Edge of Tomorrow MPAA Rating: PG-13 Entertainment: +2 Content: -2

Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton. Sci-Fi action thriller. Directed by Doug Liman.

FILM SYNOPSIS: An officer who does military strategy and publicity is recruited into a front line battle against an alien life force (much like those in the Aliens franchise) determined to destroy all life on Earth. As the story suddenly takes on a Twilight Zone-like theme, he finds himself caught in a time loop, repeating the same day over and over. His skills increase as he faces the same brutal combat scenarios, aided by a Special Forces warrior who gets him closer to defeating the enemy with each attempt.

PREVIEW REVIEW: Lots of videogame action, some witty humor, and a Groundhog Day-like repetition of events heighten this otherwise bleakly-lit, rather excessive sci-fi thriller. The language and the violence stay within the PG-13 category.

DVD Alternatives: Forbidden Planet. A space adventure derived from of all places, Shakespeare’s play, The Tempest. A starship crew goes to investigate a far off planet once populated by an exploration colony that hasn’t been heard from for twenty years. Now, only two survivors remain and one, a Doctor Morbious, has a deadly secret he can’t control. Walter Pidgeon, Leslie Nielsen, and Anne Francis star in this intelligent sci-fi film about space explorers landing on a planet ruled by one man and an evil force. Dr. Morbius and his daughter Altaira have somehow survived a hideous monster that roams the planet. Unknown to the rescue team, Morbius has made a discovery, and has no intention of sharing it.

Forbidden Planet contains a good vs. evil theme, as the once powerful Krell, a civilization long gone, is now passing on seeds of destruction through Morbius to an inferior people, namely us human beings. While a few elements may frighten little ones, for adults, it still holds up as engrossing entertainment. Admittedly, there’s a 1950s B-movie corniness to the proceedings at times, but I think this actually works in the film’s favor, helping to put the story in a world and timeframe unlike our own.

The film’s message comes down to the fact that while knowledge is power, knowledge alone is not enough. Spiritual wisdom is the essential component needed to govern and guide mankind. Not a bad message for a film from the ‘50s. We may have better special effects nowadays, but with the near death of theology in Hollywood blockbusters, the messages seen on screen today are seldom as profound as the one in Forbidden Planet.

Signs. M. Night Shyamalan's psychological thriller is about alien beings coming to take over Earth.  Suspenseful Hitchcockian elements serve to unnerve the audience. Added to the unsettling atmosphere, the story's subtext concerns a man losing then regaining his faith. The film also has an intriguing take concerning coincidence in our daily lives: Do things happen by chance or do they serve to develop our nature?  Shyamalan's film was about finding our way – or finding our way back.  I guess you could say it's a thinking man's (or woman's) horror movie. Full Preview Review.

Preview Reviewer: Phil Boatwright
Distributor: Warner Bros.