The PDC Staff Picks the Most Overrated and Underrated Movies of 2014

Hype. The single most important word in the film industry. I know you’re thinking, "John, you’re wrong it’s obviously money!". Nay, nay I say, without the hype there is no money. Hype is the reason that we have movie trailers, and now teasers of movie trailers, and sneak peak shots of the teasers of movie trailers. You get the point. It doesn’t stop when the movie is released though. The hype train continues right on through the theatrical release to home video, and sometimes, into history. This whole aspect of Hollywood always leaves you with a few films that just don’t fit the buzz they were assigned. Some great films are just passed over while other highly lauded films leave you thinking the world is high as a kite and they forgot to pass you the doobie. We’ve got the whole of the PDC together for this list as we visit what we think to be the most overrated and underrated films of 2014.

When you're done, be sure to check out all of our end-of-year coverage here!

John Nolan

OVERRATED
 
Lucy

I know, I know, it’s kind of a weak pick. Half of you are probably sitting at your computers saying “What the hell was Lucy?”. You know, that completely forgettable movie with Scarlett Johannson where the big hook was “What happens when someone uses more than 10% of their brain?!?”, yeah…that one. I’m kind of an easy sell, if you give me something that’s halfway enjoyable I’m not going to trash it. I completely trashed this movie. I can’t remember a longer 90 minute stretch of my life than sitting through this absurdly nonsensical oxymoron of a film (how can you be full of action, yet completely boring?). No big deal, forget it and move on…and, stay with me, here’s where it earns it’s place on the list, then the reviews start coming out and people are praising it! Not in waves, mind you, but they are out there, enough to earn a fresh score on rotten tomatoes. Lucy. Overrated. Understatement.

UNDERRATED

Robocop
Something told me this one was going to be alright. I’m not exactly on my own in thinking that but it’s far from the popular consensus. I guess the original was just a case of the right movie at the right time and this remake, as good as it was, had to much of the 80s in it. Well, we are living in an 80s world and I am an 80s girl….err…guy. That’s the argument I have to make because Robocop not being universally loved makes no sense to me. As far as remakes go this should be a template. Other than a few forced call backs to the original they did everything perfectly, updating not just the look, but the story and feel to our modern world. The sad thing is, if the original Robocop had never been released, then you release this exact same movie people would have praised it, going so far as to call it prophetic. The thing is, the world created in the 1987 Robocop was implausible…a sci-fi fever dream coated in blood. The 2014 version is not only possible, but in many ways plausible. Past all this it was just a whole lot of fun, sure I could have used more blood but I can say that about anything (I’m a blast at dinner parties).

Roxana Hadadi

OVERRATED

St. Vincent

The Bill Murray hipster resurgence is exhausting. Not everything Bill Murray touches is gold, and St. Vincent is absolutely proof of that. A frustratingly formulaic movie built around on the been-there-done-that premise of "grumpy old man befriends charming child; charming child befriends grumpy old man; everyone wins or whatever," the movie asked very little of Murray and he gave very little back. And that supporting cast? Please. Melissa McCarthy has had a year full of misfires and Naomi Watts, with her terrible accent and caricature of a Russian prostitute character, did absolutely nothing to deserve that Screen Actors Guild nomination. And yet this film has somehow made $44 million, because ugh.

UNDERRATED

Foxcatcher
Foxcatcher came out strong in film festival competition, yielding a Best Director win at Cannes for Bennett Miller, tons of critical hype, and then ... nothing. The film opened quietly the same weekend as The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1, and since then has struggled to find an audience, making only about $3 million. But this film has haunted me for the weeks since I've seen it - all of its weirdness and quietness, all of its unanswered questions, all of its critiques about the nature of inherited wealth and the myth of American dominance and the masculine desire to prove oneself before anyone and everyone who asks. Why haven't more people seen this movie? Why hasn't it received more award-season nominations? As John DuPont, Steve Carell's performance is determinedly, effectively off-kilter. As Olympic-gold-winning wrestler Mark Schultz, Channing Tatum is flawed and tragic. As Mark's even-more-celebrated older brother Dave Schultz, Mark Ruffalo is likable and, because the world is a terrible place, doomed. This movie will linger over you like a dark cloud, and more people should join me under it.

