Edge of Tomorrow

Director Doug Limon made some of my favorite action thrillers of the past two decades: the first of wildly successful Matt Damon "Bourne" films, the movie which would give us Brangelina ("Mr. & Mrs. Smith"), and even a better than usual TV series, "Cover Affairs" starring Piper Perabo. Tom Cruise personally asked for him to direct "Edge of Tomorrow," and Limon agreed to because the character Tom plays is NOT good at his (largely ceremonial) military position; the two have made a better movie as a result. Cruise also asked Emily Blunt, a fine actress with zero action film experience, to be in this one, and their rapport elevates it. Her own character, Rita, IS exceptional at her job as a battle-hardened vet. This silly sci-fi plot involves some global alien invasion in which certain aliens can "reset" time. So our 2 protagonists proceed to fight and die, together or separately, on the same day, over and over again, dozens if not hundreds of times. The issue, as with all wars, is how the 2 soldiers start to know and care about one another, so when the time comes to end the conflict and die once & for all, the 2 don't want to go for good. So I rate this one a 7.5 out of 10 stars. Rumors abound that a sequel's in preproduction. Hmm.