Any hack could draw easy comparisons between Doug Liman’s “Edge of Tomorrow” and a plethora of classics, most notably perhaps “Groundhog Day” and “Starship Troopers”. The film has a title character reliving the same day over and over, futuristic combat and some genuinely nasty extra-terrestrials, yet the aim is so clearly entertainment over innovation, leading me to believe such references aren't merely lazy, they’re pointless. Much like Cruise’s sombre “Oblivion”, “Edge of Tomorrow” cherry-picks genre inspiration to winning effect, using an acute mixture of action and comedy to manoeuvre its stars around a fluidly edited narrative. No film in 2014 will repeat itself more than “Edge of Tomorrow”, yet the self-cannibalising screenplay rarely slackens; gifted necessary lightness of touch from Liman’s sprightly direction. Just a few weeks ago “Godzilla” suffered from an abundance of po-faced brooding, the lizard crammed unflatteringly into a “tryin’ too hard” post 9/11 arrangement. “Edge of Tomorrow” corrects this unfortunate blockbusting trend, finding intensity and mirth amidst its dystopian warfare. The movie’s a f**kin’ hoot.
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