While he hasn’t made a lot of science-fiction films, I’ve liked the ones that Tom Cruise has made; I gave both Minority Report and Oblivion four stars apiece.  Now he’s got another one, Edge of Tomorrow, a kind of Groundhog Day-alien invasion hybrid directed by Doug Liman.  Cruise plays a very reluctant soldier who finds himself in the first wave and, through the kind of circumstance that works much more effectively in graphic novels, finds himself reliving the same day over and over.

There’s a weird kind of elegance (as there was in Groundhog Day) regarding the use of repeated time, and intrigue in just how Cruise’s character gradually learns how to move forward against the alien hordes.  The intrigue rests in the character played by Emily Blunt, who has experienced the same type of time slip, and is the only person able to effectively fight the aliens.  Without her — and Emily Blunt’s tough, visceral performance — the film would wallow and stumble.  Cruise and Blunt work very well together, and their relationship becomes the core of the drama.

The special effects are good, sometimes eye-popping, but I didn’t like the design of the aliens very much.  Like so many other recent otherworldly beings, these aliens move and roll so fast that it’s very difficult to get a good look at them, or to follow their attacks.  Such kinetic action may entertain the youngsters, but my eyes are old and I would prefer to actually see what I am paying good money to watch.

This is one of those high-concept stories that you either give the benefit of the doubt to, or not.  Ultimately, I did not, because the last two minutes undermines the big action set-piece that climaxes the story.  It ends, but then it doesn’t.  That sort of pandering drives me nuts.  Can’t recommend it.  ☆ ☆ 1/2.  11 June 2014.