One reviewer described Edge of Tomorrow as Groundhog Day meets Starship Troopers and, in a way, that sums it up. But it is an often impressive, and quite entertaining, science fiction movie.

Tom Cruise plays an army public relations officer in the near future who, against his will, is forced to join the United Defence Forces army as they attack vicious aliens that have taken over most of Europe. In an attack on France reminiscent of the D-Day landings 70 years ago, he is killed in a bloody battle with the aliens.

Then he wakes up back in England before the attack and goes through it all again, like the Bill Murray character in Groundhog Day. His, at first, cowardly character gets killed again and does it again, and again, getting a little wiser every time. Emily Blunt, in an unlikely role, plays the super warrior who helps Cruise learn his battle moves.

Lots of good special effects here, and they don’t overwhelm the characters. Director Doug Liman, as he showed with the first Bourne movie, knows how to handle action scenes. The film is relatively intelligent, clever, and often humourous. However, the camerawork is sometimes irritating and the repetition is sometimes unwelcome too, but they don’t drag it out.

Cruise and Blunt, despite cumbersome battle armour, are very watchable and the romance is minimal. Fans will appreciate their performances; this is a fun summer popcorn movie.

Rating: three deer out of five

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Alf Cryderman is a Red Deer freelance writer and old movie buff.