Major William Cage is not like Ethan Hunt!
Tom Cruise has been one of the biggest movie stars in the world for four decades, but he’s somehow having a new renaissance in his career over the past decade. While Cruise’s string of hits in the 1990s emphasized his ambition for working with auteur filmmakers and giving versatile performers, it seems like Cruise’s current work is only in service of the audience. Cruise continues to push himself to deliver outrageously entertaining maximalist spectacle, and the success of the last few Mission: Impossible films and Top Gun: Maverick indicate that audiences will follow him no matter where he goes. Interestingly, one of the more underrated films from this era is the sci-fi action flick Edge of Tomorrow, in which Cruise took a completely different type of challenge; he had to play a coward.
What Is ‘Edge of Tomorrow’ About?
Directed by Doug Liman, Edge of Tomorrow takes place in 2015 when a group of alien invaders known as “Mimics” has taken control of Europe, forcing troopers to head to the frontlines in mecha-suits to ward off their seemingly brilliant opponents. Major William Cage (Cruise) is simply a “public affairs” officer with no combat experience who aims to use his superior position to avoid duty, but he’s punished and sent directly to the frontlines. After attempting to desert, Cage finds himself squarely under the command of the no-nonsense veteran Sergeant Rita Vrataski (Emily Blunt). Although they’re initially at odds, Cage finds that he must seek Rita’s help if he’s to escape the time loop he’s been caught in.
Edge of Tomorrow sets up a premise that borrows from both Independence Day and Groundhog Day, but Cruise’s performance is a lot closer to Bill Murray’s Phil Connors than Will Smith’s Steven Hiller. He’s a reluctant hero who doesn’t even want to be a hero, which couldn’t be more different from Ethan Hunt or Pete Mitchell. The use of the time loop storyline allows Cruise to have a genuine character arc where he has to prove himself, learn new skills, and discover the value in self-sacrifice and bravery; it also allowed him to flex his comedic chops in a way that he hadn’t been allowed to since his work in the 1990s. Cruise’s dynamic performance as a lovable loser allows Edge of Tomorrow to rank among the most entertaining original blockbusters in recent memory.
Edge of Tomorrow” Reminds Us of How Good an Actor Tom Cruise Is
Despite being one of the biggest box office draws in history, it’s easy to forget that Cruise is already an acclaimed performer; this is someone who has worked with Oliver Stone, Steven Spielberg, Stanley Kubrick, Michael Mann, and Paul Thomas Anderson, so he’s picked up a few things about playing a nuanced character. What’s brilliant about the writing of Cage is that the script doesn’t go over the top in making him unlikeable; he’s simply the product of an unfair system that risks the lives of those who can’t afford to luxuriate in a comfortable corporate position like Cage. He may be blissfully mean-spirited, but he’s not necessarily a war-mongering militarist like his superior, General Brigam (Brendan Fraser).
It’s also easily forgotten how funny Cruise can be. We see an awkward, goofy side of him here that’s been absent in his performances (except for a little detour in Tropic Thunder) since Jerry Maguire when he’s awkwardly introduced to his new team of companions in the barracks and desperately tries to escape from duty. Seeing Cage demolished and killed in different ways as he tries to find any means to avoid actually doing anything productive allows the film to have a morbid, dark sense of humor. While it’s quite similar to a sequence in Groundhog Day where Phil continues to attempt suicide, it’s even funnier here as a self-aware reference to Cruise’s history of performing dangerous stunts. Cruise even helps shed the light on the supporting cast as Cage begins to mess with his fellow soldiers by predicting their activities each time he’s reincarnated.
However, Cage’s cowardly nature also gives the film a direction, and it makes him a more inspirational character. There’s a bit of The Twilight Zone magic within the story about an ordinary man called on to do extraordinary things, and Cruise gets to show how Cage slowly learns about his own abilities as he trains with Rita. Having an inexperienced character allows the film to provide exposition in a naturalistic way, as Cage is hilariously unprepared for all elements of combat. These scenes would all be infinitely less interesting if Cruise was playing an action hero like Ethan Hunt who already knows how the gadgets work.
Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt Make for a Dynamic Duo
There’s a good deal of the Aliens legacy in Edge of Tomorrow, and Blunt certainly gives a performance worthy of Sigourney Weaver’s Ellen Ripley. In a reversal of roles, Rita is the hard-edged, cynical veteran tasked with helping Cage; the film sets off a fun dichotomy where Rita obviously wants to figure out the aliens’ plan herself, but must train a goofball like Cage because he’s been infected and can retain his memories. There’s a plot-centric reason for them to stay together, and the chemistry between Cruise and Blunt is able to steadily convince the viewers that they’re learning to appreciate each other.
Having Cage initially be a cowardly deserter gives him a sensitivity that makes this relationship more interesting. Cage isn’t just learning about how to fight in a mecha suit and pick up clues about alien biology, but also how to improve himself and reflect on his life choices. He’s forced to open up to Rita, and finds a newfound respect for the soldiers he wouldn’t have thought twice about before. There are some quiet moments of intimacy in which we see how much Cage has grown, particularly when Rita reveals how she was once caught in a traumatic moment, reliving the death of her lover.
Edge of Tomorrow was an anomaly for many reasons; although it was loosely based on the graphic novel All You Need Is Kill, it felt like a completely original work of science fiction that didn’t intend to start a franchise or launch a universe. Those looking for a generic sci-fi action movie may have been surprised to find a surprisingly earnest, hilarious, and emotional story about the planet’s most unexpected hero. Cruise manages to convince us that he’s still a hero; he just has to learn how.
