What if you woke up inside a video game? Specifically, what if you had to go through the brutal grind of dying over and over and over again in order to reach your final objective, learning just a little bit more each time before starting again at the beginning? That's the fate of Major William Cage (an expertly used Tom Cruise), a reluctant-soldier who gets caught up in an alien invader's time loop. Writer Christopher McQuarrie (The Usual Suspects) handles the concept with aplomb, and he's smart enough to know that the real interest here is what effect this kind of life would have on human relationships. But while he raises the question, he never quite manages an answer. Having gone meta at the outset, the film seems content to slide into First Person Shooter mode for the big finish. Sit still to unlock the secret Summer Blockbuster ending. (2014) — Matthew Lickona
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