WRFH/Radio Free Hillsdale 101.7 FM - Triple Feature: Edge of Tomorrow

Episode Date: February 22, 2025

We review and give our hot takes on the movie "Edge of Tomorrow", directed by Doug Linam, and starring Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt.

This is Triple Feature with your host, Anna Eddie, Audrey Hunsbet, and McKenna Bambury, where we dive deep into the world of movies, rating, roasting, and raving about the best and worse of cinema. So grab your popcorn and let's get into it. Today we'll be reviewing the Edge of Tomorrow. So we'll start with the plot overview of the movie and the move to our general takes and dive into a bit of the deeper elements of the movie and wrap up with our overall rating. Edge of Tomorrow is a sci-fi action film directed by Doug Linum, starring Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt. Tom Cruise plays a role of William Cage, a PR officer with no fighting experience,

who is assigned to the front lines of the upcoming battle against an alien race called mimics. After fighting to get out of the studio, he is knocked out, arrested, and wakes up on a military base. He joins J-Squod, a group of soldiers who he will join to go into battle with. Chaos ensues during the battle, and the humans discover the battle to be in ambush by the mimics. Unsurprisingly, Cage dies in battle after blowing up a unique mimic called an Alpha and its blood pours over him, successfully killing him. Cage wakes up back on the base where he woke up the day before as he is now stuck in a loop due to the Alpha's blood and his powers. After reliving multiple days, he joins forces with war hero Rita Vertalski, played by Emily Blunt, who had a similar experience as him. The rest of the movie follows Cage and Vertalski as they try to find and destroy the source of the mimics called the Omega.

The mimics army is described as a body where the omega is a brain and the mimics and the mimics and alpha mimics are its nervous system and body. By destroying the omega, they can destroy the mimics. Yeah. Straight up. That's it. We probably should have said before that. These will have many spoiler alerts. So if you want to watch the movie and then listen to this, do that.

But if you want to just hear all the spoilers, keep listening. Okay. So we're going to move into general takes and we'll just go around. one by one and give our takes on the movie. So Audrey, we'll start with you. Sweet. Well, overall, I can't say I had high expectations for the movie since sci-fi isn't necessarily my favorite genre.

But I think once we started watching it, and obviously, like, you can't dislike a movie with Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt. So I was super excited to actually start watching it once I saw who was acting. But I couldn't get over the fact that it really. really just did look like a Halo Reach video game in real life that they plopped these actors into, which was really cool, but definitely not like my typical movie. I think I'm normally drawn to like thrillers and like Liam Neeson movies. Those are probably my favorites. But I think that especially since we were looking at this movie with more of an analytical eye, I got a lot

more out of it than I would have if I was just watching it as a regular sci-fi movie or just a regular movie, period. And I really loved seeing the character development specifically of Tom Cruise. I think that overall, I love a happy ending. Can't stand when a movie doesn't have one. And I think, like, the ending of this movie I really liked, too, because, like, everyone rallied around everyone and there was, like, support and love and peace, love and harmony. I did enjoy it.

Okay, hippie. Okay, hippie. Yeah. In general, I really liked it. Cruz. Yeah. It was weird to see Tom Cruise start as like a character that was kind of like a little pan-odial and like, yeah, because he's always like the guy in the movies. Like, you're like, yes, he's the hero. Like, I know what's going on. Like, this is Tom Cruise. And I was like, what is this? That's so true. Yeah. Who are you right now? I don't know what your character,

like what is going on with that character. But I agree with you. There was a lot of good, um, character development on his end. For me, I also agree I'm not always one to love sci-fi. But I think it was a really good movie overall. The ending, you said you really liked.

I liked it, but it was also kind of weird to me. I didn't really know exactly what was going on. So that's something I think we'll dive into a little bit later. Kind of confusing. But also leaves room for interpretation, which I think is cool. the like viewers get to buy in a little bit on that end. I would also agree with you about it kind of giving like the vibes of a video game.

I don't play video games, but it made me think of Reckett Ralph, the like game that they played. You know the game that he gets stuck in? I forget what it's called, but the one with the like batty girl who like, she like we can get that out it's fine no I'm not staying in um no but you know what

but um game I'm talking about what is the one where there's like all the I haven't seen one so long okay well there's all these like bugs which kind of remind me of the mimics so it was it was making me think of of Reger Ralph and then again there's a girl who comes in and it's like the wait the baddie hero the baddie the baddie hero and they're both blonde And they're both like killing it.

