Edge of Tomorrow

Based on Hiroshi Sakurazaka’s more memorably titled novel All You Need Is Kill, director Doug Liman's Edge of Tomorrow is basically a mash-up of existing sci-fi efforts, from story elements to deliberate casting choices. This, however, doesn’t diminish the film's clever, playful pleasures one bit, and there is plenty of imagination in its thrilling execution.

Tom Cruise plays a military PR man helping recruitment for mechanised marines in fighting an alien invasion, one that has already consumed most of Europe and Russia. He gets forced into combat for one last big push at Normandy, led by Emily Blunt’s seasoned campaign poster girl. He is promptly killed, only to reawaken on his penultimate day of life, in a cycle that continues over and over and over again, stoppable only when the leads can finally end the invasion.

Liman handles his high concept conceit with some particularly dynamic visual touches, while Cruise and Blunt bring energy to their roles. The only real detriment is that the darkly comic edges with the cycle of Cruise’s death feel somewhat neutered by the gore-free requirements of the 12A rating. The film’s best joke, though, comes from placing Bill “Game Over” Paxton in a narrative that’s in constant reset mode. [Josh Slater-Williams]