Movie Review: Knight and Day (2010)
An implausible action-comedy that's a hell of a lot of fun
Photo: 20th Century Fox
James Mangold has quite the diverse list of films to his credit. Looking at a select few, he directed Angelina Jolie to an Oscar win in 1999 with Girl, Interrupted, in 2003 he directed the John Cusack thriller Identity and in 2005 he directed Walk the Line, which led to five Oscar nominations and a win for Reese Witherspoon. His last film was the two-time Oscar nominated western remake 3:10 to Yuma and somehow that all leads up to a raucous action-comedy starring Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz. How did that happen? Your guess is as good as mine, but Mangold has delivered a fun film that makes the most of Cruise's charisma and, for the most part, delivers the film the trailers promised.
The cast includes Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz, Maggie Grace, Marc Blucas, Paul Dano, Peter Sarsgaard, Viola Davis and Jordi Molla. For more information on this film including pictures, trailers and a detailed synopsis choose from the following menu.
Review
"Knight and Day" is a 20th Century Fox release, directed by James Mangold and is rated PG-13 for sequences of action violence throughout, and brief strong language. The running time is 1 hour 42 minutes.
One of the easier comparisons to make here is to True Lies. Cruise and Diaz's onscreen relationship mirrors much of how Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtis played off one another in the latter stages of James Cameron's 1994 actioner. This includes Miller's proficiency in getting out of a jam, Diaz's hysterics including a wacky gun scene and the use of psychotropic drugs for (continuous) comedic effect.
Additionally, my mind began wandering to To Catch a Thief, comparing the ultimate relationship Cary Grant and Grace Kelly share in Alfred Hitchcock's classic and the ambiguity of Grant as a retired jewel thief, although the authorities on his tail think otherwise. Cruise's character here is dealing with the same thing as we are told what he's doing is the right thing, but the whiff of doubt lingers in the air. While Knight and Day may not be as great as either of those films, it easily bests them both when it comes to taking action to the nonsensical extreme.
Just how exactly do Roy and June get halfway around the world in a matter of onscreen minutes? The answer is a fantastic montage making up the best scene in the film (and one of the better scenes I've seen in a summer movie this year), which includes everything from sky-diving to jetting away in a ski boat, but the moments from one mode of transportation to the next are left to the imagination. Mangold isn't interested in logic with this flick. He places Roy and June in increasingly outlandish scenarios and only about half the time tells us how they get out of them before quickly putting one or both of them immediately back in peril. Of course, as much fun as this is, it also works to the film's detriment at times.
Knight and Day is action, action, action, peppered with comedy throughout. However, the non-stop action gets a bit tiresome and redundant about midway through. There comes a point where the action needs to stop and the next stage in the story needs to begin. Eventually this film gets there, but not without a bump or two along the way, and in truth the ending comes as little consequence once all is said and done. It's the ride along the way that matters with this one.
Cruise and Diaz work well together in their second onscreen pairing (Vanilla Sky). Cruise in particular is a blast as he delivers punches like Ethan Hunt and punch-lines in a way we haven't seen from him before. Knight and Day is over the top from the word "go" and the repartee between the two leads is the film's strong suit as the story is certainly secondary. Diaz holds her own.
The supporting cast includes Peter Sarsgaard and Viola Davis as FBI employees on Roy's tail. Jordi Molla (Bad Boys II) plays an evil weapons dealer and Paul Dano (There Will be Blood) plays an innocent whiz kid inventor whose newest device serves as the centerpiece to the story. To tell you anymore would ruin what little story development there is so I will leave the rest to you.
Mangold does well in terms of piecing together each action sequence, but I think he could have worked with freshman writer Patrick O'Neill to cut an action scene or two and ramp up the storytelling a bit. All-in-all, Knight and Day was a lot of fun and was made up of a lot of well-earned laughs. As far as summer films filled with entertaining nonsense goes this one is a satisfying diversion built for good times and not much more.
