This week at the movies: Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt relive the same terrible battle against aliens, until Cruise is a warrior machine; and Shailene Woodley falls in love with a dreamboat, makes you cry repeatedly.
Edge of Tomorrow
It’s like Groundhog’s Day with aliens and a military battle! So, Tom Cruise is a military officer who’s never seen a day in battle, and when a brutal alien force shows up to kick our butt, he naturally, gets creamed. But then, weirdly, he wakes up and relives the battle—this time with another Special Forces officer, played by Emily Blunt, who takes each day to train him before he goes back to the past.
Perfect For: Fans who like a little dystopia with their science fiction.
What the Critics Say: Everyone kinda likes it! (Even if they barely want to admit it.) Time magazine: “Only toward the climax, when the live/die/repeat cycle is abandoned, does Edge of Tomorrow go logy. But it's two-thirds of a sensational ride -- one you can ride over and over without buying additional tickets.” Entertainment Weekly: “Despite its terribly unimaginative title, Edge of Tomorrow is a surprisingly imaginative summer action movie.” And, finally, Rolling Stone: “It shouldn't work. A human-versus-aliens epic that keeps repeating the same scene over and over again as if the comic tilt of Groundhog Day had turned suddenly dangerous. But Edge of Tomorrow will keep you on edge.”
Our Take: Totally going!
The Fault in Our Stars
Based on the bestselling novel of the same name by Josh Green about two teens who meet (so cute) at a cancer support center and fall in love despite the fact that neither of them may or may not be around for very long. Apparently the book was a world-class tearjerker.
Perfect For: Fans of the young adult novel, tearjerkers, and romcoms.
What the Critics Say: It is very, very good. And it will make you cry rivers. The Associated Press: “About three-quarters of the way through, if not sooner, you'll start hearing sniffles, then sobs, all around you. And it's hard to imagine you too won't succumb, even a little.” The New York Times: “The film sets out to make you weep - not just sniffle or choke up a little, but sob until your nose runs and your face turns blotchy. It succeeds.”
Our Take: Remind me to go with a bucket to catch the tears.
