I wasn't planning on seeing this movie in theaters, much less IMAX 3D, but Rob wanted to go and it had gotten really positive reviews. If that's enough for you, by all means go and see it. If you're hoping for something spectacular, it's probably better to wait for the rental.MAJ William Cage (Tom Cruise) is a media relations specialist for the United Defense Forces in their battle against invading aliens called Mimics. When the commanding general (Brendan Gleeson) tells Cage that he will have the honor of filming on the front lines of their major offensive operation, he runs, gets Tased, and wakes up a buck private in handcuffs under the not-too-gentle supervision of Master Sergeant Farell (Bill Paxton). His first day of battle does not go well and Cage dies, after killing only one of the aliens. Then he wakes up in handcuffs again. Forced to relive the same day over and over again, Cage slowly tries to make sense of what has happened to him. He learns that war hero Rita Vertasky (Emily Blunt), the Angel of Verdun, might know something about the phenomenon. To defeat the Mimics, Cage is going to have to train harder than he has ever worked in his life. He also has to die, a lot.
This is a sci-fi version of Groundhog Day, I don't care what anybody says, but it mostly works. I wouldn't call it astounding or a breakthrough in any way, but it's a fun popcorn flick. It was directed by Doug Liman, so the action sequences are tight and don't feel repetitive, even when they are supposed to be. Instead of doing the exact same shot on the multiple iterations of the day, Liman shoots from a different angle or focuses on a character, trusting the audience to believe.
The supporting cast, with the exceptions of Paxton and Gleeson, are under-characterized and seem more like stock photos of futuristic soldiers. This is very much the Tom Cruise-Emily Blunt show so don't go in hoping for a plucky sidekick to root for. Cruise gets to be funny, which he does well enough, plus he dies a lot, for all you haters.
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