And then this like guy comes in and like, oh, like, I don't know how to fight. Yeah. Emily Blunt, who's the boss girl? She actually was. She was. Okay. Kenny, what do you think? What are this weird general take?

Because this was kind of your recommendation, yes? Yes. This is my second time watching this. I liked it. I think mainly because it, like you said, Audrey reminded me of a Halo reach game. And I was like, oh my gosh. It's like the games that I play coming to life. So that was really like cool to watch.

I also am not like the biggest sci-fi fan. I think like they can get messed up really easily and just become super cheesy. But I think this movie did a good job in not being cheesy and was very much like a journey and kind of like dramatic a bit. Like there's a little bit of drama. There was some comedy to it too. But yeah, I really enjoyed it. And I just thought the time loop like throws me for a loop. Yeah.

So true. They're always hard to wrap your head around like any Christopher Nolan movie with a time loop. It's like what the heck is happening. I think in general it's hard to make a sci-fi movie different. Yeah. I think especially having the time loop made it feel. Not where I thought I was going to go. Yeah, not at all.

I was sitting there and I was like watching the movie but like try to watch you guys because once he like woke up after dying like 10 minutes into it. I was like, wait back. Not where I thought this is going to. I liked it, though. I liked it. No, I did too. Agreed. Yeah.

Let's kind of dive into the, like, deeper elements, like the themes of the movie and kind of what you guys took as like the message or like the underlying storyline. Yeah, you can start off, Audrey. I think there was one general theme that stood out to me most of all. The latter half of the movie is characterized by Tom Cruise waking up and reliving this one day. where he was killed by the alpha, he gets to relive it every single time that he dies. What's scary is that you can see, even though he's repeating the same day, so he's stuck in that time loop, he's at the same time developing as a character. So it's cool to see that sort of juxtaposition of character development, even though we're still in the same time period.

But his movement from being cowardly and not willing to take anything on to then being like the hero who saves the day and ultimately like winds up destroying the source of the mimics is really cool. But what I wound up perceiving it as was I saw it as more of a Christian perspective in terms of how in order to develop himself as a person and as a character, he had to keep dying to himself, which is a super crazy way to think about things. But Tom Cruise had to physically die every day to start reliving. And that's sort of how as Christians, like, we also have to die to ourselves in order to live for Christ, which I don't know. That's probably not what they meant. The message is they meant to send. Yeah, but I mean, to me, I thought it was a super cool way to

think about things because that's what we have to do every day. Right. Yeah, very vivid picture of that, like, actual dying. Yes. Literally. Like, in not great ways, either over and over and over. And over. Yeah. It's kind of wild. What about you, Anna? Actually, Kenny kind of made me think about this when we were talking about this before. But the idea of like fate throughout the whole movie, I think was really cool.

And we actually chatted about that quote that is said by Master Sergeant Farrell. Every time that they like go through into the J-Squod, he says through readiness and discipline, we are masters of our fate. It's just an interesting kind of way to think about like the ability. to control like your life and the things that are going on. And like I don't know if I necessarily agree with that. Yeah. Take like free will. Yeah.

Like I don't know. It kind of plays with yeah, that idea of free will. And I mean, you know us. We can't help ourselves. We can't. But yeah, I don't know. Fate is such an interesting thing to think about in kind of contrast to a lot of what like Christians think. A lot of people who do have faith.

like can we really take control of our fate of our lives of like the things that we do each day or is there something like greater at play yeah you know i don't know so that was an interesting thing that kind of like went through the whole movie like he was making different choices he was able to like basically reset time all the time and how does that kind of work right like you make a mistake you're upset with it so you can just reset yourself there's something concerning about that too is like sometimes you need to like work through and like live with the choices that you've made and kind of redirect but you can't like change those things and sometimes I don't think that you would always want to because you learned from that you grew from that and if you hadn't experienced that like you you

wouldn't have known absolutely you know not that every experience is necessarily like a great or good experience but bringing it back to God like he can then use that right you know so So like, why would you want to continually get rid of that? And then going into just how, like, nobody else remembers anything, then you're playing with other people's lives and their time and their memories and their, I guess, fate. I always thought it was so sad. Like, he obviously developed feelings for Emily L.A. one's character.

