Ever wish that Groundhog Day had more action, aliens and mechanised robot suits? Well then this movie’s for you!

It’s the near future, and Earth is under relentless attack from an alien race. Despite their best efforts, no army in the world has been able to defeat them. Lt. Col. William Cage (Cruise) isn’t doing much to help either. Disgraced and on the receiving end of disciplinary action, he’s put onto a plane full of new recruits and dropped into the midst of an epic battle. Cage, who has never seen a day of combat, dies within minutes.

The end.

Roll credits? Not quite… Inexplicably, Cage wakes up, back on the ground and about to be put onto the same plane en route to the same fatal encounter. He eventually realises that he is stuck in a time loop, forcing him to re-live the same day over and over again. At first, this mostly consists of him dying a lot, but with each battle, he discovers new ways to engage the enemy. He even finds an ally in a fellow soldier (Blunt) who may hold the key to winning the war for good.

Based on Hiroshi Sakurazaka’s acclaimed novel “All You Need Is Kill”, Edge of Tomorrow is an ambitious sci-fi actioner that transcends its initial gimmick to deliver a clever, unpredictable thrill ride. And Cruise is in top form as usual, adding another stirring sci-fi film to his oeuvre alongside Minority Report and War of the Worlds. They’re in good company here.

It’s a cold New York winter’s night in 1916, and part-time burglar Peter Lake (Farrell) is attempting to rob a seemingly empty mansion. Much to his surprise, he stumbles upon the free-spirited, piano-playing Beverly (Findlay), who turns out to be the daughter of the house. Despite their vastly different backgrounds, the two immediately take a liking to each other and so begins a love story… with a twist or two.

First of all, as Peter soon finds out, Beverly is terminally ill, suffering from consumption and without long left to live. Peter’s long-term prospects don’t look good either: he’s being hunted down by an Irish gangster (Crowe) who wants him dead. After he catches up to Peter and throws him off a bridge, Peter inexplicably wakes up in present-day New York. It appears that Peter has a penchant for reincarnation, but with no memory of who he is or where he came from, it’s up to a single mother (Connelly) to help him find his way and somehow reunite him with his lost love.

If miracles, magic and star-crossed lovers are your thing, then you’re in for a sumptuous treat. Based on Mark Helprin’s acclaimed 1983 novel, Winter’s Tale is the feature directorial debut from Oscar-winning screenwriter Akiva Goldsman (A Beautiful Mind, The Da Vinci Code) and it shows: he’s definitely called in a few favours, with former co-collaborators including Crowe, Connelly, Will Smith and William Hurt all showing up to lend their support. So why not do the same?