The Greatest Showman #1026 - Ridiculous Mode

"What the hell?"

This was the first thought in Gavin's mind. First, the heroine dies, then the protagonist's team perishes, and finally, the male lead bites the dust? What's next? Is the movie over? This... this is ridiculous, right?

Just moments ago, the audience had been anxiously waiting for the story's turning point, but now there was a sinking feeling in the air. Could it be that the hero will meet his end too, only to have a last-minute reversal? Such plot twists are a staple of Hollywood, but still, it's just popcorn entertainment. Could they really ask for more?

Now, the audience sat in stunned silence, confusion clouding their thoughts. It felt like they were watching William Cage in the film, asking themselves: What the hell happened? What's going on now? What should we do? Or, is the projection equipment malfunctioning?

After Cage's death, the screen plunged into darkness. One second. Two seconds. Three seconds. A thick, unsettling silence spread across the auditorium, the stillness heavy, as if even time itself had paused. Everyone sat frozen, their minds racing with questions, but none dared to move.

Suddenly, a gasp broke the silence. The screen flickered back to life, and Cage reappeared, wide-eyed and panicked. "Ah! Ahh!" he cried, frantically touching his face as though trying to erase the nightmare of his melted cheeks.

"What... ghost?"

At that moment, Gavin realized the director had done it again—no, the entire premiere had succeeded once more.

The abrupt break in the narrative pulled the audience deeper into the experience, forcing them to leave their role as passive observers. They found themselves in Cage's shoes—just as he was confused, so too were they. What was happening? What comes next?

The director had masterfully done two things: First, the audience truly empathized with Cage, entering his world. Second, the audience shared his sense of disorientation. In commercial cinema, the turning point is often the key to success, and Edge of Tomorrow hit that point with precision.

Even Gavin found himself intrigued, fully engaged in the story now. This was a testament to the power of a captivating narrative, and Paul Greengrass, known for his sharp action in the Bourne series, had delivered again.

After his revival, Cage realized he was trapped in a time loop, reliving the same day repeatedly. He awoke once more on the recruit training bag.

As the audience watched in stunned silence, Cage's repeated experiences mirrored their own confusion. He could hardly believe everything was unfolding exactly as before. When he stood on the battlefield, things finally began to take a turn for the exciting.

Cage scrambled to avoid a plane wreckage falling from the sky. Kimmel, however, wasn't so lucky. He stared at Cage, dumbfounded, as if asking, How did you know the plane was coming? The next second, flames consumed him.

Cage hesitated, but soon saw Rita—who had just killed the enemy heroically. Recognizing her as the war's hope, Cage rushed to her, narrowly avoiding a stray bullet, but his own clumsy movement got him shot.

"I was shot. I was shot," Cage muttered, a look of fear crossing his face. He fell dramatically to the side, asking, "How bad is it?" But the expression faltered almost immediately. "Uh, is there... a lot of blood?"

"You have a hole in your chest," Rita answered flatly.

"Really?" Cage asked, his eyes wide, a mix of disbelief and fear.

"Yes," she replied, unfazed, and began to move on.

Cage blinked, only to spot an alien rolling toward him. Before he could react, he cursed, then—once more—woke up on the recruit training bag.

Laughter erupted from the audience.

Now, it became clear: Edge of Tomorrow was the sci-fi version of Groundhog Day. The protagonist was doomed to repeat the same day until he could figure out how to break the loop. Groundhog Day had been a classic comedy about life's awakening. What about Edge of Tomorrow? How would this story unfold?

Each time Cage woke up, he decided to take more initiative, and the film shifted into high gear.

For the first time, Cage, acting like a prophet, revealed everyone's private information, predicted the future, and tried to warn the soldiers that the battlefield was a trap. They didn't believe him and taped his mouth shut, sending him back into the fray. He narrowly dodged the plane wreckage, but when he tried to push Kimmel away, he died.

On his second attempt, Cage managed to push Kimmel out of harm's way, only to be run over by a car while saving Rita.

On the third try, Cage saved Rita, predicted enemy positions, but when Rita saw him, she coldly told him, "When you wake up, come find me." An explosion took them both out.

For the fourth time, Cage tried something different. He covered the J team's moves, concealed his own, and managed to blend in. But his plan fell apart when he tried to escape with Rita. As he attempted a daring maneuver under a passing truck, he was crushed to death.

This time, the laughter in the theater was uncontrollable.

After several failed attempts, Cage finally managed to break free from the team and find Rita, who was training on the field.

Rita, clad in a black outfit, gracefully hung suspended by one hand, sweat glistening on her cheeks. Her commanding presence filled the room, and the audience couldn't help but marvel at her. This wasn't Jennifer's first appearance in the film, but this moment still drew a collective, low murmur of admiration.

Cage and Rita finally met, and they were soon joined by Dr. Carter. Under their guidance, the full story of Edge of Tomorrow was revealed. The aliens' leader, Omega, had the power to reset time, and every time Cage died, he reset the loop. This was the source of his repeated deaths.

Rita had once possessed this power, but it was lost when she died in battle. She and Cage were now the key to stopping Omega, whose ultimate plan was to lure humanity into a deadly trap. The earth was on the brink of falling to the aliens.

In order to stop Omega, Cage had to die again and again, resetting the loop each time. As he got closer to Omega, the time loop became more intense, with visions and illusions guiding him toward Omega's location.

Cage's first instinct was to retreat, to gather humanity's forces and report the situation to the general. But Rita had already tried that route and failed, becoming a prisoner. Carter was the only one who had believed in her, and for that, he'd lost his White House job.

With no other options, Cage reluctantly agreed to train, becoming a super soldier under Rita's guidance. But the training was grueling, and Cage found himself struggling with even the most basic tasks.

At one point, while trying to dodge a strike, Cage was hit by the training equipment and flew across the room, paralyzed and unable to move. He groaned, "I think something's broken."

"Where?" Rita asked.

"Um, my back? I think the only thing I can move now are my lips," Cage quipped, earning a burst of laughter from the audience.

Rita's face remained serious. "Listen closely. This is the most important rule—and the only rule. If you're injured in battle, you must die. I once lost so much blood that I almost died. When I woke up in the field hospital, they'd given me three bags of blood, and that's when I lost my ability. Do you understand?"

Cage nodded, processing the gravity of the situation. Rita pulled out her pistol and aimed it at his head. "So, we'd better start over, right?"

"What?" Cage asked, confused.

Rita raised the pistol and pulled the trigger.

Boom.