No couch jumping. No rants about psychiatry. Are you sure this is a Tom Cruise movie?
Tom Cruise stars as Roy Miller - a CIA agent on the run. Accused of going insane, destroying a research facility, killing the guards and stealing a top secret and powerful item under development, Roy needs to clear his name before the agency and some other bad guys find him.
During his getaway, Roy meets up with June (Cameron Diaz), and the two strike up a strange chemistry under the most bizarre of circumstances. However, as the situation with Roy becomes more complicated, June isn't sure if she can believe him, the CIA agents who want to take her into custody for her own good, or none of the above.
Has Roy gone insane?
What is the mysterious object everyone wants?
Can June stay safe?
Knight and Day almost was a good movie.
It's an action movie that wants to be a comedy, and should have been allowed to do so. In some ways, Knight and Day is like a geeky high school girl with glasses who has a wicked sense of humor, but let's shyness keep her from displaying it in full (believe me, you want to get to know that girl, because she gets sexy by 25, and has a brain).
Director James Mangold and writer Patrick O'Neill seem very torn. While the situations and scenarios on screen, as well as the dialogue and reactions by the actors, make the audience laugh, we're left wondering if that's the appropriate response. Often times, the musical score is compelling you to feel Knight and Day should be taken more seriously. I'm not saying we need a laugh track to give us permission to giggle, but Mangold should give the audience room to breathe and guffaw.
Cruise's performance has much the same problem. He has moments of comic genius as he gives Roy a very deadpan attitude that makes us laugh, but leaves him a bit clueless as to why, which is the way it should be. Cruise brings the right manic action and tics to Roy to keep us wondering about his mental state, but, thanks to Mangold and O'Neill, we also see his ability and brain at work.
Yet, Cruise is forced to get more serious as the movie winds to a conclusion, and, sometimes, appears to be holding back from being as wacky as he could be. The fun romp gets too serious too quickly, which doesn't allow Cruise to be the funny guy you saw in those early commercials that got you interested in seeing Knight and Day. Meanwhile, Diaz seems much more at ease when allowed to be goofy, but that might be because those scenes are the best ones written for her character.
While entertaining enough, Knight and Day ultimately suffers from a lack of details. The movie has lots of go go go, but not much substance. After the biggest questions are answered, the mystery loses steam quickly, which leaves Mangold and O'Neill pushing the romantic elements of the movie, which aren't as interesting or needed. I'd much rather see the two characters be buddies instead of romantic love interests.
Knight and Day is many good moments surrounded by unrealized potential.
2 Waffles (Out of 4)
Knight and Day is rated PG-13 for sequences of action violence throughout, and brief strong language.
During his getaway, Roy meets up with June (Cameron Diaz), and the two strike up a strange chemistry under the most bizarre of circumstances. However, as the situation with Roy becomes more complicated, June isn't sure if she can believe him, the CIA agents who want to take her into custody for her own good, or none of the above.
Has Roy gone insane?
What is the mysterious object everyone wants?
Can June stay safe?
Knight and Day almost was a good movie.
It's an action movie that wants to be a comedy, and should have been allowed to do so. In some ways, Knight and Day is like a geeky high school girl with glasses who has a wicked sense of humor, but let's shyness keep her from displaying it in full (believe me, you want to get to know that girl, because she gets sexy by 25, and has a brain).
Director James Mangold and writer Patrick O'Neill seem very torn. While the situations and scenarios on screen, as well as the dialogue and reactions by the actors, make the audience laugh, we're left wondering if that's the appropriate response. Often times, the musical score is compelling you to feel Knight and Day should be taken more seriously. I'm not saying we need a laugh track to give us permission to giggle, but Mangold should give the audience room to breathe and guffaw.
Cruise's performance has much the same problem. He has moments of comic genius as he gives Roy a very deadpan attitude that makes us laugh, but leaves him a bit clueless as to why, which is the way it should be. Cruise brings the right manic action and tics to Roy to keep us wondering about his mental state, but, thanks to Mangold and O'Neill, we also see his ability and brain at work.
Yet, Cruise is forced to get more serious as the movie winds to a conclusion, and, sometimes, appears to be holding back from being as wacky as he could be. The fun romp gets too serious too quickly, which doesn't allow Cruise to be the funny guy you saw in those early commercials that got you interested in seeing Knight and Day. Meanwhile, Diaz seems much more at ease when allowed to be goofy, but that might be because those scenes are the best ones written for her character.
While entertaining enough, Knight and Day ultimately suffers from a lack of details. The movie has lots of go go go, but not much substance. After the biggest questions are answered, the mystery loses steam quickly, which leaves Mangold and O'Neill pushing the romantic elements of the movie, which aren't as interesting or needed. I'd much rather see the two characters be buddies instead of romantic love interests.
Knight and Day is many good moments surrounded by unrealized potential.
2 Waffles (Out of 4)
Knight and Day is rated PG-13 for sequences of action violence throughout, and brief strong language.
one must love tom cruise and cameron diaz in the knight and day movie