Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		5.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.0
Overall		4.5

Edge of Tomorrow 3D Blu-ray Movie Review

There's no time like the present...

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown October 7, 2014

It wasn't so long ago that a smart, splashy crowd-pleaser like Edge of Tomorrow would have swept the box office and recouped its $180 million budget in domestic receipts alone. With its slick premise, clever filmmakers, talented cast, thrilling action, dazzling visual effects, breakneck pace, surprisingly funny script, overwhelmingly positive critical response and enviable word of mouth, it should have cast a long shadow over the competition for weeks following its debut. Should have. But that was before Tom Cruise lost significant bankability. Before 'splodey sci-fi spectacles were a dime a dozen. Before the summer months were jam-packed with billion-dollar worldwide event films. Had Edge popped up in February or March, or even held out till August a la Guardians of the Galaxy, it might have collected more than $100 million in the U.S. Perhaps even well beyond the $270 million it drummed up overseas. Times, dear readers, they are a'changin'.

Unfortunately, it appears as if Edge of Tomorrow's curse isn't about to end anytime soon. The film remains a fun and fantastic breath of fresh air, and stands as one of the most entertaining and enjoyable summer flicks of 2014. No issue there. The Blu-ray edition's AV presentation is terrific too, without a fault or flaw to report. But Warner -- poor, clueless Warner -- doesn't seem to know what to do with director Doug Liman's latest. Confusion began to circulate the moment the studio revealed the BD's cover art. Is the movie still called Edge of Tomorrow? Or has it been retitled Live. Die. Repeat? Does the more prominent of the two sell the film any more effectively? Will anyone other than its passionate fans realize it's available? Or will it once again be lost in a deluge of more confidently marketed summer films already piling up this holiday season? Will internet savvy audiences even care? Hm. The outlook isn't good. For those in the know, or those willing to take a leap of faith, though, one of the year's must-have Blu-rays is inbound. Will it crash? Will it burn? Will it live to fight another day? Only time will tell.

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. Enter Major William Cage (Tom Cruise), an officer who's never seen a day of combat but finds himself unceremoniously dropped into what amounts to a suicide mission. Killed within minutes, Cage 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... and again. With the help of famed Special Forces warrior Rita Vrataski (Emily Blunt), Cage begins to hone his skills and make headway on the battlefield. Soon, Cage and Rita take the fight to the alien horde, with each repeated encounter bringing them one step closer to defeating the invading forces.

Two parts Groundhog Day, one part The Matrix, and oh so calm and cool in its bold genre cocktailing, Edge of Tomorrow pits The Summer Blockbuster against summer-blockbuster expectations. There's very little in the way of Big Dumb Fun here, and even less winking at the camera or exhausting blunt force plotting. Liman's rapidfire time- travelin' actioner is a far more intelligent, streamlined bit of entertainment than it might first seem, lighter on its feet than its trailers suggest, and much more memorable than your standard fare early-June tentpole. It doesn't creep from set piece to set piece. It presents a small but elaborate sandbox with near-infinite possibilities, and turns its screenwriters' imaginations loose. Nothing is off limits, nothing is out of bounds. If you think of it, chances are Cage will find give it a shot. And fail. And fail. And fail. Until he narrowly breaks through... only to fail to leap the next hurdle. Liman never allows the film to idle either. Death is just one snap-edit away from a new, more exciting attempt to save the world. You'll laugh out loud one second, scrape your jaw off the floor the next, and slide to the edge of your seat an instant after that. There's no time to catch your breath. No time to sneak away to the bathroom. No pause. No break. No lull. No time for love, Dr. Jones.

