Connor Bynum // Film Critic
EDGE OF TOMORROW (LIVE. DIE. REPEAT)
What’s the first thing you think of when it comes to a Tom Cruise movie? Is it practical stunt work in thrilling action sequences paired with a tightly paced if not somewhat implausible story all centered around a charismatic leading man sporting a slightly misaligned set of otherwise perfect teeth? The odds are that’s exactly what you thought of because it’s no secret that Cruise has a proven formula for a good time at the movies. With TOP GUN: MAVERICK currently flying high in the box office, fans still feeling that need for speed may want to take a look at EDGE OF TOMORROW, which is hitting the home video market on 4K UHD for the first time.
Movie Grade: A-
From our theatrical review:
“The film follows Cage (Cruise), an officer who finds himself caught in a time loop in a war with an alien species (a very cool and different one, I might add). His skills as a soldier increase as he faces the same combat scene over and over. With the help of Rita (Emily Blunt), a Special Forces warrior, Cage may be able to defeat the enemy.
The battle scenes themselves are exceedingly well-orchestrated and shot. So don’t worry, it’s not shot with a bad, shaky cam. Instead, you can actually see what’s going on (kudos to director Doug Liman). There are even moments of intensity where the battle sequences callback to the opening scene of Steven Spielberg’s ‘Saving Private Ryan.’
In all, EDGE OF TOMORROW is one of the most imaginative and original stories in quite some time, almost landing in ‘Inception’ territory. It also presents one of Cruise’s best performances in years. So I wouldn’t be surprised if this film winds up being the best blockbuster of the summer, if not year.”
Video/Audio Grade: B+
EDGE OF TOMORROW was up-scaled to 4K resolution from a 2K Digital Intermediate and, for the most part, is a marginal improvement over the standard 1080p Blu-ray version. While the practical elements such as skin textures, costumes, and sets indeed pleasantly feature some increased visual clarity, some of the computer-generated effects sadly don’t hold up as well. Most of the digital elements are perfectly fine, but I’d be lying if I said some alien monsters in the film (known as Mimics) didn’t look a little soft compared to the live-action human characters when they are both on-screen together. That said, the opening battle scene on the beach is still a standout sequence on 4K UHD despite some digital missteps. The chaotic explosions, bits of sand and blood, and finer details on each character’s mech suits are all greatly realized in the format.
On a similar note, the inclusion of HDR10 offers improvements to most of the film, although it doesn’t quite stick the landing with the very dark scenes in its final half-hour. Taking place at night with only fire and perhaps some moonlight, one could argue that the film is going for something from a naturalistic perspective. Still, at the end of the day, it’s just very hard to see what’s going on during the final act, even with the increased color and brightness spectrum.
Lastly, the new Dolby Atmos audio mix will be much appreciated by viewers equipped with an Atmos system in their home theater. The disc automatically converts its audio to a Dolby TrueHD 7.1 track that is perfectly fine but not much different from previous home releases. The Atmos mix is truly outstanding for those able to experience it for themselves, with the opening battle and all other action sequences having simply a ton of fun with the overhead channels. Bullets, Mimics, explosions, and general mayhem zip and whiz all around the viewer during these scenes, and it may just convince your friends to upgrade their own system, if not just come over to use yours more often.
Extras Grade: B
Although it shouldn’t really be that much of a surprise by now, all included special features are direct copies of what was included on the previous Blu-ray release and are only found on the included Blu-ray. These features are mostly what one would expect except for the 42-minute feature that delves into the extensive planning process and grueling production schedule it took to make the film a reality. Of course, it’s disappointing that owners of previous releases won’t find anything that covers new ground, but on the other hand, there likely isn’t much more ground to cover in the first place.
- Operation Downfall – Adrenaline Cut (2:34)
- Storming the Beach (8:59)
- Weapons of the Future (8:25)
- Creatures Not of This World (5:38)
- On the Edge with Doug Liman (42:37)
- Deleted Scenes (7 clips, 7:38 total)
Final Grade: B+
EDGE OF TOMORROW is a genuinely fun film to watch, and people who haven’t previously grabbed a copy on Blu-ray should definitely pick up this release. It certainly is not perfect, as each improvement is unfortunately weighed down by a pesky little asterisk that keeps this release from being the truly definitive version of the film. With all that in mind, it’s the best version, at least for now.