Julian Lytle

OVERRATED

Edge of Tomorrow

You know this one here for me is clouded by the fact that I read the manga adaptation of the original story All You Need Is Kill. I tried to go into this with an open mind and it’s also a reason I try not read a story before viewing a film version. I see many people enjoyed this movie and while I can see where it can be enjoyable too many things bother me about it. My main problem with the movie is that it totally destroys that character of Rita Vrataski. In the entire movie she only does two things helps Tom Cruise’s character get better and then just becomes a damsel in distress. You never really see how bad ass she is supposed to be at most she’s just like a person drill sergent for Cruise’s William Cage. Also I think the movie made the aliens needlessly difficult in how they work. It just doesn’t work for me, like they wanted to make a Halo Groundhog Day. In the end I’m like "really"?

UNDERRATED

Godzilla
GODZILLA 2014 IS LIFE! See I never understood what people were expecting. Folk complaining how come there wasn’t that much of the monsters fighting? Why was there so much human story? Clearly all those people either never saw a Godzilla movie or being that they were children only paid attention to the last 15 minutes when the Godzilla was wrecking. This film did a modern interpretation of 70s superhero Godzilla. He wasn’t destroying the city on purpose, he had a foe and was ready to kill them. Godzilla doesn’t half step. He befriended Quicksilver (Aaron Johnson) crashed on downtown to sleep off his bar fight and bounced in the morning like any good homie. Not only that they had great winks to Mothra and Kiryu in the film. So many folks need to get familiar.

Mae Abdulbaki 

OVERRATED

How to Train Your Dragon 2

 It doesn't really matter what many say, this sequel to the very well made How to Train Your Dragon is disappointing and doesn't live up to the original at all. A lot of people liked it, it made almost $50 million its opening weekend alone, but there's something about it that just doesn't sit well with me. Perhaps it's the fact that Toothless kills Hiccup's father and everything is hunky dory about two minutes later. Don't get me wrong, the animation itself is stunning and visually beautiful, but the film doesn't carry the same torch as the original. The inclusion of Hiccup's mother only feels like a replacement for his father, who is offed so his son can become the leader he's always wanted him to be. But I mean, if Hiccup never wanted to be a leader, don't force him into it. Astrid would have been a much better choice anyway. Sigh

UNDERRATED

Get on Up
Show of hands, who actually saw Get on Up? I hear the crickets chirping. If you did, great, because this movie is frankly not given enough love. It's not a perfect film, but it retells the story of music legend and icon James Brown, played by rising star Chadwick Boseman, in a non-linear fashion that immediately takes you into the story and keeps you there. We visit several different parts of Brown's life, but it always comes back to his present. A montage that cuts between Boseman performing and Brown's actual performances is very well done really makes you feel like you're at a concert. The wonderful performances by Boseman and the rest of the cast, which includes Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer, is well worth the watch. Definitely a film that should've been seen by more people.
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Travis Hopson

OVERRATED

Still Alice

Hey, I get it. We all love Julianne Moore. I do, too! She’s a redhead, of course I love her. Oh, and she’s an amazing actress, and is pretty great in Still Alice. But did anybody notice that none of the consequences of her character having Alzheimer’s is actually dealt with in ANY way, shape, or form? Like not at all. Her kids possibly inheriting the disease? Nope. Her career-driven husband’s awesome new job getting put on hold because he has to care for her? Nope. It’s like co-directors/writers Richard Glatzer and Wash West are averse to the very idea of confronting anything. Maybe that’s how the story plays out in the book but it doesn’t matter. I have a feeling it has to do with the lousy adaptation from the same guys who somehow made a biopic on philandering Errol Flynn (The Last of Robin Hood) boring and drab. How is that even possible? Anyway, Still Alice isn’t terrible; it’s just mediocre. Still love you, Julianne. Call me.

