Movie Review: EDGE OF TOMORROW - 9.1 Stars! No Spoilers

EDGE OF TOMORROW is an excellent movie and well worth seeing in 3D and especially IMAX 3D.  While it is my second highest rated review this year (CAPTAIN AMERICA: THE WINTER SOLDIER scored 9.2 stars), had director Doug Liman tackled a few things in a different way, EoT would have had my endorsement as the year best movie thus far.  But it certainly is in the same league as Cap.

Probably my largest complaint with the movie is the third act.  The first two acts had exceptional pacing and was just about perfectly edited - I'll talk about the finale later on in the review. Liman whisked us along with numerous "time loop gags" that worked very well for me - these are inventive and while the premise is reminiscent of GROUNDHOG DAY and BACK TO THE FUTURE, it is still it's own beast.  At no time was my suspension of disbelief blown by something reminding me of another movie.  So rest assured, the most important aspect of this movie - time loop - was done well.

I made the mistake of watching Tom Cruise on the late night talk show circuit and I came away with a very scripted and safe take of the actor.  It's getting worse.  A canned public persona.  Hated it.  I feel he's not capable of being himself in public.  I understand the microscope he is under and that many don't trust his instincts (probably including himself), but wow, I hated watching it.  I won't again.

Emily Blunt's publicity tour however was very upbeat, funny and great to watch. Well, at least up to the point where she starts to talk about Cruise and his quirks. Then it becomes quite awkward. Even the international premieres that opened in 3 cities all within 24 hours was Cruise's idea and while interesting, I don't believe it was worth keeping a mother from her child for that long. Blunt has just given birth. I'm sure that didn't go over very well with her and her family.

HOWEVER, Cruise's performance in EDGE OF TOMORROW is inspired!  He has come a long way as far as taking chances on screen.  In fact his best scenes in EoT are when his character is vulnerable.  Taking into account his performance in TROPIC THUNDER, Cruise is morphing into someone audiences can start to relate to, and not an actor who only plays characters that are safe and invincible.

Domestically EDGE OF TOMORROW is not performing as well as it should be. Cruise may have over extended his stay as a top tier actor in the minds of most - especially the younger crowd. In fact EoT ($29m) opened third behind a strong opening from THE FAULT IN OUR STARS ($48m) and Disney's strong hold over MALEFICENT ($34m). Internationally though, Cruise is still a behemoth of the box office taking in an astounding $82m this weekend bringing us to a total of $140m.

Half the movie's take has been in 3D thus far (47%) and while I thought the 3D was done well - there wasn't anything about the conversion that stood out for me. It was just there. It certainly helped with the immersion and suspension of disbelief - especially with the "Matrix sentinel" influenced aliens, but with the sci-fi genre (and horror for that matter), I like to have a few scenes dialed way up to amplify the anxiety. Other than my preference, there's nothing overly wrong with the 3D.

What shone for me was the story, suspension of disbelief and the visual effects / stunts. This, of course, is an awesome combination of superlatives to have for a sci-fi movie and thus a very nice score of 91 stars.

The weakest links in the movie I felt was the third act, directing and character development. Yes, Cruise character Major Cage goes through significant change but I felt as though there wasn't enough development for me to be invested in his character all that much. The final act lost the movie's outstanding pace and editing, plus I can think of many things that WOULD have worked much better than what finally made it to the screen. I haven't read the original source material (ALL YOU NEED IS KILL), but I bet you it's different in the finale somehow. If you know, please let me know.

So - well worth going to see! I recommend it and endorse the IMAX 3D version. It's a VERY close second to CAPTAIN AMERICA for this year's best movie, so go see it.

EDGE OF TOMORROW is now playing in 3D, IMAX 3D and flat.

Must Watch: Clips And BTS From EDGE OF TOMORROW

Ok - first things first. I saw the trailer for EDGE OF TOMORROW in IMAX 3D and it sucked. Instant headache. I am REALLY hoping that this isn't the case for the whole movie - that this was just a rush job to get the trailer out on time. Or, that it was a theatrical projection error. Because the more I see of this movie the more I really want to love it.

Check the movie clips (visual and some minor plot and character relationship spoilers) and the Behind The Scenes (BTS) clips (visual spoilers) to see what I mean. First of all, I like Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt in general but I am really impressed with the level of practical effects being employed along with visual effects! I think this will translate to a believable experience. Yet another reason why I hope they didn't blow the 3D conversion.

Here's the storyline for the movie:
The epic action of “Edge of Tomorrow” unfolds in a near future in which an alien race has hit the Earth in an unrelenting assault, unbeatable by any military unit in the world. Major William Cage (Cruise) is an officer who has never seen a day of combat when he is unceremoniously dropped into what amounts to a suicide mission. Killed within minutes, Cage now finds himself inexplicably thrown into a time loop—forcing him to live out the same brutal combat over and over, fighting and dying again…and again. But with each battle, Cage becomes able to engage the adversaries with increasing skill, alongside Special Forces warrior Rita Vrataski (Blunt). And, as Cage and Rita take the fight to the aliens, each repeated encounter gets them one step closer to defeating the enemy.

EDGE OF TOMORROW opens on June 6 in 3D, IMAX 3D and flat. Here's hoping for a good conversion.

Warner Bros. Presentation from CinemaCon 2014

Tim here, and the last studio presentation from this year's CinemaCon was Warner Brothers Pictures. Now, they went all out with their presentation by bringing in tons of stars (Johnny Depp, Morgan Freeman, Clint Eastwood, Cameron Diaz, Leslie Mann, Adam Sandler, Drew Barrymore, and a few others) to introduce each picture from their upcoming slate. Warner Bros. upcoming 3D movie line-up: Godzilla (Conversion), Edge of Tomorrow (Conversion), Jupiter Ascending (Native), and The Hobbit: There and Back Again (Native). I felt it was a bit overkill with all the stars, and wanted them to stop talking and show the footage.

