constantly flapping about. I could almost harp about how we learn very little about them (other than that they're a parasitic, world-devouring species) but the film isn't interested in them, so that was probably a smart move.

4. Emily Blunt: Awesome? Or Super Awesome?

Super crazy awesome.

1. Did you think Tom Cruise was the right choice for the role?

This is some of Cruise's best work. I think he was perfect for the slimey-bitch-turned-capable-hero role. It wasn't like the MI roles where he just wants to showcase how Tom-Cruise Tom Cruise can be. He was really self-aware and didn't overshadow the movie.

2. Did you think the time-loop concept was used well or to its full potential? Was there anything in particular you felt wasn't addressed or conversely was there something done particularly well?

It was done extremely well considering the run time. I'd like to read the novel to see if it expands on what he does and does not know. That area is always fun to read/watch being played with. Overall it kept me interested the entire movie.

3. Did you like the aliens?

No. The slithery, overloaded-CGI thing has worn out its welcome with me. I'm not saying practical effects would be better, I'm saying the Matrix thing has run its course because it's seemingly in every movie now. That being said, the description and the purpose behind the CGI bullshit was awesome. So yes and no, I suppose.

4. Emily Blunt: Awesome? Or Super Awesome?

I think she was too good for the role. Find her a new Ellen Ripley-esque franchise and run with it. Hell, give her a Bourne-esque franchise. Whatever, just give her something where she has to scratch and claw even though she is a badass.

Other Notes:

I agree with T-wolf and the hunky dory ending. It could have been more ambiguous and still be completely satisfying. And for fuck's sake, I DO NOT NEED A LOVE STORY IN EVERY MOVIE!!

And seriously, what was up with the whole, "Hooray Platoon!", "SPLAT!"? I can see some producer eating a sandwich with his mouth open saying, "Remember that movie with the aliens and the soldiers fighting the aliens and the soldiers didn't like each other but then the aliens forced them into a camaraderie because they need to defeat the aliens? I forget what the movie was called but do that!" (and yes, every producer/director/CEO in my head is eating a sandwich. Because goddamnit if I didn't have a boss like that looking over my shoulder and commenting on what I was doing with his fuck-all knowledge)

I disagree on Cruise, and that is completely separate from his personal life (which is weird, but irrelevant). I just don't think he's a great actor. I always watch interviews with Cruise and think "Funny, it's like he's the same as the character in the movie right now." instead of really putting on the skin of someone new.

I will agree with spiddy in that it was less distracting in this case though, and it didn't overshadow the awesomeness of the movie in any way. Would that mean that it's his best work? Maybe? I would argue Collateral was his best work, but hey, that's just me. But I do disagree with you guys on buying him being slimy and turning into mr. Soldier personality wise. But physically, he pulled it off, and Tom Cruise is very good with physicality.

We do all seem to be in different camps about the aliens though. But avid, I don't think expanding on the aliens a bit more in terms of how they work, and what they've done would have hurt the movie. It would have made seeing them at that first battle all the more menacing since we would have been building them up in our minds perhaps?

Overall though, there isn't any one point that let down this movie. All of these gripes, at least to me are minor and as I said, I'd happily own this movie and watch it again. One of my top films of the year personally.

I'm willing to bet that more backstory on the aliens was in a rough cut or somewhere during the preproduction phase. Focusing on Cage and his allies was the smarter move, still. Will need to buy the blu-ray to see if this is expanded on.

I think it's interesting we all recommend the movie yet have such differing opinions. This is probably our most successful Now Watching yet!

I think that's the sign of a good movie for sure

I'm waiting for DoFP to arrive today. I'd like to do a Now Watching with that.

Challenge accepted.

That was a movie I wasn't a huge fan of, but highly doubt I could articulate why...