UNDERRATED

The Skeleton Twins
Only one movie could make me put Starship’s “Nothing’s Gonna Stop Us Now” on my playlist. When I first saw The Skeleton Twins at Sundance it struck me like a thunderbolt for a number of reasons. This sweet, affecting dramedy about two highly-dysfuctional siblings features amazing performances by Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader. The SNL vets know one another so well their chemistry is flawless, all while venturing into the most dramatic territory of their careers. The film manages to stay light and funny while dealing with some heavy subjects (suicide, infidelity), a credit to up ‘n coming director Craig Johnson. I thought this film would have done more upon release but it kind of vanished in the blink of an eye, so grab someone close to you and check this movie out on Blu-Ray. You won’t be disappointed.

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The Best Movie Duos of 2014: Rocket Raccoon and Groot, Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill, and More

This year of movies has seen its ups and downs. I'd like to think there have been more ups than downs, but I'd have to go through some sort of movie list to be sure. And with a slew of films under 2014's belt, there have definitely been a lot of characters we've seen vie for the screen. Some are memorable, most are really not, but the best characters usually come in pairs. 

Among my picks from last year were Theodore and Samantha from the critically acclaimed Her and Spock and Kirk from Star Trek Into Darkness, among many others. Now a new year has brought new duos to our screen. There was a lot to choose from and they most definitely don't disappoint. It was hard, but I've narrowed my list down to 6 this year (must be a thing), and in no particular order, you can check my picks for the best duos of 2014 below, gifs included! Do you agree with them? 

Groot and Rocket Raccoon (Voices of Vin Diesel and Bradley Cooper, Guardians of the Galaxy) - Before this movie, the Guardians of the Galaxy didn't have as avast an audience as they do now, and while Chris Pratt is finally getting the recognition he deserves and Zoe Saldana is always excellent, the highlight characters from the film have to most definitely be Groot and Rocket Raccoon. Rocket is the badass spokesperson and Groot is the loving manpower. Wouldn't it be fun if they made an origin story film about these two? I'd definitely watch. And how can a raccoon and a tree be best friends, you ask? Well, apparently, Marvel can sell anything, can't they?

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Maggie and Milo Dean (Kristen Wiig and Bill Hader, The Skeleton Twins) - If there was ever a more dysfunctional set of twins, it's Maggie and Milo Dean. They're both unhappy with their lives, depressed, and have a ton of other personal issues with themselves and each other, but one thing that is never in question is how much they love and care for each other. For proof, please entertain yourself with these lovely gifs!

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Amy and Nick Dunne (Rosamund Pike and Ben Affleck, Gone Girl) - These two make up what is probably the craziest and most dangerous duo on this list. One is completely insane, and the other is an asshole who just doesn't seem to care that he's being accused of his wife's murder. Apart, their actions are questionable, together they're, well, the most dangerous and demented couple ever. 

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Cage and Rita (Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt, The Edge of Tomorrow) - Probably one of the most underrated and overlooked action film of the year, Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt prove that they're an action team powerhouse in this film. Rita is rough around the edges and Cage initially tries to save his ass at all costs, but an unlikely situation draws them together. And, hey, a pair that fights together, and subsequently keep dying only to find each other again (even if one doesn't remember the other), stays together, am I right?

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Jenko and Schmidt (Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill, 22 Jump Street) - You know, comedy sequels are hard. But not for the 21 Jump Street series. They knew what they had was worth millions in laughs and they ran with it. The sequel even pokes fun of sequels, but most importantly, it reunites Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill as Jenko and Schmidt. These two are the duo you probably never thought you'd actually see or hell, even enjoy, but the mixture of personalities definitely makes watching their antics that much more entertaining. 

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Baymax and Hiro (Voices of Scott Adsit and Ryan Potter, Big Hero 6) -- An animation on the list! This film is probably in the top 3 animations of the year and at its core is the friendship between the cute, fluffy, medical caretaker and a genius kid who's angry and lost in the world. Their relationship is sweet and full of great moments. Hiro grows and learns in Baymax's care, and Baymax provides a support and loyaly for Hiro to lean on. 

