Movie review: Edge of Tomorrow (M)

Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt on the way to fight World. Photo/Supplied

This movie doesn't give much away to start with. Tom Cruise stars as smarmy military PR man Major Bill Cage and Emily Blunt stars as the mysterious war hero and army poster girl Rita Vrataski in a futuristic world at war with an alien life-form that's taken over most of Europe.

It's hard to work out how the two come together -- or how on Earth you'll begin to like Cruise, whose character is working on PR to avoid the frontline himself -- but things move along swiftly.

The audience is left wondering if this is a futuristic action Groundhog Day, minus Bill Murray.

And in a way it is -- and done very, very well.

Cruise's cowardly character finds himself dumped in a war scene not unlike a Battle of Normandy where everyone, including himself, is slaughtered.

However, as soon as he dies he wakes up again the day before, remembering everything he's just been through. So the day's events play out over and over again until he meets Vrataski. With her help, Cage eventually graduates from fleeting chicken to combat soldier on robotic steroids.

The hows and whys are eventually spelled out for the audience as the movie escalates.

The concept of World War III with an alien life-form might seem a little far fetched and who wants to watch the same scene on repeat? But the production and editing of this film is slick, professional and clever.

The action of war is often tempered with touches of humour as Cage tries to convince people he's been there before and as he learns from mistakes. Cage screaming like a girl as he learns how not to roll under an army truck was a highlight.

The result is an exciting, easy-to-watch, thoroughly enjoyable action flick. With the added 3D option, it's edge-of-the-seat stuff.

This is a movie with something for everyone -- even people not fond of Cruise -- and a must-see on the big screen.

Watch the trailer here: