This is Source Code on a summer blockbuster/Tom Cruise budget but without the smarts nor the heart mainly because its scope is too wide and its stake too grand.
The problem with time-looping sci-fi features is that they tend to be too repetitive and that weighs down the pacing. Directing and editing then becomes crucial in keeping the pacing and the audience's attention, but that unfortunately is not as consistent.
Furthermore, time-looping is a double-edged sword. In Source Code it was used effectively in essentially a linear manner; but Edge of Tomorrow pushes the realistic boundaries more and explored the branches of time, however, that led to redundancy of all the other failed routes which then really gave the audience nothing to be invested in.
Similarly, once Edge started exploring the branches, all intelligence and logic just flew out of the window. The screenplay became confused, schizophrenic and illogical. Contrivances are the norm and characters make decisions willy nilly. You know you are in trouble with logic once a glaring contrivance appear within 10 minutes of the opening credit. Some of them are just too glaring and stupid to be ignored totally while trying to enjoy the movie.
Director Doug Liman did a good job in the first Act. His choreography for the beach battle was excellent: intense without being messy. However, as the show progressed, he got as lazy as his screenwriters, and that final battle scene was just so bizarre and rushed.
Cruise was actually rather good here. It cannot be denied that Cruise is a good actor, and in here, both his boyish charisma and manly determination gets their fair showing. And his metamorphosis was believable. Unfortunately, it was his lack of chemistry with Blunt that stood out more.
Emily Blunt too is a great actress, but in Edge she only had one facet: cold-hard bitch. The brief moments of emotional depth was written so tackily and out of place that it just did not feel in character. She was mainly utilised as a plot device from the start to the very end. Pity.
There were some moments when 3D was used effectively, however by and large, neither 3D or IMAX really enhanced the movie. Although praise must go to the design of the aliens. It was a smart move by Liman to keep them hidden initially.
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