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Box Office: 'Think Like A Man Too' Gambles and Wins with $30M; 'Jersey Boys' Only $13M

1. Think Like A Man Too- $30M
To nobody's surprise Think Like a Man Too was the top new release o the week with $30M. What may be a little bit unexpected was the total, which checks in at less than the $33M debut of 2012's Think Like A Man. The reasons for this probably have to do with their being a greater uptick in the number of African-American comedies, nearly all of which star Kevin Hart who really blew up after the first film. For him, this is a stronger open than the $25M About Last Night earned, and considerably less than Ride Along's $41M. But the good thing about it is none of these movies cost all that much, and Think Like A Man Too only ran about $24M so Screen Gems is pretty happy right now and probably thinking of what exotic locale to take the gang next. Think Like A Man Three: European Vacation?
2. 22 Jump Street- $29M/$111.4M
Slipping 49% in its second weekend was 22 Jump Street, but at $149M worldwide there's every reason to expect it will surpass the $201M total haul of 21 Jump Street.
3. How to Train Your Dragon 2- $25.3M/$95.1M
Dreamworks isn't getting quite what they hoped for out of How to Train Your Dragon 2, which after two weeks isn't performing much better than the original hit movie. Worldwide it has only gained about $131M, well below the prior film's $500M.
4. Jersey Boys- $13.5M
Maybe they should have held all of the Jersey Boys screenings before 5pm, included with an Early Bird Special? Clearly, Clint Eastwood was hoping his fellow octogenarians would carry his adaptation of the hit Broadway musical to greater heights than a mere $13.5M but they simply didn't turn out for the film. This is especially notable since older-skewing movies have been performing like gangbusters of late, which means some of the blame has to fall on Warner Bros.' marketing which relied less on the popularity of the musical or the Four Seasons' music than they did on Eastwood's name. And as we've seen with a movie like Trouble with the Curve, Eastwood's name doesn't quite hold the same cache it used to. The odd summer release schedule probably didn't help as this would normally be the type of film we'd see in the fall.
5. Maleficent- $13M/$185.9M
6. Edge of Tomorrow- $10.3M/$74.5M
For further proof that domestic grosses don't mean much anymore, simply look at the $181M earned by Tom Cruise's Edge of Tomorrow overseas. That brings the total to $255M which doesn't look bad at all, does it?
7. The Fault In Our Stars- $8.6M/$98.7M
In related news, Kleenex stock up 47% in the last three weeks. By the way, The Fault In Our Stars is wringing tears all around the world, about $42M worth on top of the domestic numbers. In other words, Shailene Woodley is a superstar.
8. X-men: Days of Future Past- $6.2M/$216.7M
9. Chef- $1.8M/$16.9M
If they ever do a live-action Ratatouille they better hire Jon Favreau. 
10. Godzilla- $1.8M/$194.9M

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Box Office: '22 Jump Street' Captures $60M; 'How to Train Your Dragon 2' Burns Up $50M

1. 22 Jump Street- $60M
Remember when the idea of Jonah Hill remaking 21 Jump Street seemed like the worst idea ever? That film went on to over $200M, becoming one of the highest-grossing R-rated comedies, and and now 22 Jump Street is poised to do even better. The sequel opened to a whopping $60M, the fifth best weekend for a comedy ever and far better than 21 Jump Street's $36M debut. That film had remarkably long legs bolstered by strong word-of-mouth, and considering the reviews for the sequel have been just as good, we could be looking at a similarly lengthy run. Obviously this is a huge feather in the cap of Hill, Channing Tatum, and cIce Cube, but probably the biggest beneficiary of these numbers is co-directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller. The duo already have one 2014 hit under their belts with The Lego Movie, and if 22 Jump Street's numbers hold they will be the first directors ever to have two $60M debuting films in the same calendar year. Sony is probably already on the phone with everybody and ordering up a trip (next door, as it were) to 23 Jump Street.
2. How to Train Your Dragon 2- $50M
Dreamworks was probably expecting How to Train Your Dragon 2 to soar to greater heights, but the $50M opening weekend does surpass the first film's $43M premiere. It's just that we tend to see bigger bumps on animated sequels, although to be fair most of them don't face a buzzsaw the likes of 22 Jump Street, or strong holdovers in Maleficent, Edge of Tomorrow, X-men: Days of Future Past, and The Fault In Our Stars.There aren't a ton of family-friendly options until deep into July so the film will do well here and overseas. No matter what we're going to get How to Train Your Dragon 3 which is already set to open in 2016.
3. Maleficent- $19M/$163.5M
4. Edge of Tomorrow- $16.1M/$56.6M
Tom Cruise's Edge of Tomorrow slipped 44% from last week which is actually pretty good and suggests the positive reviews are having an effect. While these numbers are still disappointing,Cruise's global appeal has earned it an additional $111M on the foreign market.
5. The Fault In Our Stars- $15.7M/$81.7M
Good news and bad news for Shailene Woodley's acclaimed cancer drama, The Fault In Our Stars. The bad news is it tumbled hard, losing 67% after opening at #1. I guess every drop of tears was spilled last week and nobody had it in them to spill any more. The good news is the film has already banked $98M if you count international totals, more than making up the $12M budget.
6. X-men: Days of Future Past- $9.5M/$205.9M
Bryan Singer's all-star mutant jam X-men: Days of Future Past has now overtaken The Amazing Spider-Man 2 as the highest-grossing film of the summer, and currently sits at $633M worldwide.
7. Godzilla- $3.1M/$191.3M
8. A Million Ways to Die in the West- $3M/$38.9M
9. Neighbors- $2.4M/$143.1M
10. Chef- $2.2M/$14M

