The Edge of Tomorrow: This Cruise Sci-Fi Flick is Actually Good

I wish that they had picked a better title for this one, every time I try to think of what it is I'm like "Tomorrow Never Dies...no...The Day After Tomorrow? The End of Tomorrow? Tomorrow?" and then have to consult IMDB before I lose my damn mind...

Fortunately, the forgettable title is little indicator of this hidden gem of a flick. Don't be dazzled by the promise of Maleficent, or by the ultimate sob-fest that is going to be The Fault in Our Stars (and we thought A Walk to Remember was bad, amiright?). Step a little outside your comfort zone this weekend and check out this fusion of Groundhog Day and Starship Troopers. Seriously, I was way more impressed than I had suspected I would be.

Badasssss.

The plot revolves around Cage (Tom Cruise), a lieutenant who has launched a propaganda campaign for the government in a war against an alien race. When the movie kicks off we are in the thick of the action. Cage has just been asked by Britain's head of command to be on the battlefield on the day of the action to give people a close look at the action. The only problem is that Cage is not an actual member of the military, and has never even gone through training. After a rude awakening at base camp, he is put through hell on his first day as a soldier, enduring an unexpected slaughter on the battlefield. But out of nowhere, something happens. He kills a special kind of alien, and as he is dying, becomes covered in its blood. For reasons that are uncovered later in the film (but let's be honest, kind of irrelevant right?), Cage is then forced to live out every single day with the ability to start off with his first day at base camp. Going from a fraidy cat to a badass soldier, he recruits the help of Rita (Emily Blunt), who has experienced what he's gone through as well. Together they become the ultimate weapon against this alien enemy. And each day begins to count towards uncovering how it is they can beat them.

So wow. For those of you who (like me) grew up watching your siblings, friends, or significant others play video games and get caught up in the action: this movie is for you. It's the same adrenaline rush coupled with the concern for the (somewhat artificial) life that is given the main character. And much like a video game, we know everything that the main character knows and are given a special peek inside what is going to happen in the day to come (yes, one day only).

Outside of the story structure, though, there is still a lot to love about this movie. The fact that we can anticipate each scenario with a different reaction each time makes the subject matter new each time. One day Cage is focusing his energy into forming relationships with his bunk mates, the next he is researching a way to destroy the aliens, and still after he is falling in love with the formidable Rita (because, let's be real, who WOULDN'T fall in love with Emily Blunt). Additionally, seeing Cage morph from a coward into a certified BAMF keeps you on the edge of your seat. Distinctly unlikeable in the beginning, he becomes a weathered soldier with a mind to save the world. And that is cool.

The ONLY complaint that Bill and I had about this movie was that they seem to take some liberties with how smart the aliens are. For example, these things are craaaaazy fast and don't look unlike those tentacled things from The Matrix. Yet they (consciously?) decide to take their time going after Cage and Rita at pivotal parts of the movie where you would expect nothing short of a battle royale. So that ends up being kind of a weird coincidence that you have to gloss over.

Neo? Oh sorry, wrong movie...

All said though, this is such a refreshing new perspective from ye olde tired action flicks that I would highly recommend. I wasn't expecting much, but this one had me wide-eyed and staring at the screen for the entire 113 min. Check it out!

7.5 outa 10 stars. Extra points for attention-grabbing action and fun with a tired genre.

From the People that Brought You Wallace and Gromit: Pirates! Band of Misfits

With my work schedule going from essentially 2 PM until 7 PM, it's kind of hard for me to get the initiative to go to the movies these days unless I'm going on a Saturday. However, today I decided (as I sometimes randomly do) to check the movie screenings for a short matinee preferably occurring before noon. Well, as luck would have it, one of the movies that I have been dying to see was showing at 12:00 and was only about an hour and a half long. Yes, dear friends. The film was Pirates!: Band of Misfits.

Not those kinds of Misfits...

Despite seeing quite a few trailers for this movie, I feel like it never really caught the public's eye. Which is too bad because it's amazing.

For those of you out there who are (like me) huge fans of the Wallace and Gromit movies, this movie will give you your claymation fix. Nick Park creates characters that are both incredibly sympathetic and yet will have you smacking your hand to your forehead for about a third of the running time. Yet somehow, in the way of the Wallace and Gromit series, this combination works incredibly well. And although the main protagonist has the heart of a lion and the brain of a bird, he is balanced out with the overcompensated secondary character.

Can you guess who's who?