Edge of Tomorrow is inspired summer filmmaking. Refusing to merely rehash, regurgitate or recycle post-apocalyptic sci-fi tropes, it forges ahead with a briskness, energy, and love of innovation and subversion that puts the likes of Transformers: Age of Extinction (lazy, tepid and tiresome) and The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (erratic, convoluted and forced) to shame. Cruise is a blast; breezy, funny, fast on his feet, and a force to be reckoned with in and out of an exo- suit. Yeah, yeah. After a hilarious start as a trembling publicity rep, he eventually settles into the muddy boots of Tom the action hero. Cruise playing Cruise. But there are plenty of great scenes -- both comedic and dramatic -- in which the fearless actor buried inside the apple-pie superstar shines through. Not to be outdone, Blunt manages to hold her own and then some; tough, battle-hardened and, most crucially, convincing as the war front's leanest, meanest soldier. Brendan Gleeson, Bill Paxton, Tony Way, Kick Gurry and Jonas Armstrong deliver as well, with supporting roles sure to please, while the aliens are a successful blend of old and new ideas, with enough visual punch, lightning-quick presence and eerie purpose to make the tentacled beasties frightening and fascinating.

There's also no over-stuffing. No over-crowded acts. No bloated subplots. No undercooked arcs. No fat to trim. No evidence of anything of substance left on the cutting room floor. Edge of Tomorrow clips along without a hitch, never letting go of its playfulness, losing sight of its endgame, or hindering whatever action beat is on the horizon. The last hurrah is a bit frustrating. Spoiler alert: Cage inevitably finds himself in a situation where death isn't exactly an option. It boosts the suspense, sure. But it also removes the very thing that, up until that point, sets Edge so far apart from other sci-fi actioners. Had more time been invested into crafting abilities the Omega could use to combat Cage's time-hopping, the film's climax might have been as inventive as everything that comes before it. Instead, it's as simple as, Blood loss? Sorry kid, ride's over. Get back in line. End spoiler. It certainly doesn't undo all that Liman accomplishes, though, and aside from a few plot holes that become a bit more pronounced after multiple viewings, there isn't really much that sours the sweetness of that first brilliant, breathtaking trip through Edge of Tomorrow. Is it the pinnacle of summer sci-fi? Nah, but it comes awfully close. Give it a spin. And don't be surprised if you end up watching it more than once.

Edge of Tomorrow 3D Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Edge of Tomorrow arrives with two presentations in tow: a precise, near-impeccable 1080p/AVC MPEG-4 video encode that doesn't disappoint in the least, and an equally proficient but slightly underwhelming MVC-encoded 3D experience. Both are true to director Doug Liman and cinematographer Dion Bebe's intentions, but a few too many factors conspire against the film's 3D presentation. When the camera is still or settled, 3D depth and dimensionality range from commendable to excellent. Generously lit airstrips, hanger bays, armament prep stations, military installations, abandoned buildings and countryside locales look the part by day, with very little in the way of stunted 3D imagery or other related eyesores. The moment Cage and Vrataski spring into action, though, as well as the moment the sun sets or our heroes venture underground, problems arise. Battle scenes feature the shakiest of shaky cam shots, the alien creatures are blurs of tentacled motion, darker sequences are so dark that the 3D image is inadvertently flattened, and the climactic assault on the Omega's stronghold is decidedly unimpressive (insofar as the 3D is concerned)... none of which bolsters or enhances the film's 3D payout. There aren't any glaring issues or anomalies per se -- aliasing is nowhere to be found and there aren't an abundance of shots that are susceptible to ghosting (for those whose displays are prone to crosstalk) -- but, as 3D releases go, Edge of Tomorrow is too often serviceable and only occasionally awe-inspiring, falling short of the jaw-dropping, must-see 3D experiences on the market. (Godzilla recently faced similar 3D challenges.)

Thankfully, the film is striking and the quality of the encodes is perfectly sound, regardless of which presentation you choose. Beebe's palette favors bleak hues, war-ravaged primaries, overcast skies and a slight green tint, but there's still beauty in every foxhole. Contrast and saturation are dialed in without fault, skintones are relatively lifelike (at least insofar as the film's digital color grading allows), explosions are full of color, and black levels are deep and satisfying. Detail is excellent too, with crisp, clean edge definition, exceedingly well- resolved fine textures, remarkably refined close-ups, and delineation that doesn't often disappoint. Every fleck of blood and mud. Every bit of debris. Every bead of sweat. Every scratch and scuff in Cage's armor. Every misplaced hair. Every nick, scratch and cut. All on display without exception. Better still, artifacting and banding are nowhere to be found, and other anomalies are held at bay, no matter how crazy or chaotic action scenes, handheld camera movements and FX sequences become. Crush does creep in (especially in the third act), but it's in short supply and traces back to the original photography. The only way Edge of Tomorrow could conceivably look any better than it does here is if it were shot in native 3D and/or released in 4K.

