Edge of Tomorrow (2014)- Tom Cruise

[Roger Rambo]

So the Japanese Science fiction novel All You Need is Kill is getting an American made adaption. And Tom Cruise is in the lead, playing as a soldier caught in a ground hog day time loop in war against alien invaders, forced to refight a battle thousands of times over.


I really feel very ambivalent about Cruise getting picked for this role. While there's the obvious race shift of the lead actor, the characters nationality in the original book wasn't the major focus. What DOES weird me out is the protagonist being shifted from a late teens to early twenties rookie infantry soldier...to a 50 year old officer whose somehow never been in combat despite humanity fighting a world war against alien invaders for a decade.

At it's core, the original novel was a coming of age story. So I'm not sure how this translates to someone as old as Cruise in the lead. I'm really starting to feel uncomfortable with how old Hollywood actors are getting, where even roles like this are getting picked for older actors. Is that really fair for all the hopeful new actors who can't get leading roles in films? Has 50 become the new 16 in terms of finding yourself?

[james0246]

Originally Posted by Roger Rambo

Has 50 become the new 16 in terms of finding yourself?

Considering where Cruise is in his life now (broken up yet again and constantly ridiculed for a variety of reasons...sounds like my teen years ), why not?

Truthfully, Cruise does action well, so I am not too worried about his age (even if the still photo is a little weird). I do hate the title though. It may have been okay overseas, but the title is ludicrous for American audiences.

[Cosmic Eagle]

I'm even more surprised that American cinema would pick up an LN...

[iceyfw]

Originally Posted by Roger Rambo

At it's core, the original novel was a coming of age story. So I'm not sure how this translates to someone as old as Cruise in the lead. I'm really starting to feel uncomfortable with how old Hollywood actors are getting, where even roles like this are getting picked for older actors. Is that really fair for all the hopeful new actors who can't get leading roles in films? Has 50 become the new 16 in terms of finding yourself?

welcome to Hollywood. i'll just leave it at that.

[Obelisk ze Tormentor]

Are we seeing another white-wash here? Heck they even changed the age from teenagers to above-fifty! Pheww...I’m just glad I’m not a fan of this novel. Is this how they'll made Akira and Bleach?

That suit looks like a smaller version of Ripley’s Loader when she fought Alien Queen.

Btw, is the title grammatically correct? Somehow, it reminds me of “Break Blade”. At least in Break Blade’s case, they fixed the title into Broken Blade in the OVA.

[Cosmic Eagle]

Yes. That's the original title

[Roger Rambo]

Originally Posted by james0246

Considering where Cruise is in his life now (broken up yet again and constantly ridiculed for a variety of reasons...sounds like my teen years ), why not?

Because I'm not interested in Tom Cruise's midlife crisis?

More to the point. It seems goofy as hell that the hardened veteran who takes the main character under his wing is also another middle aged guy. And that the female veteran lead that the main character idolizes is 20 years younger than cruise.

[james0246]

Originally Posted by Roger Rambo

Because I'm not interested in Tom Cruise's midlife crisis?

What is a mid life crisis but a coming of age for a supposed adult? .

Originally Posted by Roger Rambo

More to the point. It seems goofy as hell that the hardened veteran who takes the main character under his wing is also another middle aged guy. And that the female veteran lead that the main character idolizes is 20 years younger than cruise.

Honestly, based on the description Cruises character was a desk-jockey forced into war by a demotion and the rest of the film is about how an older man learns how to survive fighting impossible odds. It's a different take on the original story for sure, but it has its merits and there is potential there. Additionally, Doug Liman is a strong action director, Dion Beebe is a good choreographer, and Joby Harold is a decent writer.

[Xellos-_^]

Originally Posted by Roger Rambo

At it's core, the original novel was a coming of age story. So I'm not sure how this translates to someone as old as Cruise in the lead. I'm really starting to feel uncomfortable with how old Hollywood actors are getting, where even roles like this are getting picked for older actors. Is that really fair for all the hopeful new actors who can't get leading roles in films? Has 50 become the new 16 in terms of finding yourself?

at least they didn't pcik justin bieber

[Roger Rambo]

Originally Posted by james0246

Honestly, based on the description Cruises character was a desk-jockey forced into war by a demotion and the rest of the film is about how an older man learns how to survive fighting impossible odds. It's a different take on the original story for sure, but it has its merits and there is potential there. Additionally, Doug Liman is a strong action director, Dion Beebe is a good choreographer, and Joby Harold is a decent writer.

