I know I started this review on a down note, but I actually enjoyed the movie. It has a kind of Starship Troopers vibe to it, but it is almost like they decided to do a gritty reboot. So, it has some of the same flair with a bit more realism. It has some great special effects, and it does a very good job of setting up the story and following through with a romance and a series of complicated steps and processes that Tom has to go through to try to methodically plan out his day.
To help Tom through his day to day living and dying, he discovers Emily Blunt. She is the very pretty and very deadly face of recruitment for the humans, as she was known as the hero of one particular battle. We aren't really sure at first what she did or why she was so awesome, but we eventually understand that she can help Tom by leading him through his day and also figuring out what the time travel means, and what he needs to do with it.
As is inevitable with these time loop movies (and TV shows - a number of them have done something similar) there are quick cuts in the middle that go from one death to the next to the next as Tom learns the pattern of how things happen and how he has to avoid them. The issue with this technique is that it deadens the audience's feelings about the consequences and a certain amount of lethargy sets in. It's hard to recover the sense of desperation and fear of repercussions.
Direction was good
Acting was very good
Effects were very good
Action was good
Editing was good
Story was okay
Bottom Line: Groundhog Day in a futuristic war zone works pretty well.
2.75/5