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Punch Drunk Podcast: The Fault In Our Stars; Edge of Tomorrow

Sci-fi action and tear jerking love stories on this weeks episode of the Punch Drunk Podcast when we venture into exo-skeletons and rebirth in Edge of Tomorrow. Then it's onto young love with a heartbreaking twist as we review Shailene Woodley's latest, The Fault in our Stars.

You didn't think we'd go an episode without talking about Game of Thrones, did you? Especially not after last week's landmark episode The Viper and The Mountain. Well go deep into what stands to be the most shocking episode of this season.

The Punch Drunk Podcast airs live every Sunday morning at 11AM on Blogtalkradio.

Find Additional Film Podcasts with The Punch Drunk Podcast on BlogTalkRadio

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Box Office: 'The Fault In Our Stars' Takes Down Tom Cruise with $48M Debut

1. The Fault In Our Stars- $48.2M
Shailene Woodley kicked Tom Cruise's ass this weekend as The Fault In Our Stars opened to $48.2M after a huge $26M Friday night.  The film had a huge built-in audience thanks to author John Green's ubiquitous social media presence, and that the book has been a best-seller for months, but I think how well the film did will come as a bigger surprise to older audiences who might have expected Cruise to rule the day. Only a handful of films into her career and Woodley has established herself as a critical and box office darling. She already has a franchise in Divergent to call her own, and the dramatic credentials to possibly contend for awards down the line.
2. Maleficent- $33.5M/$127.3M
Angelina Jolie's Maleficent held on well enough, slipping only 52% from last week. That's not bad considering the competition from two new films targeting its core audience. Disney has to be pleased, especially with an additional $208M overseas giving the film $335M in only two weeks.
3. Edge of Tomorrow- $29.1M
 On the other hand, sci-fi continues to not be Tom Cruise's friend at the box office, at least not domestically. Edge of Tomorrow opened at $29.1M, trailing the $37M debut of Oblivion, which didn't do so hot either. At this point Cruise is more of a global star than he is here in America as the film racked up an impressive $60M on the international scene, and should help put a dent in the $175M+ budget, the most expensive of Cruise's lengthy career.
4. X-men: Days of Future Past- $14.7M/$189.1M
5. A Million Ways to Die in the West- $7.1M/$30M
6. Godzilla- $5.9M/$185M
7. Neighbors- $5.2M/$137.8M
8. Blended- $4M/$36.5M
9. Chef- $2.6M/$10.3M
Bolstered by strong reviews and a lot of help from his celebrity pals, Jon Favreau's Chef continues to be an art house sleeper, jumping up 36% in expanded release.
10. Million Dollar Arm- $1.8M/$31.3M

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Cinema Royale #65- The Fault In Our Stars; Edge of Tomorrow

Get ready for a show of extremes as Cinema Royale is joined by Christopher Bumbray of Joblo.com to talk Tom Cruise's action-packed Edge of Tomorrow! Then get the Kleenex ready and prepare to wallow in some tears for Shailene Woodley's heart-wrenching cancer drama, The Fault In Our Stars.

