Movies and movie-goers can be strange things. Sometimes a movie comes out of nowhere and becomes a hit, or is a huge, badly reviewed studio film and inexplicably earns boatloads of money. Then you have a movie like Edge of Tomorrow, with a 90% favorable critical rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a 91% audience rating, that goes on to become one of the year’s notorious flops with a $178 million budget and just over $100 million at the box office. What happened?

Some point to the age of star Tom Cruise (52) drawing an older skewing audience, the film itself skewing predominantly male (despite the fact that Emily Blunt was just as important to the plot), younger audiences flocked to other PG-13 films (mainly The Fault In Our Stars and Maleficent). It probably didn’t help that Cruise was in another big, sci-fi blockbuster just a year earlier (that would be Oblivion).

Whatever the reason, audiences missed out on a pretty nifty sci-fi action film that successfully crossed Aliens with Groundhog Day and gave us action, thrills and even a fair amount of humor, and kept you guessing till the end as to how the situation would be resolved. So if you decided to spend your money on something else this summer, now is the time to see what you missed with Edge of Tomorrow now on home video … that is, if you can find it since Warner Home Video seems intent on disguising the film as Live. Die. Repeat. with the film’s title barely visible on the packaging.

That quibble aside, the Blu-ray presentation is what you would come to expect from Warner. The image is sharp, no blown out whites, deep blacks with no artifacts, with every grain of sand, every detail of the Exo-suits fully on display. The 7.1 HD Master Audio is also robust and will give your sound system a real workout. The 3D version is equally good, however I don’t think it’s quite as effective as the IMAX version was. It’s still acceptable for home viewing, but it would have been nice to have used the IMAX-framed version of the film for the 3D presentation.

The extras on the Blu-ray include:

Operation Downfall

• Operation Downfall: Adrenaline Cut (2:34) — Re-edited version of one of the drop scenes.
• Storming the Beach (8:59) — Director Doug Liman, Tom Cruise and others discuss the challenges of filming the beach battle sequence which involved a combination of practical and digital effects.

Weapons of the Future (8:25) — The cast and crew discuss working with the Exo-suits and the preparation it took to be able to wear them for hours at a time.
Creatures Not of This World (5:38) — Creating the unique look of the film’s aliens.
On the Edge with Doug Liman (42:37) — Production documentary focusing on Liman and his involvement in the production of the film including behind the scenes looks at everything from set construction to the tone of the movie (science fact vs science fiction).
Deleted Scenes (7:38) — A series of short, not important to the plot scenes, some notable for the unfinished FX shots.

Overall, Edge of Tomorrow is a film that is not only watchable but re-watchable, and if you opted to skip it on the big screen, treat yourself to a viewing at home.

Edge of Tomorrow Blu-ray 3D/Blu-ray/DVD combo pack was provided by Warner Home Video for purpose of review.

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Imagine a world devastated by an alien attack and Tom Cruise is the one man who can figure out what’s going on and save the world. Yeah, many people think they have already seen this movie with last year’s Oblivion which was a much more solemn and thought-provoking affair. Cruise’s new sci-fi flick about an alien invasion, Edge of Tomorrow, is 180 degrees away from that other alien invasion movie, but will audiences feel like it’s Cruise vs aliens overkill?

The answer is a big fat NO! In Oblivion, Cruise was the “last man on Earth” after an alien invasion but not everything was as it seemed. In Edge of Tomorrow, Cruise is a military man of sorts. Instead of enlisting to fight the enemy, he’s taken a path that gives him rank but usually keeps him out of danger by producing what amounts to propaganda videos for the war effort. An alien race has arrived on Earth via meteor strike and is hellbent on wiping out the human race. Interestingly enough, we never know why. When Cruise’s Major Cage refuses General Brigham’s orders to be embedded at the front of an upcoming attack, he finds himself branded a deserter and placed with a squadron of less than desirable recruits.

At the beach on the day of the attack, the military finds itself under attack because the aliens somehow knew they were coming. Cage, completely at a loss on how to fight or survive, watches his men die horribly all around him and within minutes he is also killed by a marauding alien, which have been nicknamed “Mimics” because of their ability to learn and copy human behavior. But after Cage’s death, he wakes up in exactly the same place he woke up just before he was forced to join the troops. Did he have a bad dream? He’s thrust into battle again, dies again, wakes up again … and begins to realize that something happened to him that has given him the ability to reset the day. With the help of Special Forces soldier Rita Vrataski (Emily Blunt), who has also experienced what Cage is going through, they try to advance the day far enough to figure out how the Mimics know their every move, and what to do about it.

