Rambling thought on: All You Need is Kill
All You Need is Kill
A Rambling Thought
I first got interested in this series when I was in Japan, this was around the time “Edge of tomorrow” was coming out and there where all these posters around with these images of the manga cover next to imagery from the movie. I asked my tour guide what that was about, and she said, “oh its promoting the release of the manga adaption of the light novel Edge of tomorrow is based on”. So naturally, I thought typical Hollywood, can’t have an original idea for a movie anymore, followed by I bet they butchered the story as well.
Then for four years, I managed to avoid both the manga and the movie, but a couple of weeks ago I ended up reading the manga and for comparison, I ended up watching the movie as well to see how they differ. First off, the manga is awesome, I loved the story it’s a tragic war story, which highlights how the things we experience in life shape the person we will eventually become, as well how reparations can drive a person insane. Throughout the story, you watch the main character go from a scared new army recruit who barely knows how to fight and is absolutely terrified by the fact that he might die, go through a transformation into a harden battle weary soldier who has the drive to jump into battle without hesitation.
Now the no movie… I need to start off with despite what I hear people say I don’t think Tom Cruise is a good actor, he is a very average actor that plays one character well “Cocky Charming Hero” and based on his acting in the mummy remake he’s is starting to fail at that now too. Also, I hate him as a person, his main point for existing at this point is as a mascot for Scientology, which is more of a cult that takes advantage of stupid people and make life easier for its higher-ups and covering up rape charges levied agent’s notable members (Danny Masterson). So yeah fuck anyone involved in that.
But getting away from that the actual movie is subpar at best compared to the book, the whole point of the book is about the main character going through a break down and transformation from his experience stuck in a time loop and his struggle to figure out why this has happened and what he needs to do to get out of it, and a big part of this is he is alone throughout most of the story isolation plays a big part in the development of the character. In the movie, Tom Cruise literal has a scene where he is sat down and told exactly what’s happening how to undo it and how to win the war because the audience is stupid and has to be told everything through a hologram slide show.
I have other problems with the movie like Rita’s character is all wrong, Tom Cruise is completely wrong for the character and goes from “Cocky ass hole” to a “cocky ass hole who likes a girl” (what a character arc). The Ending annoyed me as well, the book ends in tragedy with the main character winning a battle yes, but not the war with a small glimmer of hope for the future. Whereas in the movie they literally hit the reset, button undo all the events of the movie, brings everyone back to life (making all sacrifices hollow and void of purpose), ends the war and has a happy love story ending, they might as well had the sun comes out from behind clouds and a perfect rainbow. To which I say fuck off, war isn’t a happy story, it is painful and horrible with people dying or being injured fighting for they fellow humans to say there is a happy ending to a war is an insult to any person how has served their country in war.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Tom Cruise fought for that ending, so he could have the self-masturbatory imagery of him beating all the aliens (because Scientologists believe that aliens are responsible for all the negative emotions humans have), so he can finally cum at night thinking of himself as the Scientologists literal Christ figure.
What I am saying is read the manga or the book and throw “edge of tomorrow” in the trash. Also, the manga is illustrated by Death Notes own Takashi Obata so the art looks simply amazing.
