Tom Cruise gets stuck in a time-loop in Edge of Tomorrow, and the results are an exciting and character driver action movie that features the blockbuster king in top form.

You will be hard pressed to find an action star who delivers acclaimed and profitable product as consistently as Tom Cruise does. Ever since Mission: Impossible, Cruise has approached the action genre much like a master thespian approaches a drama: it’s about the character and their story first, and then fun is had blowing stuff up!

Edge of Tomorrow differs from Cruise’s other actioners in that it has a sharp comedic edge amongst the drama and explosions. That’s due to the direction of Doug Liman, a jack-of-all-genres filmmaker who knows how to helm a comedy (Swingers) just as well as an action movie (The Bourne Identity).

It’s an approach needed on the most tiresome of novelty: the Alien invasion movie. In this case Earth has been invaded by creatures named “mimics” (think tentacle versions on Loony Toons character the Tasmanian Devil, only without the cheeky personality).

A final resistance in Europe has military PR man Lt. Bill Cage (Tom Cruise) demoted and forced to fight on the front. Yet his fight for survival brings an unexpected “gift” when contact with a mimic leaves him with an ability to relive his last days again…and again…and again…

Where such repetitive structure does bring risks of frustration (or even worse boredom), Liman keeps things fresh and entertaining with every turn of this merry-go-round, the time-loop concept effectively used as a tool to strengthen these characters and there dilemma of how to overcome certain oblivion.

The action featured in Edge of Tomorrow is equally strong, Liman placing the audience in “the shit” during scenes of battle warfare. Having human soldiers don exo-skeleton fighting suits provides a strong visual (think a mix of Saving Private Ryan and the metallic crunch of Iron Man), that will please both war movie and superhero movie fans.

Interestingly it’s not Cruise who is the main action star. That role belongs to Emily Blunt, toned and tough as nails as Special Forces war hero Rita Verdun (also known as the “Full Metal Bitch”). Blunt brings that never-flinch attitude to believably portray a warrior who trains Cruise how to be a combat bad-ass.

Cruise of course gets his own in the action stakes, yet the strength of his performance lies more in the dramatics and the comedy of this PR man turned time weary warrior, in what just might be Cruise’s most complete action movie role yet.

That being said, it begs the question of how much juice does the 52 year old blockbuster king have left in the tank to keep up with these physically demanding roles.

As Edge of Tomorrow proves, Cruise is more than a simple action man. Now is a great time to lay down those guns while on top, and flex those dramatic muscles that secured him three Oscar nominations once upon a time.