Knight and Day relies heavily on the star power of leads Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz. The film definitely benefits from the pair’s chemistry; without this it is passable at best.
A chance encounter at the airport changes the life of June Havens (Diaz) forever. She finds her life is in danger after she gets chatting to secret agent Ron Miller (Cruise) on a plane…
As an action comedy, Knight and Day appears to tick all the boxes. The film contains large-scale action sequences, plot twists, a love story and amusing set-ups. Nevertheless, it lacks the magic that would make it a memorable film. Although the stunts are well produced, the twists aren’t that imaginative and the comedic situations are not as funny as you would hope.
Tom Cruise appears to send himself up a little in his portrayal of the seemingly unhinged Miller. As the film progresses, Miller is revealed to be more astute than his initial depiction; an analogy, perhaps, of Cruise and his public persona. Cameron Diaz plays June as ditzy yet endearing. It is a role she has played before, but one she plays well. Cruise and Diaz work well in this pairing; their chemistry sparks an interest in an otherwise mundane narrative.
The premise of Knight and Day isn’t a poor one, but it has been done before and executed much better than in this film. James Mangold directs the action scenes with finesse, however the sequences in between are let down by a lack of ingenuity, which would have carried the audience’s interest through.
Knight and Day is enjoyable enough if it is not taken seriously at all. It is the type of film you would happily watch on television or dvd, but may leave you a little disgruntled after paying to see it on the big screen.
I Heart The Talkies 