Plus, Words & Pictures director Fred Schepisi stops by to talk about his upcoming rom-com starring Juliette Binoche and Clive Owen.

Cinema Royale is part of the Hashtag Studios Broadcast Network and brings you movie reviews and news straight from the Nation's Capital! Go to www.cinemaroyaleshow.com and subscribe, and while there consider signing up for the premium service for more content and to be entered in our monthly prize drawing!

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Review: 'Edge of Tomorrow' Starring Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt

A great many influences were drawn upon by Doug Liman in crafting Edge of Tomorrow, which is very loosely based on Hiroshi Sakurazaka's popular light novel, All You Need is Kill. More than just the simple "sci-fi Groundhog Day" it's most frequently described as, the satirical edginess will have fans of Paul Verhoeven's Starship Troopers chuckling, while the hulking battle suits are pulled straight from Japanese anime, and there are perhaps even hints of Deja Vu in there for good measure. But for all the different styles thrown in to make for an exciting and surprisingly light-footed action epic, the steadying influence is Tom Cruise, who at the age of 51 seems to be getting his action hero groove back.

Like the time loop-stuck hero he plays in Edge of Tomorrow, Cruise keeps going to the sci-fi well over and over, fighting to try and replicate his War of the Worlds success. And with a touch of slick humor, Doug Liman's energetic direction, and a hint of the bizarre, this is easily Cruise's best crack at the genre, despite a third act fail that threatens to kibosh the whole thing. Cruise plays Major William Cage, a shady pro war spinmeister happy to stay far in the background while others die for the cause. The world is under attack by strange, liquid metal-ish creatures known as Mimics, and to combat them the military has come up with weaponized battle suits capable of turning an untrained soldier into a hero. The face of this PR campaign is the "Angel of Verdun" Rita Vrataski (Emily Blunt), who turned the tide of battle when all seemed lost. Posters of her are literally everywhere, inspiring others to fight for the cause.

Well, inspiring everybody but Cage who refuses an order by his commander (Brendan Gleeson) to embed with the front lines to cover an all-or-nothing strike against the Mimics. Cowardly noting that he can't even stand the sight of blood from a paper cut, Cage tries to blackmail his way out of it, only to be knocked out, arrested, removed of rank, and shipped out to camp to prepare for battle. There he's screamed at by an overzealous war-loving drill sergeant (Bill Paxton), tossed into a misfit outfit, and dropped into a firefight that echoes the beach storming of Normandy. Flopping around in a bulky metal suit, Cage still manages to accidentally kill one of the larger Mimics, only to have its acidic blood doused all over him, and in that moment of death he wakes up at camp as if nothing happened.

From here the film follows the Groundhog Day/Source Code route of Cage figuring out the parameters of his predicament. That means lots of dying and waking up, greeted with a booming "On your feet, maggot!", and to Liman's credit he manages to keep these scenes mostly free of repetition for the audience. That involves lots of quick cuts, presenting some moments from differing perspectives, and finding humor in the absurdity of Cage's situation. Here's the least likely soldier ever forced into a Hellish scenario in which he must be a soldier forever.  But everything changes when he encounters Rita on the field and her words, “Find me when you wake up", hint that he's not alone in this. He and Rita were much the same once, and with her help Cage must figure out a way to stop the Mimics and break the cycle once and for all.

Liman keeps the pace moving briskly, even at times when it should come to a screeching halt like in Cage's multiple training sequences. But these carry weight because of the importance heaped upon them; if Cage can't get his act together the whole world is doomed. And so it kind of makes you angry at him when he stops training to hit on Rita (points for trying, though), or just can't seem to get his timing straight. Of course, over time he begins to take things more seriously and we see the crushing war fatigue plastered all over his face. We've seen Cruise play this sort of character before, the free-wheeling guy burdened with impossible responsibility, and he does it ease. Frustration comes with Rita basically being reduced to Cage's sidekick when she starts off as such a badass. Thankfully she never quite becomes a "damsel in distress" and Blunt is capable of showing more layers to Rita than I think were intended. She's shown to be more than capable of holding her own and is a rare case of a strong female heroine in a genre dominated by guys. But let's not mistake, this is Cruise's film and Cage makes for an interesting enough character to root for. His initial sliminess marks him as more than just a standard-issue hero, one who would rather be on the sidelines than the front lines. His transformation into hardened soldier is, despite being cut short by necessary montage, rendered in a believable way.

