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- Ronald Epstein
What can I say? I love 3D! From the moment I began watching 3D content in my home I quickly discovered that I needed more content. I suspect that those of you just purchasing your first 3D hardware will acquire the same ferocious appetite. That's why I became the HTF 3D ADDICT. I personally love images that pop off the screen and come inches away from your face without becoming overly gimmicky. However, I certainly appreciate the nature documentaries that offer beautiful depth and separation. These are not necessarily reviews of the film themselves. I am not going to concentrate on story or supplements -- you can find the 2D reviews elsewhere on this forum. My job is to let you know exactly what kind of 3D experience to expect from the titles that are being released. As I will be receiving a handful of new product from the studios expect to see more title coverage.
LIVE DIE REPEAT
EDGE OF TOMORROW
Studio: Warner Bros.
Product Release: October 7, 2014
Ratio: 2.4:1
Audio: DTS-HD MA 7.1
Running Time: 113 minutes
Rating: PG-13
On A Scale 0-5
Overall 3D Presentation Rating: 4
3D Separation: 4
3D In Yo' Face Factor: 2
Holy Bejeezus!
No, not especially the most professional way to start a review, but then again,
I make no secret that I'm not a professional reviewer. I'm a movie enthusiast
like all of you, who loves nothing more than to watch and talk about the latest
Blu-ray releases.
So, here I am today to not just talk about -- but to implore all of you science fiction
fans to open your wallets and blindly shell out some dollars to purchase this year's
most thrilling, and engaging alien ride.
And before I even talk about the movie itself, let's get over a few obstacles. First,
let's talk about the film's title. Based on the sci-fi graphic novel by Hiroshi Sakurazaka,
All You Need is Kill, the film was released theatrically as Edge of Tomorrow. Somewhere
along the line it seems that perhaps Warner Bros. felt uncomfortable with the name and
decided to headline the Blu-ray box art with Live Die Repeat. Will this make for a more
compelling Blu-ray purchase? That's a question we may never get answered. Next,
there's the film star, Tom Cruise. I think I speak for many when I say that I never
understood how the actor has remained a box-office draw with the amount of mediocre,
badly acted films he has appeared in over recent years. However, I am rather shocked to
say that Live Die Repeat EOT is the kick-in-the-ass that Mr. Cruise's career has badly
needed. This is a film that every Tom Cruise naysayer is going to love.
In the future, the world is under siege by an alien race known as Mimics. Major William
Cage (Tom Cruise) is a well uniformed, but rather smarmy P.R. guy who becomes the face
of the military, assuring the public that humanity will win the war over the invaders. With
no combat experience whatsoever, Cage is suddenly thrown to the front line of the war by
an unsympathetic General (Brendan Gleeson). It doesn't take long for Cage to die in combat,
only to awaken moments later and repeat the day once again. It's the kind of time loop trap
that is reminiscent of Ground Hog Day, but on a much larger scale. This time, there's a war
to be won and Cage realizes that with each reboot, he's getting closer to finding out how to
defeat the aliens. After dozens upon dozens of "resets," Cage meets Rita Vrataski (Emily
Blunt), the most decorated soldier in the army, who also has been gifted with the power of
rebooting. Together they team up to figure out how to defeat the alien invasion once and
for all.
Directed by Doug Liman (Swingers, The Bourne Identity), Live Die Repeat: EOT effectively
tells the same story over and over again without boring its audience. Through very clever
editing, the repeated story finds new ways of remaining humorous and fresh, and in the
process, moves the film forward at a rather brisk pace. The cast is absolutely sensational,
particularly Emily Blunt, who is perhaps the most intriguing super heroine to hit the screens
in quite some time. The film is filled with loud, epic battle pieces that are very reminiscent
of watching Private Ryan when the forces hit the Normandy Beach. Intertwined with all these
great alien battle sequences are lots of genuinely funny comic moments that come out of the
many story twists this film has to offer. It is so rare to see the elements of plot, action and
humor come together so perfectly.
Live Die Repeat EOT looks as incredible as one would expect from a Blu-ray transfer. The
amount of detail is impressive to say the least. At the beginning of the film, you can count
the beads of sweat on Tom Cruise's face as he faces the inevitable drop into battle. Colors
are pretty non-existent here as the film has an intentional bright, washed-out look. While
there has been a decreased emphasis upon color, there are moments where brighter colors
can be seen, particularly highlighting blood during combat.
The big question here will be whether it's worth opting for the 3D version of this release.
This is yet another upconversion effort from Warner Bros. However, the studio reunited
the team from Prime Focus World who did the stereo conversion for Gravity. You can read
more about the conversion process here. As most of you are aware, I am generally not a
fan of films that have been unconverted to 3D. Perhaps the best unconverted release I have
seen to date is Pacific Rim, and unfortunately, Live Die Repeat EOT falls a little short of that
effort. Still, the film delivers plenty of depth which makes the over-the-top battle sequences
seem more immersive than their 2D counterpart. There's plenty of dirt and battle debris
flying at the screen, but unfortunately because of the upconversion, it gets thrown towards
the screen instead of directly at the audience. Yet, there are brief moments while wearing
eyewear that you could swear you were just hit with something. Perhaps the most effective
scenes that make the best use of 3D are the ones that were shot underwater near the end
of the film. Overall, a decent upconversion, but I wasn't impressed enough to say that it's one
of the better 3D films I have recently seen.
Ghosting was non-existent.
The film boasts a very loud, aggressive 7.1 mix that works wonderfully to compliment the
on-screen action. What I found so compelling about watching this film was that the sound
seemed to place me right in the middle of combat as military aircraft circle overhead and
the sounds of machine gun fire and exploding grenades seem to emanate from several
directions at once. The added rear channels do an excellent job of proving sound that is
all encompassing. Dialogue remains clear and intelligible beneath the chaotic sounds of
battle. Subs get some nice LFE support, but surprisingly, it's not as overpowering as I would
have expected.
Live Die Repeat: EOT arrives as a 3-Disc Blu-ray Combo pack (3D Blu-ray, 2D Blu-ray, DVD
and Digital HD/UltraViolet). The case comes enclosed in a lenticular cardboard sleeve. There
are numerous special features that include Operation Downfall - Adrenaline Cut; Storming The
Beach; Weapons of the Future; Creatures Not Of This World; On The Edge with Doug Liman
and Deleted Scenes.
CONCLUSION
Live Die Repeat: EOT is a huge departure from the usual dreck that Hollywood has been putting
into theaters. It's a remarkable, expertly produced, science fiction roller coaster ride with enough
thrills and twists to give it the Blockbuster status it deserves. Easily, the best picture to come out
this year thus far. Do not hesitate to purchase this blindly.
I could spend another 113 minutes watching this film again. Can't wait to do so!
Images are for illustrative purpose only not representative of the picture quality of this disc.
Equipment
Samsung PN64F8500 display professionally calibrated by Gregg Loewen, Lion AV
Oppo BDP-93 3D Blu-ray Player
Denon 3311CI Receiver
Atlantic Technology H-PAS AT-1 fronts, 4400 center; 4200 rear side and back speakers
SV Sound Subwoofer