If Tom Cruise's character has been hiding behind a desk while the rest of humanity has been fighting to the death against remorseless alien invaders, I'm probably going to laugh when he does something stupid that gets him demoted and sent to the cannon fodder battalion.


I don't know. Maybe this is a bit American Centric of me, but it rubs me the wrong way because the United States IS starting to come out of over a decade of combat operations in two countries. You'd think that a story that focused on the experience of a young soldier becoming hardened and traumatized by seemingly endless combat deployments would be something that would resonate with people today. There were ALLOT more teenagers who saw the elephant for the first time than people Cruises age. Camerons Avatar was a much stronger movie, in my opinion, because it's lead was a young military veteran who'd been damaged by war. The situation in this movie just seems a tad artificial to me.

It really just seems like Hollywood is being really timid about their big investment movie projects.

[Obelisk ze Tormentor]

Originally Posted by Xellos-_^

at least they didn't pcik justin bieber

It seems that casting Justin Bieber and making a movie like Twilight has become the new lowest standard .

Come on, give the Bieber kid some slack will ya? He's really talented and his and his mother's life before the Youtube hype is far from perfect. If anything, I think Bieber and his mother earned whet they get (unlike Twilight movies).

[james0246]

Originally Posted by Roger Rambo

I don't know. Maybe this is a bit American Centric of me, but it rubs me the wrong way because the United States IS starting to come out of over a decade of combat operations in two countries. You'd think that a story that focused on the experience of a young soldier becoming hardened and traumatized by seemingly endless combat deployments would be something that would resonate with people today. There were ALLOT more teenagers who saw the elephant for the first time than people Cruises age. Camerons Avatar was a much stronger movie, in my opinion, because it's lead was a young military veteran who'd been damaged by war. The situation in this movie just seems a tad artificial to me.

Now that's a fair point. A younger actor would have helped to create a more on-message picture.

[Roger Rambo]

some people have made a very interesting connection based on the early promotion photo.

[Endless Soul]

Could be worse. It could have been Will Ferrell. That guy is in everything!

Endless "Prolific" Soul

[creb]

As someone who actually enjoys Cruise's movies, as bad form as that seems to be with today's "it" crowd , I certainly don't see his casting as a negative. At the very least, it probably means this adaptation will have big money, and not be woefully underfunded.

[Lost Cause]

Originally Posted by Roger Rambo

some people have made a very interesting connection based on the early promotion photo.

I'd watch it!

[Roger Rambo]

High resolution screenshot.




I gotta say. This doesn't come off as all that impressive. I suppose they might be trying to emulate the look of more realistic exoskeletons that have been in development...but I think they missed out on the part that most combat exoskeletons aren't remotely ready for direct front line combat yet.


How's he supposed to reload anyway? That weapon on the left is clearly magazine fed.

[YF19EX]

The weapon on the left looks like a cut down SCAR 17 with associated FN grenade launcher. But most scifi weapons are normally props made from real guns since they need the firing mechanisms anyway. I still want a Pulse Rifle and Smartgun (with steady cam system) in my collection...

[Roger Rambo]

Well the trailer of the movie is finally out.

YouTube

https://youtu.be/fLe_qO4AE-M

Sorry; dynamic content not loaded. Reload?

Production values don't seem to bad, but I'm still not exactly that fond of the suits. The heavy exoskeleton with the pilot (and various wiring and servos) exposed like that just seems weird to me.

Even if you can't armor against direct hits, you're putting allot of resources into these mech suit troopers, and they seem just as susceptible to random shrapnel as regular foot soldiers in flak-jackets...though at the end of the day I think it bothers me more in that I just don't like that kinda aesthetic. Proper armor (and helmets) just seem more fitting this kinda setup.


I guess they wanted to show off Tom Cruise more

[killer3000ad]

So it's basically Groundhog day meets Starship Troopers.