Knight and Day

Starring: Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz, Peter Sarsgaard, Jordi Molla, Viola Davis, Paul Dano, Maggie Grace
Directed by: James Mangold
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy
2010

Times Seen:
Tim: 2

Summary: A woman (Cameron Diaz) meets a stranger (Tom Cruise) at an airport. Her life gets turned upside down when he enters her life and she gets caught up in a government plot to retrieve a mysterious but powerful device.

Review:

Tim: I really believe that Knight and Day is a criminally underrated movie. I am not trying to suggest that this is a great movie- it's not. However, it is a fun, entertaining, serviceable action comedy. It is an enjoyable ride, and that is oftentimes good enough.

I understand to a certain extent why this film didn't connect with its audience. The movie has an awful title, the marketing was bad, and Tom Cruise has alienated fans by acting generally batshit crazy. Still, this was an entertaining movie, and I am disappointed it did so poorly at the box office. People were quick to blame Cruise for the disappointment, and I do believe he deserves some of the blame. However, this is exactly the type of movie I want Cruise to make. It isn't that much fun when he's acting in films like Valkyrie, I want to see Cruise embrace his crazy side, and he does that here.

Cruise is very good as Roy Miller. It allows him to be at his charismatic best, but he also is a bit unhinged. That blend of charisma and craziness is a strength of Cruise, and I loved that he played to those strengths. I had fun watching him on screen. He worked well with his costar, Cameron Diaz. I don't always like Diaz, but I thought she worked well here. She was occasionally annoying, but it was mostly forgivable. She and Cruise had some good chemistry together, and I had fun watching the pairing.

The supporting players are good as well. I really enjoy Peter Sarsgaard, and I thought he worked very well in his role here. It was a good casting decision. Viola Davis was fine, but I didn't think she had a big enough role to make much of a difference. Paul Dano is good, but again, doesn't make a huge difference. I also enjoyed seeing Maggie Grace in a smaller role. The supporting cast do their jobs well, but it is obvious that this is a two-person show, and the movie is really about Cruise and Diaz.

I know this movie has flaws. The story is a bit silly. The constant drugging scenes can tend to be annoying, although they are pretty inventive as well. There are some cheesy scenes and dialogue at which you just have to roll your eyes. The story is interesting, but a bit far-fetched. I thought the first 30 minutes were brilliant, but the movie started to lose its focus after that. The movie does have a number of cliches. While these things prevent the film from being great, they do not necessary mean you won't have a fun time watching.

I really enjoyed the great blend of action and comedy that this movie delivered. The film consistently made me laugh, especially when Cruise was acting crazy. He has some of the funniest lines of the movie, and I loved watching him deliver them. While this film isn't great, it was very enjoyable to watch, and was fun, too. I can forgive many flaws of a film that is fun to watch. I really believe Knight and Day is an underrated movie, and I hope in several years, it's recognized as a hidden gem.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



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