While Cruise and Blunt may be perfect casting on the screen and to the studio bean counters hoping for a big box office, the compromise, or what I call "The Cruise Compromise" comes on the creative end. There's no real way to sugarcoat this: the ending is a complete disaster. It's the kind of lazy, go-home-happy Hollywood ending you might imagine a bunch of studio execs hammering out while "doing lunch". A more poignant conclusion was clearly intended, sacrificed on the altar of popcorn entertainment and in the process robbing the film of any chance to be memorable. It's the one lapse of intelligence for a film that is far smarter than the summer generally requires, and is worth reliving for a second time.

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Final 'Edge of Tomorrow' Trailer Plus Spoof 'Edge of Groundhog'

Speaking of "Live. Die. Repeat.", the hype for Tom Cruise's latest foray into sci-fi, Edge of Tomorrow, has been building over the last few days. With early reviews on the Doug Liman-directed flick suggesting it may be a cut above Cruise's last genre effort, Oblivion (which I totally dug), the question now is whether he can reclaim his position as a summer megastar.

On the heels of a ton of recently-released clips, we now have what is being billed as the "final" Edge of Tomorrow trailer. It's funny how studios now feel the need to tell us such things, as if knowing they've gone over the promo deep-end. Cruise is a soldier caught in a time loop after being killed in an alien war and must repeat the day of his death until improving enough to change the course of history.

So yeah, it's the total Groundhog Day concept with 100% more killer aliens, which is why the folks at Slate have come up with Edge of Groundhog, a spoof that merges the two films together seamlessly.

Edge of Tomorrow opens June 5th and co-stars Emily Blunt and Bill Paxton.


Edge of Tomorrow Final Trailer by CGMeetup

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*CLOSED* 'Edge of Tomorrow' Advance Screening

Live. Die. Repeat. Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt will are forced to relive a futuristic war in Doug Liman's action-packed Edge of Tomorrow, and we want you to see the film early! We're offering our readers a chance to attend a free advance screening is being held on Monday June 2nd at 7:30pm at Regal Majestic in Silver Spring.

To qualify you must first be a fan of Punch Drunk Critics on Facebook,so if you haven't "Liked" us yet please go there and do so now. To win, simply email punchdrunktrav@gmail.com with your full name and favorite film for both Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt. Winners will be notified on Saturday May 31st by email, receiving a Gofobo code good for them and one guest.

Good luck! Edge of Tomorrow opens June 6th.

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Four Clips of Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt in 'Edge of Tomorrow'

Tom Cruise may not be the box office giant he used to be, but he'll attempt to make a dent in the summer with Edge of Tomorrow, another sci-fi film dealing with all sorts of time travel craziness. Unlike many of the season's other major releases we haven't seen a ton of footage, but with the film only a couple of weeks away Warner Bros. has decided now's a good time to reveal four new clips.

Directed by Doug Liman and co-starring Emily Blunt, the story has Cruise as hapless soldier Lt. Bill Cage, thrust in a war with an alien race and killed almost immediately. But rather than that being the end of his story, Cage emerges in a time loop and must relive that battle over and over, dying repeatedly until he becomes a good enough soldier to change the tide of battle. And in these clips we see some of the grueling training Cage endures, and his unsuccessful attempts to make sexy time with Blunt's character. There's a great deal of action in each of these scenes, especially one with Cruise and Blunt on the battlefield that shows how far she's willing to go to make sure his mission succeeds.

Edge of Tomorrow opens June 6th.