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I heard tracking for this movie is just about the same as Killers. Does it mean next week this movie's going to earn just about $20M? That sucks. I hope it doesn't
I'm not convinced that they figured out exactly how they wanted to sell this one… The commercials have bounced around quite a bit, with ads where Diaz is a hostage, and then ads where Diaz and Cruise share nothing but a willing partnership and romantic banter. While it's not hard to see how the movie will progress from one to the other, the fact that the ads often show *only* one or the other makes the commercials feel like they could be for two entirely separate movies, suggesting the whole thing is a bit schizophrenic.
Ultimately though, this will be a test on how willing the audience is to come back to Cruise. Many felt MI3 underperformed because of his off-screen antics, and while he apparently has a publicist that can keep him under control again, this is the first big test of how well he's repaired his image with the public. Valkyrie has the period film/Nazi excuse for not breaking $100m… This one will be laid entirely on Cruise if it doesn't become a hit.
"Mangold isn't interested in logic with this flick. He places Roy and June in increasingly outlandish scenarios and only about half the time tells us how they get out of them"
You didn't have a problem with that? I did. This mess is like one gigantic movie trailor.
I won't argue with you, and that's really where my own complaint came in and I can see how it would bother some people, but the play between Cruise and Diaz helped me get over that. The insanity of it all and Cruise's character won me over.
I like comedies that makes no sense, but that must be the focus of the humor. Like Help!, that Beatles movie, man I loved it, it's so ridiculous, nothing makes sense ever at all!! But I loved it because of that, it's nonsense and makes fun of itself all the time.
The Austin Powers movies I also like because of this.
But if you want to make a nonsense movie, REALLY make one. I don't like movies that makes no sense only when it's easier, only when the writer or the director or both are simply lazy.
Like most action movies nowadays. Some scenes have no reason whatsoever, but they pretende like it's okay, "this is style". I'm talking to you, Michael Bay.
I hope Knight & Day is closer to the former, not the latter.
I want to want to see this movie. I really do. But whenever I think of or see Cameron Diaz I cringe. I dont know why but I find her instantly annoying. Is she tolerable in this film?
She is terribly annoying in the movie,I only sat through it 'cause I paid
Anyone think this looks like an updated Bird on a Wire? Cause' that's all I could think looking at the trailer.
I don't mind a movie with little or no logic as long as I get the impression it was part of the deal going in – and let's be honest, when it comes to logic how many summer movies on average truly have that working for them anyway?
I've been interested in this for a few months now, thanks for the review and I'll be seeing it in theatres when it comes to where I am!
Although – an updated Bird on a Wire sounds great to me!! I like that flick!
I'm really looking forward to this film! The comparison to "True Lies" is promising. I expect this movie to do a lot better than many people are expecting.
Looks to be a decent actioner.
Hey, Brad, are you doing a review on Restrepo?
Just got out of it and straight up loved it. Not a great movie or anything but a heck of a lot of fun.
Apparently it earned $3.8 million on the Wednesday. Variety calls that a strong show and other online media are already calling it a 'bomb'.
Shall we add 'Knight & Day' to what is becoming the year of the freeway pile-up summer 2010 weekends or can it dust itself off and do a bit better over the weekend?
Good God, this movie was terrible. I can't believe I shelled out money for a dump on the screen. Horrible acting, horrible plot, and horrible dialogue. Action was strung together "just because" and it felt like a Tom Cruise-grinny Vanity movie, while Cameron Diaz gushes over the has-been actor.
3/10 or C-.
This one will be a rental. I'm a James Mangold fan, but this looks ATROCIOUS!
I can't believe Cruise dropped out of Salt to do this. Salt actually looks pretty good and will get my money before Knight and Day ever will.
A-. The best Arnold-style spy movie since himself and better!
The worst movie i have seen in years, please tell Mr Tom Cruise to wake up, this movie shows the incompetence of CIA and the police of almost all of europe, they can't catch a single guy. Please be realistic stopping making kiddish movies,it was a rubbish and a waste of 120 minutes.