And, like, he holds those memories, but she does it every time, like, they go back through the loop, which is so sad. Like, yeah. It makes my heart going to hurt just talking about it. Think about it. Yeah, that's got to be awfully lonely. Right. Oh my gosh.

I'm helping relationships with people over and over and over again and they don't remember. Like he has to like reintroduce himself to people every single time. You've got to feel lonely. Oh, so lonely. And like how do you not give up? There was like so many times that they. Or yeah, they couldn't get past like this certain point. And it seemed like he just kind of gave up.

Yeah. And then like told Emily Blunt's character that Rita. And she was like, no, like you have to go. because I think it was that he couldn't get past a point where she didn't die. Yeah. Yeah. And she was like, no, like, you have to go. Like, it's greater than me.

I was him. I don't know. I probably would have given up, too. Like, that's got to be so demoralizing. Like, every time to not be able to get past, but they end up getting past. So that's good. Yeah. Happy endings.

I'm telling you're the way to go. Okay, so maybe let's talk about that. What did you, what did you guys think about the ending? It's so tough. Okay, so I liked it because it seemed like there was a happy ending, but then hearing Anna, Anna's perspective a little bit earlier when she was talking about how it was also kind of confusing because there was no solid understanding of like what time period they were in again

and what relationships were still developed and maintained. And so as much as I'd like to think and like, project that that was probably a happy ending. I don't know if it was. It almost seems like they were setting it up for a sequel. I don't know. But there was definitely a lot of ambiguity. I think it was very like bittersweet.

Like it was great that he was able to help save like pretty much everybody. Yes. The fate of the world. But at the same time like he won but he lost because all of the like work that he did to like build those relationships and those like friendships romantic relationship I guess but she doesn't really remember so I don't really know but like I don't know yeah it's so interesting that you brought up just like the loneliness that you feel when you like have to to make that sacrifice so I think yeah the ending was confusing and like great that they were sort of saved yeah but also I don't know

I don't know. I was really confused at the end when he like walks up to her. And then like they share a look and I'm like, does she like, do they know? Like can she know like how like I want that I think? I don't know what's happening. Like do they remember anything? How is this all working? Yeah. Did you think of it differently after having seen it twice? Kenny? Honestly, I was just as confused the first time I watched it. Fair enough. Fair enough.

Well, so I was confused. Like, I vaguely remembered the ending and kind of was watching it, like, with you guys too, like, trying to remember. Because I knew that they ended up killing the Omega and he ended up waking up again before everything happens. But I don't know if that means that when he wakes up, they're, like, the mimics are defeated. Yeah, I agree. Or if they're, like, they're like, all going through. If they were still at the base, like, getting ready for battle. and it's like, okay, didn't you just kill them?

Yeah. And then does this mean, like, you can never kill them? Well, if, like, you're waking up again? Was it that they, like, now he had the ability to be able to, like, fully defeat them? I don't know. I don't know. And then I was confused because you know how he, like, when you take on the, like, alpha blood, like, you essentially are able to, like, see the omega and you're connected with it.

Then he was, like, he took on the omega blood. Yeah. So then, like, did he, is he now able to, like, fully manipulate? all of time, like how is that working? Yeah. Yeah, there was a lot of stuff that was... He mastered his own fate. He did master his own fate.

He really took that to heart. I don't know. Duh, if you're listening to us. We are so confused. So, okay, I was doing a little bit of research and I did see that there are some speculation of a sequel being in the works. That would be so helpful. There's a article that says,

as Edd of Tomorrow 2 is now closer than ever, thanks to Tom Cruise's new deal. I guess that there's going to be a second. I'd be so intrigued to see... I don't know what that means. What they do with that. And then also, like, honestly, how the CGI looks now. Right.

Right. Like, so, honestly, so long since they made the other one. Yeah. On the topic of CGI, I thought it was decent. Like, there weren't too many... I've seen a lot of, like, really bad CGI when it comes to... to like aliens and sci-fi, stuff like that.

So I thought they did a decent job with that. I don't think it was bad. I just like, I just kind of thought the mimics looked like tumbleweeds, but like, I don't know. I think it was also the way they like moved. You know, they were like kind of like long and like stringy. Yes. But then you like saw the alphas and they looked so different.

