Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz Star in this Action/Adventure Romp
By Milford Reid
TheUrbanFly
June, 23 2010
Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz are paired in "Knight and Day," a tepid adventure comedy featuring good action sequences saddled with a by-the-numbers plot. Cruise plays Roy Miller, a government agent who may have gone rogue and stolen a super battery with limitless power and kidnapped its inventor who he was supposed to be guarding. Diaz portrays June Havens, a woman who has just broken up with her boyfriend. They meet cute in an airport and, unbeknownst to her, he uses her luggage to slip the device through security. On the plane she strikes up a conversation with Miller and is so taken with him she doesn't notice that there's almost nobody else on the jet. But Miller does and when she goes to the bathroom to freshen up, he quickly determines that the few passengers are agents and takes them out by shooting some and beating up the others, including the pilots. He also lands the plane. The action is tight, well filmed and very entertaining. Then it's over and nothing very interesting happens until the next action sequence comes along. That's the pattern for the entire movie - exciting action sequences - including car chases, shootouts in various locations, island bombing, racing with bulls - followed by vapid verbal interplay. The movie meanders to a predictable end that you will see coming very early. Cruise doesn't fare to badly here because he gets to do lots of action stuff, which he always does well. Diaz is stuck with a role that requires her character to be whatever is needed to advance the plot. She goes from ditsy to clever to ditsy to clever as needed. Most of the supporting cast doesn't fare well, either. The talented Viola Davis, who just won a Tony for her performance in "Fences" and received an Oscar nomination for "Doubt," is little used as Miller's boss. Peter Sarsgaard, another talented actor, plays Fitzgerald, Miller's former partner. He also has little to do. One nice about "Knight and Day," though - there probably won't be a sequel.
Rated PG-13 for sequences of action violence throughout, and brief strong language. Theatrical Release, June 23, 2010
Two stars out of four stars
Rated: PG-13 Genre: Comedy/Adventure Theatrical Release: June 23, 2010 Starring: Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz, Peter Sarsgaard, Viola Davis Director: James Mang
