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Sebastian Arroyo
Mr. Newman
English Rhetoric: 101
15 October 2014
Compare. Contrast. Repeat.
A movie starring Tom Cruise, is certainly a movie worth watching. But until his more
recent films critics start to think otherwise. Nonetheless the Golden Globe winner has handed us
timeless movies such as Top Gun, Mission Impossible, and The Last Samurai. In his latest movie
Live. Die. Repeat: Edge of Tomorrow , directed by Doug Liman, Cruise plays William Cage, an
army major and spokesman for the war effort, who is set in a D-Day like surrounding and is
forced to fight against an alien invasion, all while wearing a badass armored suit of course, and
while fighting triggers an accident that causes him to repeat his day if he were to die. Well Tom
Cruise dies, a lot. But everyday he learns from his death and proceeds to make progress and with
that special ability has an advantage in defeating this alien race. Critics Christopher Orr,
writer for The Atlantic, and Rene Rodriguez, from miami.com, both share their criticism on Edge
of Tomorrow, but it is their views on plot and level of success that director Doug Liman has in
creating his vision of this film, that distinguish these two reviews.

Both Orr and Rodriguez, after seeing Edge of Tomorrow agree that Cruise, too, is better
than what he has been in a long while. Rodriguez writes You have to give it up for Cruise,
though. Here's a superstar who takes every project with the same level of intensity, even a big
entertainment such as this one(Rodriguez). By stating those lines early in their reviews, the
reader, if not already has seen the movie, is hooked into being persuaded to do so. They know

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what to expect from the actors previous work, so by these writers attitude towards the acting as
a whole, leads them to actually wanting to view the film for themselves.
One distinctive notion that sets the two reviews though, is that not once does Rodriguez
speak on the job director Doug Liman had performed in creating his vision for the movie. Yet,
Orr writes on Limans behalf stating The director is in top form here, presenting his everrevolving tale with visual style, narrative velocity, and a wonderful dose of dark humor. In
perspective, its not solely the actors in the movie that make a film what it is, its the job of the
director piecing his visions and thoughts together creating a memorable piece of work. And as
only written here by Orr on the subject, Liman gets exceptional mileage out of it [Edge of
Tomorrow].
Whether youve wished or not to see a Cruise film in the recent years, both critics can
agree that overall the movies performance and plot was
solid. Rodriguez glorifies the acting done stating, You have
to give it up for Cruise, though.Cruise gives every movie his
all, no matter how preposterous, tearing through large action
set pieces with a believable ferocity, and his enthusiasm carries you along. As Rodriguez
congratulates the films deliverance as whole; That said, Edge of Tomorrow remains one of the
pleasant surprises of this summer season to date, boasting magnetic leads, a wickedly looping
plot, and bravura direction. Both Christopher Orr and Rene Rodriguez,, criticized what Limans
Edge of Tomorrow had done for the art, but it was their views on directing, acting, and plot that
separated the two opinions.

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Works Cited
Orr, Christopher. "The Unexpected Pleasures of Edge of Tomorrow." The Atlantic. Atlantic, 6
June 2014. Web. 21 Oct. 2014. <http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2014/06/theunexpected-pleasures-of-edge-of-tomorrow/372335/>.

Rodriguez, Rene. "Edge of Tomorrow (PG-13)." Miami Herald. Miami Herald, 8 June 2014.
Web. 21 Oct. 2014. <http://www.miamiherald.com/entertainment/movies-news-reviews/reelingwith-rene-rodriguez/article1965532.html>.

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