So I don't know. Yeah. It wasn't bad. But again, like it was made in 2014 and we've already made like leaps and balance since then, I think. But yeah, for 2014. Honestly, pretty good. I thought that they kind of looked like Babeblades.

Yeah, okay, I could see that. Babeblades, let it go. I could see that. Wait, do you know what they are? Like these things? Yes, I never got one. I was never got one. It was also kind of made me think of Transformers.

They used to play with those in third grade. I would always want one. What's the thing you say? Babeblades, let it rip. Yeah. That was their insmo. They saw them Babeblades and then some weird and they were like, let's combine it. Babylis tumbleweeds have babies.

That's so funny. Cross, cross fertilize a bayblade and a tumbleweed. What do we get? That's insane. I'm gonna make. I'm dead. That's so good.

It was very Halo-esque. Like, I feel like I need to see everything. Here, I'll pull up. Halo Reach. Okay. Images. Like, literally look at the cover of Halo Reach.

Oh, my God. That looks like what they look like in their suits. Okay, but that also you guys need to go watch Reck at Ralph because that's exactly what the thing. Looks like, I kid you not. So this movie is also a cross-fertilization of Rick and Ralph and Halerich. We're in your mind, Doug. We know what you were thinking.

Okay. Overall review, we're going to rate out of 10 for each category, plot, cinematography, and acting. So, Audrey, take us away. All right. I'll start with plot. For me, plot, I would say, I think it was very well developed. And I think that the plot, like, it had that sort of arc, you know, you learn about in English class. Or it's like you begin and then you get to the top and then you go down. Like, I think we did have that for sure. So I would, I want to rate it highly. But at the same time, I do think that there are some things that could have been eliminated. So for that reason, I'd probably give it like a seven. I like the plot. I feel like maybe I'm. Maybe my taste isn't sci-fi all the time. So I hate to put that in there, but again, we're just doing reviews.

So I would probably give it a six. It was good. I did enjoy it. I wouldn't consider it like a top, top movie that I've watched, though. So I kind of want to be like relatively harsh. Yeah. But it was good. I like the plot.

I did. Like you said, it had an arc. It had a good development of the characters, some good themes in there. For me, just a six right now. Sweet. having seen quite a few sci-fi films rating it on its genre genre genre genre genre J-O-H-N-R-E genre Rating it on its genre

I think I would give this one Either like a 7.5 or 8 out of 10 for this kind of sci-fi film Yeah enough said Okay let's give it 8 8 Okay, so cinematography, it's hard because again, I'm looking at it with plus 11 years of eyesight. However, for that time, like, it was cool. I do think, like, now I can't get the Tumbleweed Bayblade baby out of my mind. So I honestly, I'm going to be beige and go seven again.

Sorry. Okay. Anna? I wouldn't say it was bad. It just kind of was like, oh, okay. Like, every movie has to have some sort of cinematography. But, yeah, I wouldn't. say like I sat there and was like, wow, like the way they did this and the way they did that,

that was so cool and that really like added to the whole aspect of the movie. I think it was I think that it was fine. Yeah, for that reason, I'm going to also go with a seven. I think most like Tom Cruise, like his action movies, they all kind of look pretty similar. For that, I'll probably give it also, honestly, a 6.5. Oh, okay harsh. Honestly, I like to. Honestly, I like to. the acting and I think especially I've talked about it I'm beating it like a dead horse but the character development I liked seeing a lot so I would honestly give it an eight yeah I agree I love emily blunt and I also love Tom Cruise so I think they did a really good job there were a couple

actors in there I didn't know but I thought they did a good job as well so I would also I'm gonna give it a 7.5 I think I'm gonna give it an eight eight and a half you really really can't mess it up that bad for this kind of movie. Yeah, 8.5. I'll give it that. Okay, so that brings me to 22 out of 30. Anna's at a 21 out of 30. Okay. And McKenna is at a 23 out of 30. Yes. All right. Well, overall, pretty solid movie. Would recommend that you watch. You can access it on Amazon Prime. I think that's what I think so. Do we have to buy it? No, we didn't. It was free. It's free on Amazon Prime.

The streaming service. Yep. All right. With that, thank you for listening to Triple Feature our Radio Free Hillsdale, 101.1.1.7 FM. See you next week.