An alien invasion has left Europe overrun with a parasitic, violent alien species that is quickly taking over the world. Major William Cage (Tom Cruise), an American who has recruited millions of soldiers to their death, yet has never fought a day in his life, is forcibly placed on a suicide mission on the front line in France. On his first day in combat, a suicide beach raid reminiscent of Normandy, he is killed…only to wake up the day before, stuck reliving the same day and dying in combat over and over again, essentially a sci-fi action Groundhog Day. 

The last time Tom Cruise graced the screen, he was seen similarly playing in high concept sci-fi with Oblivion, a beautifully imagined but otherwise dull project. With that in mind, fatigue set low expectations for his next passion project. Expectations could not be more wrong, and once the movie begins, it delivers a spectacular action movie far better than marketing or even the premise would suggest. While Cruise has had a mixed track record as of late, he’s right on point here, fitting into the role of a cocky military official turned hardened warrior like a glove. Unlike Oblivion’s drab mood, here there is room for comedy, with some great laughs mixed amongst the intense action battles. The pivotal beach storm which our protagonist is forced to keep re-living is intense and fully realized, like a sci-fi homage to Saving Private Ryan, only much more fun to watch: if someone creates an Edge of Tomorrow theme park ride, sign me up for the first ride. 

The pivotal beach storm which our protagonist is forced to keep re-living is intense and fully realized, like a sci-fi homage to Saving Private Ryan, only much more fun to watch: if someone creates an Edge of Tomorrow theme park ride, sign me up for the first ride.

The plot gets underway thanks to Rita (Emily Blunt), the propaganda soldier who becomes the only person to believe what Cage is saying since she also experienced the same phenomenon. Unlike Groundhog Day, which leaves the repeating day phenomenon a poetic mystery, here the reason behind it is revealed and has to be used properly if there’s to be hope of stopping the aliens. Unlike Cruise who has been a fixture as a leading man for thirty years, Emily Blunt has yet to have a real chance to stand out, and in this movie we see that she has all the chops worthy of a lead actress: she’s smart, tough, and can stand for himself. Of course, the movie is primarily a showcase for Cruise, but Blunt has made a great case to get movies of her own in the future.

Once their mission gets underway, it’s a completely fun ride to the finish, balancing the mystery of how it will conclude with some quality action and comedy. Some of the most fun comes from Cruise figuring out how to utilize the fact that he is re-living the same day. Anyone who has seen Groundhog Day can guess how that plays out, but because the genre is so far removed, Cruise holds his own as something that feels completely fresh. The words “intelligent” and “serious” blockbusters are usually interchangeable, but thanks to a great script, here the intelligence of the story doesn’t mean the audience can’t enjoy the ride.

Director Doug Limon (The Bourne Identity, Mr. and Mrs. Smith) has been making action movies for the last decade to mixed results. However, with this project, it finally feels like he has realized how to match the excitement of his earliest work with sci-fi action. While it might not seem like much of a success given its so-so box office returns, Edge of Tomorrow proves to be a fully entertaining spectacle that firmly keeps Tom Cruise at movie star status.