An alien race, undefeatable by any existing military unit, has launched a relentless attack on Earth, and Major William Cage (Tom Cruise) finds himself dropped into a suicide mission. Killed within minutes, Cage is thrown into a time loop, forced to live out the same brutal combat over and over, fighting and dying again and again. Training alongside Rita Vrataski (Emily Blunt), his skills slowly evolve, and each battle moves them a step closer to defeating the enemy in this intense action thriller.
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Video Quality
The 4K UHD Blu-Ray of Edge Of Tomorrow offers a pleasing uptick in quality over the excellent accompanying Blu-Ray, most notably in its fine detail and handling of black levels. While fans of the film have probably gotten used to it after repeat viewings on disc, the truth is that it can be quite difficult to make out a lot of the darker scenes on the Blu-Ray, especially in the climax. This new presentation feels much closer to the creative intention, even if this is far from a light cannon. Elements taking place in the cover of darkness are more vivid and finely delineated, revealing depth to the image while maintaining the mood. Some may criticize this presentation for being too dark overall, but this transfer captures the nuances of each lighting situation. The black levels stay deep and inky while the highlights are more defined with whites more pure and balanced with no instances of blooming to be found.
Skin tones appear a touch more natural with healthy doses of crisp detail apparent on faces such as pores. Liman did not make this a film bursting with color, leaning more towards a desaturated palette, but specific lighting choices appear with greater intensity than ever before. Important details like fiery explosions and sparks look incredible here. The transfer reveals an increase in the depth of field in the few locations that we visit again and again. In the midst of the various scenes of destruction, you can more clearly make out textures within the debris and similar such elements. There does appear to be the slightest amount of noise reduction and black crush in a few instances, but these are rarities as opposed to the norm. The Blu-Ray has done its job until now, but Warner Bros. has upped the ante with the wonderful new 4K release.
Audio Quality
The film gets a Dolby Atmos makeover that is mostly spectacular, but there is one downside that may bug audio enthusiasts. For the good, this is a spacious and detailed track that opens up this world in a more precise manner than ever before. Directionality is never an issue and dialogue is not overpowered by the various competing sounds like loud special effects or a soaring score from Christophe Beck. The previous Blu-Ray Dolby TrueHD 7.1 track brought the power, but it also struggled with clipping during some of the more intense sequences. This is ameliorated with this Atmos track as the sounds appear more harmonious as they maintain an excellent fidelity.
All of the speakers are getting a workout and create an all-enveloping sound. The height channels are more discreetly engaged, but they provide some nice texture to the overall experience. Overall, this is a standout audio track that delivers the goods, save for one aspect. The original track on the Blu-Ray has long been appreciated for certain moments of deep bass, but the Dolby Atmos track tones down the bass a bit so that you are not getting hit in the chest as hard. The track sounds excellent if you do not know what came before, but those who love the original 7.1 track will be disappointed it was not at least included as an option. That being said, many may find the trade off with less clipping and overall balance of the track to be worth it. Either way, this track has more great elements than bad.
Special Features
- Operation Downfall
- Operations Downfall – Adrenaline Cut: A nearly three-minute alternate cut of one of the titular sequences which lives up to its name.
- Storming The Beach: A nine-minute behind-the-scenes featurette in which the cast and creative team discuss the influences of WWII on the dynamics of the sequences, conjuring the memory of the beaches of Normandy, how the location influenced the aesthetic of the film, finding characters moments within the CGI onslaught, the different cameras needed to bring this story to life, the pyrotechnics and more.
- Weapons Of The Future: An eight-minute piece which takes a closer look at the cumbersome suits the performers had to act in, the challenges they faced during the process, the balance of practical and digital effects, the stunt work, and much more.
- Creatures Not Of This World: A nearly six-minute exploration of the design and look of the alien adversaries, their origins, the different types of aliens, the mysterious elements they each hold and more.
- On The Edge with Doug Liman: A great 43-minute documentary which primarily focuses on the talent of Liman as a director, his dynamic with Tom Cruise, how he collaborated with his team to shape the film, the development of various design elements including costumes and sets, trying to ground the film in a sense of reality and more. The interviews you get to witness here are invaluable.
- Deleted Scenes: Seven scenes of unused material totaling nearly eight minutes are provided here including some action scenes, some moments between Will and Rita, and more. There are numerous moments throughout where you can spot unfinished special effects, but these scenes are still worth checking out.
Final Thoughts
Edge Of Tomorrow is one of the most under-appreciated movies in the career of Tom Cruise. What could have been a run-of-the-mill sci-fi action film is tackled with such fun and inventiveness that you cannot help but be glued to the screen throughout. Cruise is not afraid to allow himself to look foolish as he experiences satisfying character growth alongside a badass Emily Blunt, who is every inch his equal in the screen presence department. The action sequences are thrilling throughout, and the character moments allow these moments to feel more meaningful as they go along. Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray that offers fans of the series an incredible A/V upgrade and all of the legacy special features. If, for some reason, you have been avoiding checking out this one, do not hesitate any longer. Highly Recommended
Edge Of Tomorrow is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray and Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.