Knight and Day

Light, Frothy, Summer, Fun, 13 August 2010

Author: gary-444 from United Kingdom


This is no classic, nor will it feature on the lists of the involved party's best work, yet as a straightforward popcorn pic, it's quite a lot of fun. Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz dominate, and do a good job at carrying the picture. The action sequences are good, but the story is awkward, and the dialogue frequently terrible. That nine writers were involved in a series of rewrites is no surprise.

Although billed as a comedy ,laughs are in short supply. But this is more than compensated for by a series of excellent set piece action scenes, the best of which is set in Seville, Spain. Indeed it is the locations and action which save the story from a slow death, combined with the energy and brio of the leads.

The plot is simple enough, spy Cruise involves an unsuspecting Diaz in a swirl of danger, mystery intrigue, and excitement, and they fall romantically for one another. The running gags are cringe worthy, and the humour forced, but is not intended to be taken seriously and an early shoot out on a plane, of which Diaz is apparently unaware, does raise a smile. Director James Mangold has done some good work previously in the Chair with "3:10 to Yuma" and "Walk the Line" and as a writer with "Copland". Here he scrapes respectability by the skin of his teeth.