There are many action movies that come along promising you an “edge of your seat” thrill ride, and Edge of Tomorrow is a movie that truly delivers. Director Doug Liman and writers Christopher McQuarrie, Jez Butterworth & John-Henry Butterworth have adapted the novel “All You Need Is Kill” into a mind-bending rollercoaster ride that will keep you guessing to the very end and dazzle you with the outstanding visuals and pyrotechnics. It’s interesting to think that the director of Swingers and Go has become one of the best action movie directors working today with this, The Bourne Identity and Mr. and Mrs. Smith to his credit. Edge of Tomorrow is just massive on scale and concept and he pulls it off without a hitch.

Cruise is also terrific, playing a decidedly unheroic character who has to become the hero to save not only his life, but the lives of those he actually grows to care about over the course of his very long day. What sets this film and his performance apart from Oblivion is the amount of humor which is injected into the situation. Yes, the planet is under attack, but Cruise manages to make us chuckle with some of his very creative deaths (one that happens off camera with only a sound effect is particularly funny). He also lightens things up every time he resets and has to go through the same rigamarole with Master Sergeant Farell (Bill Paxton) at the start of his “day.” But we really become invested in Cage’s journey not simply because he’s trying to save the world, but because we also see his emotional journey as he grows from a coward to a warrior, and as someone who cares about his fellow man while also developing feelings for Vrataski, whom he is never sure he can save.

One may not think Emily Blunt when casting the next big female action heroine, but she is totally believable as the kick-ass soldier who trains 24/7 to take her team out on their next mission … even if it is the same mission over and over again. She’s a total hard-ass when Cage first approaches her (Vrataski is revered for her victories in battle which has earned her the nickname The Angel of Verdun and made her a symbol of the war effort), and remains a hard-ass as she understands what has happened to him, pushes him through grueling training, and fights alongside him in battle, trying to learn what comes next and how to move forward. She does everything she can to keep her personal feelings out of their mission, so there’s never any real romantic tension between her and Cage until it seems that perhaps all is lost.

The movie has so much going for it, including keeping you guessing to the end as to how the situation will be resolved. You have to assume that Cruise will save the day, but as the film races to its conclusion, you’re not so sure who will live and die by the time it’s all over. It’s really not like an action movie where you know for sure the film’s biggest star has no chance of dying by the end. In this, Cruise and Blunt both stand a very good chance of not making it to the end credits. You just have to go along for the ride and be prepared for one of at least three outcomes (they save the world but sacrifice themselves to do so, one of them dies while saving the world, they both survive and save the world).

Whereas Oblivion was one of the most gorgeous films of the year, Edge of Tomorrow is not as glamorous but it still looks and sounds spectacular. If you have the chance to see the film in IMAX 3D, I highly recommend that being your first choice. The IMAX image is stunningly crisp and clear and the 3D effect does add a lot of depth to the scope of the film as well as throws debris and alien tentacles in your face. Pretty impressive for a conversion. Edge of Tomorrow has everything you could hope for in a summertime action movie — big stars doing some great work, a director at the top of his game, a clever script, and amazing visuals and sound design. This is the summer action movie to beat.

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ALL PASSES FOR THIS EVENT HAVE BEEN CLAIMED. COMMENTS ARE CLOSED. FOLLOW CLIQUECLACK ON TWITTER, FACEBOOK AND GOOGLE+ FOR CONTEST ALERTS, BREAKING NEWS AND REVIEWS.

CliqueClack has partnered with Warner Brothers Pictures to offer readers in the Baltimore, DC and Virginia Beach areas an opportunity to attend an advance screening of the new sci-fi action film Edge of Tomorrow, starring Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton, Brendan Gleeson, and Noah Taylor.

Cruise stars as Major William Cage, an officer who has never seen a day of combat when he is unceremoniously dropped into what amounts to a suicide mission. Killed within minutes, Cage now finds himself inexplicably thrown into a time loop, forcing him to live out the same brutal combat over and over, fighting and dying again … and again. But with each battle, Cage becomes able to engage the adversaries with increasing skill, alongside Special Forces warrior Rita Vrataski (Blunt). And, as Cage and Rita take the fight to the aliens, each repeated encounter gets them one step closer to defeating the enemy.

The screenings will take place on Monday, June 2, 7:30 PM at the following locations:

• Regal Majestic, 900 Ellsworth Drive, Silver Spring, MD
• AMC White Marsh, 8141 Honeygo Blvd, White Marsh, MD
• Regal Columbus, 104 Constitution Dr, Virginia Beach VA

A limited number of passes are available for each screening on a first come, first served basis. To claim your passes, simply leave a comment on this post with the following words: BALTIMORE, SILVER SPRING, or VIRGINIA BEACH. We will just be looking for the city name in the comment. No other information is needed.

