Edge of Tomorrow

Major William Cage (Cruise), public affairs officer for the United Defence Force, is having a bad day. His attempts to get out of covering the UDF's assault on France, currently occupied along with the rest of Europe by a near unstoppable alien race known as the Mimics, result in his arrest, demotion and draft into the fighting forces, where he quickly finds himself killed. But his blood mingles with that of a special breed of Mimic, granting him the power that has made them so successful: the ability to rewind time upon death. With this new ability, and the help of war hero Rita Vrataski (Blunt), Cage must learn to become a warrior in order to defeat the Mimics and end the invasion.

Loosely based on the Japanese light novel All You Need Is Kill, Edge of Tomorrow takes what could be seen as a rather simple story, and manages to carve a excellent movie out of it. Much like last years' Elysium, it's not afraid to take the time out to consider the ramifications of the characters actions, whilst punctuating the rest of the film with well-paced action and genuinely hilarious moments.

The film is aided greatly by its starring performances. Tom Cruise somehow manages to take Major Cage from a thoroughly unlikeable jackass to a decent human being over the film's duration, whilst Emily Blunt works well as the hard but damaged Vrataski. But Bill Paxton is the film's clear stand-out as Master Sergeant Farrell, Cage's boot camp instructor and sarcastic, dry-witted badass.

Ultimately, Edge of Tomorrow continues the recent trend of engaging, deeper sci-fi summer blockbusters in grand style, providing a brilliant experience for fans of both action and sci-fi alike.

Tom Freeman