Edge of Tomorrow Official Movie Clip - Come Find Me (2014) Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt HD by Filmsreviews


Edge of Tomorrow Official Movie Clip - "The Only Rule "- Extrait VO (HD) by Reviewer.fr


Edge of Tomorrow Official Movie Clip - "Drop or Die "- Extrait VO (HD) by Reviewer.fr


Edge of Tomorrow - Official Movie Clip - "All The Options" - Extrait VO (HD) by Reviewer.fr

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Tom Cruise's 'Edge of Tomorrow' Goes IMAX with New Trailer

Tom Cruise is pretty tough to kill in any movie he's in, but in Doug Liman's Edge of Tomorrow his survival ability is taken to ridiculous new levels. Set in the distant future, the film has Cruise as Lt. Col Bill Cage, an officer without a lick of combat experience who is thrust in a war against an invading alien force. When he's quickly killed, rather than that being the end of his story, Cage is thrust into a time-loop and forced to relive the fight over and over.

A new IMAX exclusive trailer gives another look at the impressive visuals and large-scale action sequences, while also providing a bit more context to the story. We see more of the aliens Cruise is fighting, along with the cutthroat training he undergoes from Emily Blunt's character.

Also starring Bill Paxton, Brendan Gleeson, and Jonas Armstrong, Edge of Tomorrow opens June 6th.

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New Posters for 'Maleficent', 'Sin City: A Dame to Kill For', and 'Edge of Tomorrow'

We haven't done a poster round-up in awhile, so here are some for what are expected to be three of the summer's biggest hits.

First up are new character posters for Disney's Maleficent, opening May 30th with Angelina Jolie as the Sleeping Beauty villainess. Elle Fanning, Sharlto Copley, Imelda Staunton, Sam Riley, Juno Temple, and Lesley Manville co-star with Robert Stromberg making his feature directing debut.

PLOT: “Maleficent” explores the untold story of Disney’s most iconic villain from the classic “Sleeping Beauty” and the elements of her betrayal that ultimately turn her pure heart to stone. Driven by revenge and a fierce desire to protect the moors over which she presides, Maleficent cruelly places an irrevocable curse upon the human king’s newborn infant Aurora. As the child grows, Aurora is caught in the middle of the seething conflict between the forest kingdom she has grown to love and the human kingdom that holds her legacy. Maleficent realizes that Aurora may hold the key to peace in the land and is forced to take drastic actions that will change both worlds forever. 

The latest posters from Robert Rodriguez's Sin City: A Dame to Kill For show off the returning Mickey Rourke as Marv and Jessica Alba as Nancy, done in the style of co-director Frank Miller's graphic novels. The film stars Josh Brolin, Eva Green, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, Rosario Dawson, Jaime Chung, and many more. While there are a few new stories, the centerpiece tale follows Dwight (Brolin, replacing Clive Owen) as he tries to escape being murdered by the titular dame, the only woman he ever loved. Sin City: A Dame to Kill For opens August 22nd.

PLOT: Co-directors Robert Rodriguez and Frank Miller reunite to bring Miller’s visually stunning “Sin City” graphic novels back to the screen in SIN CITY: A DAME TO KILL FOR. Weaving together two of Miller’s classic stories with new tales, the town’s most hard boiled citizens cross paths with some of its more reviled inhabitants. SIN CITY: A DAME TO KILL FOR is the follow up to Rodriguez and Miller’s 2005 groundbreaking film, FRANK MILLER’S SIN CITY. 

 Live. Die. Repeat. Three new posters have arrived for Doug Liman's futuristic Edge of Tomorrow featuring Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt in seriously advanced (and bulky) battle armor. You won't have to wait for the far-flung future to see it though as the film arrives on June 6th.

PLOT: The epic action of “Edge of Tomorrow” unfolds in a near future in which an alien race has hit the Earth in an unrelenting assault, unbeatable by any military unit in the world.

Major William Cage (Cruise) is an officer who has never seen a day of combat when he is unceremoniously dropped into what amounts to a suicide mission. Killed within minutes, Cage now finds himself inexplicably thrown into a time loop—forcing him to live out the same brutal combat over and over, fighting and dying again…and again.

But with each battle, Cage becomes able to engage the adversaries with increasing skill, alongside Special Forces warrior Rita Vrataski (Blunt). And, as Cage and Rita take the fight to the aliens, each repeated encounter gets them one step closer to defeating the enemy.

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