Review: Edge of Tomorrow, or Everything's Been Done Before
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| YouTube |
The thing that hath beene, it is that which shall be: and that which is done, is that which shall be done; and there is no new thing vnder the sunne.
Ecclesiastes 1:9
You might be wondering if this is the Noah review, because of this Bible verse in fancy old English. No, it’s not. And the old English text comes from the 1611 version of the King James Bible.
What does the verse mean? In a nutshell, what it’s saying is that nothing is original anymore, because everything has been done before. Sounds like a perfect descriptor for Hollywood cinema.
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| The only thing that hasn't been done before is the collaboration between Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt. |
Tom Cruise’s latest film, Edge of Tomorrow, which also stars the insanely hot Emily Blunt, is one such film. I’m not even talking about it being adapted material, from the Japanese manga All You Need Is Kill by Hiroshi Sakurazaka. I’m talking about the movie being similar to other movies, such as…
Saving Private Ryan
Here is a cinematic rule of thumb: If you have a shot moving towards the cliffs of Dover, it’s usually followed by spectacular shots of the English countryside. Or it’s a BBC documentary about migratory birds. But if you have a shot moving away from the cliffs of Dover, then it’s most likely followed by an invasion of Normandy.
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| Cue "Cliffs of Dover" by Eric Johnson. |
World War II buffs will recognise the Normandy beaches from the countless films and photographs of D-Day. And I think that is what the filmmakers are paying homage to. Bullets flying, bodies falling, beaches bleeding red – it’s all been done before.
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| Tom Cruise still attempting to do his trademark run despite heavy armour. |
The Matrix
Aside from the post-apocalyptic setting, what reminds me of The Matrix are what I like to call the mini-mechs, or that little exo-suit Tom Cruise wears that makes him look fearsome, awkward, and deadly at the same time. Then there are the Mimics, or that creepy alien race that moves like the squid-like sentinels from The Matrix. Or like a Transformer made of mercury. Or like the T-1000 from Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Ah, never mind.
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| Also looks like the Fallen Angels from Noah. |
Groundhog Day
And finally, the repeating loop was already seen before in Groundhog Day, when Bill Murray had to repeat Groundhog Day – one single, particular day – and relive it over and over again. Of course, in Groundhog Day, it’s mostly light, happy events that get relived. Here in this film, it’s death, destruction, and carnage on perpetual loop. Now I can’t stop thinking that if I were Tom Cruise, what I would choose to relive over and over would be me having sex with Emily Blunt.
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| Hnnnggg. |
Edge of Tomorrow. USA. 2014.
Original rating: 7.5 / 10
Bill Paxton: + 0.2
Emily Blunt's hotness: + 0.2
Girl with the Michelle Rodriguez aura: - 0.1
Final rating: 7.8 / 10
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2 comments :
if i may add to your last line, ("I would choose to relive over and over would be me having sex with Emily Blunt")
- me having sex with "Emily Blunt with a fresh mind." doing things differently every time. hehe. hi GP! mejo busy ha!
Hahaha! Nice! Is this Osi? Lol
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