But anyway, to get into what the actual movie is about, I'll give you one guess. (If you guessed "pirates" you were correct. Mostly.) The "band of misfits" is quite a motley crew, boasting pirates that don't even have real names, including: Albino Pirate, Pirate with Gout, Pirate With a Scarf (a.k.a. #2), and Surprisingly Curvaceous Pirate (who, it's hinted throughout the movie, is a woman disguised as a man).

Who needs real-people names?

 Around the time of the notorious Pirate of the Year awards, it looks as though Pirate Captain is going to be outdone again by his peers. And yet, after attempting to pillage the ship of a certain Charles Darwin and finding a rare bird on board, things seem to be looking up. But Charles may be a little bit more shifty in this film (no relation to Creationism, kids, calm down) than the audience may first suspect. And in line with Darwin is the terrifying Queen Victoria, who has a decidedly more sinister air to her in this film.

See?

The film is adorable. I was literally sitting in the theater by myself guffawing like an idiot (act surprised). There are bit jokes and jokes that run the length of the film. And quite honestly, even though I'm a hopeless fan of children's movies, I would recommend this movie to any of my friends. Seriously. It's a short running time, has a cute message, voices by some of Britain's biggest stars (including hugh Grant, Martin Freeman, Imelda Staunton, David Tennant, and Brendan Gleeson), and really, the artistry in it is incredible. I don't know why more people don't do claymation, but the results are 3D with cartoon simplicity, and texture and realistic movement with subjects that are very clearly unreal. Even if you can't check out Band of Misfits, have a look at some of my other favorite claymation masterpieces, which include: Coraline, Wallace and Gromit: The Wrong Trousers, Wallace and Gromit: A Matter of Loaf and Death, Mary and Max (a bit more mature fodder), and Corpse Bride.

9 outa 10. Funny stuff.

Not-So-Safe House

So I don't know how this keeps happening, but each weekend I keep finding myself back in Jersey. This past weekend I just went home to decompress and take a frolic on the beach in this awesome weather. Too bad it was 37 degrees outside.

You can't see the cold...but it's there.

So bypassing my own plans to prance around the beach, I opted instead for (wait for it) a movie. Except this time Billiam and I sneaked out of the house and left Mama at home (sorry, Cath).

This round we went and saw Safe House starring Ryan Reynolds and Denzel Washington (swoonfest).

Niemand ist sicher, indeed.

The movie start off with Matt Weston (Ryan Reynolds) and his girlfriend (Nora Arnezeder) in South Africa and chatting about all the different places that they'd like to move. Come to find out about five to ten minutes after that that he has made a cover for himself and has lied about his actual job to his girlfriend. He is, in fact, a "housekeeper" for the CIA. Housekeepers, you come to find out, are the people that run safe houses for the government, housing high profile criminals while the government tries to get information from them or decides what to do with them. Matt sees close to no action, though, spending his days throwing a tennis ball against the wall.

Enter Tobin Frost (Washington), a high-profile criminal who has been on the run from the US government for years. After meeting Matt, the scene then switches to Frost meeting a friend of his and getting a valuable file (we don't know what's on it). Soon after there is gunfire, a killer chase scene, his friend is killed in transit, and Frost, seeing no other option, surrenders to the American Embassy (this all also takes place in South Africa, fyi). Soon after, our two heroes are smooshed together, Tobin being led to Matt's safe house so that the CIA can question him on same random stuff.

All hell breaks loose when the security of the safe house is compromised and the team that has led Frost there is all left for dead, leaving poor Matt to deal with this terrifying mind-messer-wither.

He is, in fact, reading his mind.

As the plot unfolds, however, it becomes increasingly (and then decreasingly) difficult to figure out if Frost is a good guy or a bad guy, giving Matt tips and eventually even helping him with his own demise.

This movie was actually pretty interesting. While I have got to say I'm not sure about how I feel about Matt crying through, like, 2/3 of the entire film, it brings some realism into a genre that is usually reserved for badass, emotionless secret agents. Matt's dewey eyes are maybe a little over the top, but they also make you realize how terrifying it actually is to be a spy, what the level of trust is in that secret of a branch of government, and the self-searching problems that you would have with that kind of a job. While he is no Jason Bourne, Matt Weston is almost more believable (if less entertaining to watch) as the only character in the film with any kind of moral fiber.

Am I holding this gun right?

Denzel is also totally his usual badass self as Tobin Frost. In the beginning you are somewhat convinced he is a sociopath, but as he helps Matt Weston question the duties of his job and the trust that he has wholly put into the American government, you being to realize that he is the exact opposite of a sociopath, and just a jaded ex-agent who is trying to bring sense to Matt. Very well acted.

A cool commentary about patriotism, corruption in government, "the system" and who you can and cannot trust. Not bad.

6 outa 10 stars.