Edge of Tomorrow 3D Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Warner follows Godzilla's monster lossless mix with yet another beast of a DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 surround track, and the results are no less impressive. LFE output is tremendously invigorating, with the full weight and fury of the low-end channel thrown behind every blast of automatic weaponry, crashing aircraft, deafening explosion, surging alien horde, charging Alpha, leaping exo-suit, and small and large scale assault. Cage's first foray into war is particularly immersive, leaving the listener as disoriented and overwhelmed as the fledgling on-screen warrior. Rear speaker activity is aggressive and engaging as well, creating a convincing sense of madness, anarchy and utter destruction on the battlefield, quiet dread as Cage and Rita make their way across deceptively serene but all too enveloping farmland and fields, and creepy, squirmy alien menace whenever soldiers clash with the Omega's forces. Dialogue remains clear and intelligible throughout, and only falters when intentionally overcome by the roar of battle. Likewise, Christophe Beck's score is perfectly prioritized; never too loud to draw unnecessary attention to itself, never too timid to make its presence known. Bottom line: Edge of Tomorrow's AV presentation is as thrilling as the film.

Edge of Tomorrow 3D Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Storming the Beach (HD, 12 minutes): Director/producer Doug Liman helms a nine-minute introductory behind- the-scenes featurette, which is paired with a three-minute alternate Adrenaline cut of one of the "Operation Downfall" sequences.
• Weapons of the Future (HD, 8 minutes): The cast and crew discuss the future warriors' exo-armor and armaments, the challenge of wearing, adapting to and performing inside of the suits, the art of combing practical and visual effects, the corresponding stuntwork, and the development, construction and implementation of the full 80-120 pound equipment load.
• Creatures Not of This World (HD, 6 minutes): Similar treatment is granted to the film's alien creatures, beginning with the difficulty of conceiving an original alien species, their story and motivation, and the mystery, uniqueness and frightening edge of the end result.
• On the Edge with Doug Liman (HD, 43 minutes): This lengthy production documentary focuses on Liman, his vision and leadership as a director, but also provides plenty of candid, fly-on-the-wall insight into the development of the film, the design and construction of the costumes and sets, the tone of the movie, the hurdles Liman and company had to overcome, the crew's adherence to "science fact" rather than science fiction, and much, much more. Key members of the cast and crew are on hand to offer their thoughts as well.
• Deleted Scenes (HD, 8 minutes): Seven deleted scenes round out the supplemental package. Not all of the effects work is completed, but the bits and pieces trimmed from the final film are still worth watching.

Edge of Tomorrow 3D Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Edge of Tomorrow may not be the quote-unquote best film of the year, but it's hands down one of the best movie experiences of the year. Few films were as clever, entertaining, visually dazzling and downright fun as Liman's sci-fi spectacle, and even fewer genre pics that unfolded with such confidence and ease. Cruise and Blunt deliver. The action. The aliens. The story. The script. The style. The FX. All of it on point and primed for blockbuster war. If only its audience matched its triumphs and ambitions... oh the untold millions it might have made. Fortunately, Warner's Blu-ray release delivers too. Though a bit light on supplemental oomph and 3D ooohs and aaahs, the film's striking, technically proficient video presentations, solid 3D experience, and monstrous DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 surround track add up to a fun, fulfilling movie night. Never mind that you didn't catch it in theaters. There's no time like the present to right old wrongs. Don't miss Edge of Tomorrow a second time. It really is as good as its fans insist.