If At First You Don’t Succeed…

Last updated on: June 10, 2014 at 10:26 am by J. Ryan Parker

If At First You Don’t Succeed… 2014-06-10T10:26:37-07:00 J. Ryan Parker

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

It’s hard to believe that Edge of Tomorrow didn’t fare better at the box office over the weekend. I know The Fault in Our Stars was a big draw, but Edge is one of the best blockbuster action films of the summer. I’m anticipating, unlike Godzilla, that it will benefit from strong word of mouth in upcoming weeks.

In the future, a seemingly indestructible alien force invades Earth, specifically random parts of Europe. As the infection spreads, it threatens to spill over into Great Britain and then further west to the United States. Lt. Col. Bill Cage (Tom Cruise), a U. S. Army Public Relations man, has been assigned to cover the United Defense Force’s counter-attack across the English channel into France, a futuristic D-Day if you will. Leading the attack will be none other than Rita Vrataski (Emily Blunt), the Angel of Verdun, so nick-named because of her heroic victory over the alien forces there.

Vrataski (Emily Blunt) and Cage (Tom Cruise) survey an abandoned trailer park for an escape route.

When Cage is suddenly conscripted into battle, we see just how hopeless the fight is…until he kills one of the aliens and is infected by its blood. This embues him with the ability to relive that day over and over again, so long as he dies before the end of the day. He gradually learns to avoid the attacks that kill him day after day. Although no one believes him, Vrataski does because she too had those powers once, but lost them at Verdun when she survived the day. Vrataski teaches Cage what he must do: locate and destroy the Omega, the alien life force that animates all the drones. While Cage dies over and over again, Vrataski leads him closer to the end.

Almost everything about Edge of Tomorrow works to perfection. I could have done without the ending (not going to spoil it just yet), but the previous 106 minutes or so weren’t overshadowed. The film benefits from strong performances by both Cage and Blunt, the latter of whom is especially surprising in this her first big action/sci-fi film. Cruise gives a return to form as a bit of an asshole P.R. everyman thrust into a situation totally beyond his capabilities. Unlike so many time travel films (most recently, X-Men: Days of Future Past), the plot device works brilliantly throughout the film…until the very end. The special effects and battle scenes are impressive, which left me wishing I could play the movie. This is part of its greatest appeal to this nerd.

Vrataski (Emily Blunt) attacks one of the alien drones with her oversized sword.

Edge of Tomorrow represents the video-game-ization of film, which isn’t as bad as it sounds. Scenes from films like Old Boy and The Amazing Spider-Man can be traced back to old 8-bit side-scrollers and Mirror’s Edge, respectively. There is more than a little similarity between Edge of Tomorrow and the X-Box One hit, Titanfall. But much more than video game aesthetics are at play in Edge (even though Blunt’s weapon of choice–a giant sword–looks like something out of the Final Fantasy series). The whole structure of video games lies at the heart of Edge of Tomorrow: the systematic attacks by the enemies, the ability to die over and over again until you overcome those systematic attacks, and a final boss that must be defeated to complete the game.

I joked that watching Edge of Tomorrow was like watching Cruise and Blunt master Mega Man or some other ridiculously hard 8-bit classic. But it really works…especially if you’re into that sort of thing. It made me think of Craig Detweiler and all the good work he has done at the intersections of film/video games and religion/theology, particularly in his book, Halos and Avatars: Playing Video Games with God. It also made me reflect again on video games (and films) as sources of moral and ethical instruction. In this case (BIG SPOILER), it has to do with why we’re not allowed to experience finality or a “real” death in so many summer blockbusters. For all intents and purposes, Cage should die along with Vrataski during their final assault on the alien Omega. However, when he kills the creature, he is infected by its energy and transported back to the day before the attack to learn that the alien invaders have lost the ability to fight. I guess some filmmakers can’t leave dead enough alone.

This is, of course, a small complaint for a film that is so entertaining, clever, and funny from start to (almost) finish. I wish I could go back in time and see it again for the first time. I could actually walk out at just the right time to make it a perfect film!

Edge of Tomorrow (113 mins.) is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence, language, and brief suggestive material and is in theaters everywhere.

Film

Previous Post

June 6, 2014

Victim and Violator

Next Post

June 16, 2014 The Sixties Were Groovy -- But So Is Today

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Classics DVD Film Music News Pop Culture Events Print Sports Television Uncategorized Video Games

Select a Month March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

"A cheerful heart is good medicine" is found in what book?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Psalms Genesis Matthew Proverbs