The coolest thing was that Gareth Edwards got up to introduce Godzilla, which he revealed they just finished editing. That might not mean it's completely finished as they could still have some VFX tweaking and finalizing, or that the stereo conversion isn't done. The footage we saw was a bit of an extended trailer, but even more than what the trailers have shown thus far. It looks insane! This movie is amongst my most anticipated of the year. They were still a little wary about showing a clean full shot of Godzilla, but I think that adds to the awesomeness of the movie. See by obscuring Godzilla in smoke and rubble it keeps the tension, which I applaud. Godzilla hits theaters May 16^th, 2014.

Next was Edge of Tomorrow, which is directed by Doug Liman and stars Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt. The movie looks like a thrilling sci-fi version of Groundhogs Day and it will filled with lots of action. I'm intrigued, and look forward to checking it out. The footage we saw had a lot of footage from the previous two trailers, and a bit more. Edge of Tomorrow hits theaters June 6^th, 2014.

Second to last was the Wachowskis and their sci-fi film Jupiter Ascending that has at its center Mila Kunis and Channing Tatum, who were in attendance to introduce the footage. A return to sci-fi from The Matrix filmmakers makes this one of the more anticipated movies of the year. It's also the first stereopscopic 3D movie made by the Wachowskis, and they chose to shoot it natively. The footage was screened in 2D and included a decent amount already seen in the trailers already released, plus a little bit more. Jupiter Ascending hits theaters July 18^th, 2014.

Finally, we got a quick sneak peak at The Hobbit: There and Back Again, which didn't show a whole lot to write about. A couple of shots that look like the calm before the storm at Laketown, Gandalf saying "The time is upon us where all must choose what side we're on," and clear tense character close-ups. This was all after production diary behind-the-scenes footage and a montage of the journey so far. It wasn't by any means an indication that a trailer is close.

Got to love Warner Bros. right now! I can't wait for more Hobbit footage. Overall, however, the best studio presentation at CinemaCon goes to 20th Century Fox who started with a Vegas style song and dance and decided to let the footage speak for itself. Look out for my interview with Andy Serkis coming soon.

Emily Blunt Or Ruth Wilson As Ms. Marvel In THE AVENGERS 2?

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It's an interesting rumor to say the least. Marvel's been wanting to bring in Ms. Marvel amongst other properties for some time now and it seems they may be acting on it. You may know for example that Ms. Marvel is a key component of Marvel's "New Avengers".

Here's how Wikipedia describes Ms. Marvel:
Ms. Marvel is the name of a fictional character appearing in comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Roy Thomas and designed by artist Gene Colan, the non-powered Major Carol Danvers debuted as a member of the United States Air Force in Marvel Super-Heroes #13 (March 1968) and as Ms. Marvel—a fusion of alien Kree and human genes—in Ms. Marvel #1 (January 1977).

Debuting in the Silver Age of comics, the character featured in a self-titled series in the late 1970s before becoming associated with superhero teams the Avengers and the X-Men. The character has also been known as Binary, Warbird, and Captain Marvel at various points in her history, and has featured in other Marvel-endorsed products including video games, animated television series, and merchandise such as trading cards. In the 2000s, the increased use of her as a character eventually prompted some commentators to note that "she's now the House of Ideas' premier heroine." She was ranked 29th in Comics Buyer's Guide's "100 Sexiest Women in Comics" list.

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According to The Daily Mail, Emily Blunt and Ruth Wilson are pulling out the stilettos and facing off for the coveted role which will be featured in Joss Whedon's followup to the number three movie of all time THE AVENGERS, known affectionately now as THE AVENGERS 2.

I don't blame these actors to be going after this role - these really are event movies. Personally I see Emily Blunt as much more of a fit than Ruth Wilson, but Blunt may already be a bit too famous to take it on. Interesting casting dilemma.

The image and video of Ms. Marvel are from Sideshow Collectibles lineup of figures of which I am an avid collector (I don't have this piece though).



What do you think? Emily Blunt or Ruth Wilson?

New GNOMEO AND JULIET Photos! Elton John Songs Featured In Movie!!

Have you guys heard about Disney's GNOMEO AND JULIET? It sure is creeping up fast! Scheduled for release on February 11, 2011 (Same date as DRIVE ANGRY) the animation is starting its marketing campaign in earnest. The trailer is playing in front of MEGAMIND as well in Canada (E1 Entertainment distributing). See trailer below.

I have some new images direct from Disney for you today (Click to enlarge...)

Obviously a family movie, the garden gnomes Gnomeo (voice of McAvoy) and Juliet (voice of Blunt) have as many obstacles to overcome as their quasi namesakes when they are caught up in a feud between neighbors. But with plastic pink flamingos and lawnmower races in the mix, can this young couple find lasting happiness?

GNOMEO AND JULIET has assembled an impressive list of voice actors: Jason Statham, Emily Blunt, Michael Caine, James McAvoy, Patrick Stewart and Maggie Smith to name several.

Disney Animation did not create this movie however - those credits belong to Rocket Pictures, Starz Animation and Touchstone Pictures.

Guys - this isn't for everyone of course but Shakespeare's revered tale does get a comical, off-the-wall makeover. Directed by Kelly Asbury (co-director of "Shrek 2") and showcasing both classic and original songs by Elton John! They aren't pulling any punches.



Stay tuned for more info as this movie's release approaches...