Winners will receive a special GoFoBo code by email which is good for up to two Admit One passes. Be sure to include your name and correct email address in the appropriate spaces on the submission form (do not include this information within your comment). We will accept one comment per person/per email address. Duplicates, and suspected duplicates, will be discarded. Once all codes have been claimed, comments on this post will be closed.

Please note: passes do not guarantee you seats at the screening. Seating is first come, first served so plan to arrive early. CliqueClack has no control over the total number of passes distributed and is not responsible for seating arrangement at the theater.

Have a look at the trailer below, and then let us know where you want to see the movie! Edge of Tomorrow opens Friday, June 6th.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=he21BE70f1Y

CliqueClack has partnered with Warner Brothers Pictures to offer readers in the Boston, MA and Manchester, CT areas an opportunity to attend an advance screening of the new sci-fi action film Edge of Tomorrow, starring Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton, Brendan Gleeson, and Noah Taylor.

Cruise stars as Major William Cage, an officer who has never seen a day of combat when he is unceremoniously dropped into what amounts to a suicide mission. Killed within minutes, Cage now finds himself inexplicably thrown into a time loop, forcing him to live out the same brutal combat over and over, fighting and dying again … and again. But with each battle, Cage becomes able to engage the adversaries with increasing skill, alongside Special Forces warrior Rita Vrataski (Blunt). And, as Cage and Rita take the fight to the aliens, each repeated encounter gets them one step closer to defeating the enemy.

The screening will take as follows:

• Monday, June 2, 7pm at Regal Fenway 13, 201 Brookline Ave, Boston, MA All Boston passes have been claimed.
• Tuesday, June 3, 7pm at Cinemark Buckland Hills, 99 RedStone Road, Manchester, CT

A limited number of passes are available for each screening on a first come, first served basis. To claim your passes, simply leave a comment on this post with either BOSTON or MANCHESTER. Please just comment with the city. No other information is needed in the comment.

Winners will receive a special GoFoBo code by email which is good for up to two Admit One passes. Be sure to include your name and correct email address in the appropriate spaces on the submission form (do not include this information within your comment). We will accept one comment per person/per email address. Duplicates, and suspected duplicates, will be discarded. Once all codes have been claimed, comments on this post will be closed.

Please note: passes do not guarantee you seats at the screening. Seating is first come, first served so plan to arrive early. CliqueClack has no control over the total number of passes distributed and is not responsible for seating arrangement at the theater.

Have a look at the trailer below, and then let us know you want to see the movie! Edge of Tomorrow opens Friday, June 6th.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=he21BE70f1Y

Comments are now closed. All passes for this event have been claimed. Follow CliqueClack on Twitter, Facebook and Google+ for contest alerts, breaking news and reviews.

CliqueClack has partnered with Warner Brothers Pictures to offer readers in the Hollywood area an opportunity to attend an advance screening of the new sci-fi action film Edge of Tomorrow, starring Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton, Brendan Gleeson, and Noah Taylor.

Cruise stars as Major William Cage, an officer who has never seen a day of combat when he is unceremoniously dropped into what amounts to a suicide mission. Killed within minutes, Cage now finds himself inexplicably thrown into a time loop, forcing him to live out the same brutal combat over and over, fighting and dying again … and again. But with each battle, Cage becomes able to engage the adversaries with increasing skill, alongside Special Forces warrior Rita Vrataski (Blunt). And, as Cage and Rita take the fight to the aliens, each repeated encounter gets them one step closer to defeating the enemy.

The screening will take place on Wednesday, May 28 at the TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood. This special event will include a live stream from the red carpet beginning at 7:00 PM with the screening scheduled to begin at 9:00 PM.

A limited number of passes are available for this event on a first come, first served basis. To claim your passes, simply leave a comment on this post. Be sure to include your name and correct email address in the appropriate spaces on the submission form (do not include this information within your comment). We will accept one comment per person/per email address. Duplicates, and suspected duplicates, will be discarded. Winners will receive a special GoFoBo.com redemption code good for up to two Admit One passes. Once all codes have been claimed, comments on this post will be closed.

Please note: passes do not guarantee you seats at the screening. Seating is first come, first served so plan to arrive early. CliqueClack has no control over the total number of passes distributed and is not responsible for seating arrangement at the theater.

Have a look at the trailer below, and then let us know you want to see the movie! Edge of Tomorrow opens Friday, June 6th.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=he21BE70f1Y