This Summer's Surprise. . .

I'm racing to write this post as summer is quickly coming to an end.  Fall is in less than a week, so here comes the cliched "Where did the time go?"

 Perhaps I should be a little more reserved in saying I totally look forward each summer to the blockbuster movies that vie for our attention, but I'm not. I can never wait to take that break and lose myself, spending time away from reality in a different world, as the magic of movies unfolds on the big screen.

There were many movies that came out that I enjoyed. Although released in April, Captain America: The Winter Soldier kind of started it all. But then, they just rolled out, one after the other. Godzilla, X-Men: Days of Future Past, Guardians of the Galaxy, Maleficient, How To Train Your Dragon 2, The Hundred-Foot Journey, Spider-Man 2, Into The Storm, The Giver, Rise of the Planet of the Apes...  I'm sure there are more, but you get the picture.  None of these, however, were as enjoyable to me as was Edge of Tomorrow with Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt.

To be honest, I didn't know what to expect when my husband and I first went to see Edge of Tomorrow. I love Emily Blunt, so she was a strong draw for me. But I'm not a huge Tom Cruise fan, so my initial thought was, Here we go. . .another cookie-cutter, predictable action film. {sigh}

I so love that I was wrong!

This movie was the summer's surprise for me. I left the theater thinking about it for days. I even dreamed about it all night that first night. And I went back and saw it again. . .and, well. . .maybe once more. Yes, it was an action film. Yes, it had a military theme. Yes, there was a lot of weaponry and explosions and aliens to exterminate. But, despite all that, the story was unique. . .to me anyway.

My husband compared it to a video game that you learn how to play by dying and restarting over and over. And, I suppose it was. But, it was also different in that it carried an engaging story. I loved that Tom Cruise didn't start out a big-time hero, didn't even want to get on the field, for that matter, but was forced to. Watching his transformation was so entertaining. The on-screen chemistry between him and Emily Blunt was in a word, fantastic! She can practically carry any movie, though, in my humble opinion.

Edge of Tomorrow, of course, had the "How to save the world" dilemma. But it also had humor, and wit, and heart, and great dialogue. I can't say too much for fear of giving something away to one of you who may not have seen it, but I hope you can trust me when I say, "See it! It's worth your time."