Knight & Day (Reviewed by Ed)

3.5/4 Stars

 

A single girl en route to a family wedding gets swept up in a fight between a rogue government agent and the FBI in this globe-trotting action comedy from director James Mangold (Walk the Line, 3:10 to Yuma). June Havens (Cameron Diaz) is preparing to board a flight back home for her sister's wedding when she literally bumps into Roy Miller (Tom Cruise) in the middle of a busy airport. A few minutes later, they're making small talk on the plane when June excuses herself to the bathroom, and all misery breaks loose in the fuselage. By the time June emerges Roy has killed everybody on board, including the pilots. After crash landing the plane in a darkened cornfield, Roy tells June that she should expect a visit from government agents, but warns her that by cooperating with them she risks almost certain death. The following day, Roy's prediction comes true when June is confronted by an imposing gang of government spooks who come under heavy fire while bombarding her with questions about her mysterious traveling companion. Suddenly, Roy is back, and he's once again whisking June away to safety. But what do the agents want, and why do they insist that Roy is the one to be feared, and not them? Before long the girl who never traveled far from home is off on a wild adventure that will take her from the tropics to Austria, France, and Spain. Somewhere amidst all of the confusion and gunfire, June begins to forge a bond with Roy. Unfortunately, it's never quite clear whether her unpredictable protector is one of the good guys or the bad guys, and by the time Roy reveals that he's attempting to protect a valuable new energy source, there's no time for questions..

http://www.fandango.com/knightandday_v495346/summary

 

I have to say that Tom Cruise, in my mind, does it again.  It’s a shame that he’s said and done things in the past that has soured so many movie goers to not want to see his movies anymore.  Once again, Tom Cruise shows why he is a great actor and a fabulous action star.  At 48 years old Cruise still has what it takes to make an action movie a must see.  His fight scenes (especially in the airplane) reminded me of an older Matt Damon/Jason Bourne style which is always fun to watch.  Cruise has done the action movie so many times in the past and “Knight and Day” is no slouch.  Cruse and Diaz have great chemistry in this movie and both of them play off of each other very well.  This is one of those movies where you don’t expect Tom Cruise to be so funny but he pulls it off in a very natural way. 

 

Yes this is an action movie but it’s not your typical shoot em up, blow up everything in your path movie (although there is some of that in the movie), it’s more of a hybrid of action/romance/comedy all tied up together. 

 

Are there cheesy things in the movie?  Absolutely!  It does at times exaggerate the action but does it in a way that doesn’t offend the viewer, but instead adds to the humor of the movie.  I could see how some people would be turned off by some of the stunts if they didn’t have a fun bone in their body.  It’s a movie where you just shut off your critical brain for a few hours, grab some popcorn, bring your spouse and have a good time.

 

In typical Hollywood fashion there are the sexual innuendos and language that they could do without. Diaz drops the “F” bomb one time in a conversation and, once again, it really doesn’t need to be said but what else do we expect from Hollywood?

 

I think ClearPlay will do pretty good at taking out what needs to be taken out.  There may be some parts of the movie that might not make as much sense in ClearPlay mode but for the most part it should work out well.

 

Rating of whether I would see the movie again:
1 = Definitely not!
2 = Probably not.
3 = Maybe.
4 = Probably.
5 = Absolutely!

Would I see the movie again in the theaters? 3.5
Will I rent it on DVD and watch it at home? 5 (If I don’t buy it)
Would I buy the movie? 5 (If I don’t rent it)

 

"Knight and Day" is rated PG-13 and features strong violent action (gunplay and shootings, brawling, knife play and stabbings, explosive, fiery and vehicular mayhem, and violence against women), scattered strong profanity (including one usage of the so-called "R-rated" curse word), brief bloody imagery and some suggestive references. Running time: 110 minutes.