Knight & Day (2010)

Directed by James Mangold
Written by Patrick O’Neill

I used to love Tom Cruise. He is a very good actor, and he is very funny. I don’t give a lick about what he does with his personal life. What he does is his business, but when he is in a movie, I am the consumer and I do care. Up until basically Magnolia in 1999, I loved him as an actor and many of the movies he did, but then he kind of fell off, doing some things I didn’t much care for, though his turn in Tropic Thunder might be all time great. What we get here is vintage Cruise and that’s the best thing possible. The other lead, Cameron Diaz, is also an actress that never really interested me that much. Sure, she has done a few nice movies, but I can say I never liked them because of her, they were just good projects. But again, here she seems perfect for her role as June Havens. So the leads are good, what about the rest of the cast, well I get three people I do actually like in Peter Sarsgaard, Viola Davis, and Paul Dano, though their parts here are too insignificant to matter.

The story follows June Havens, just a normal, run of the mill girl living her life until she encounters a mysterious man, Roy Miller, on an airplane ride back to Boston. That plane ride is one that she will not soon forget, and she subsequently gets involved in a strange spy plot that involves a rogue agent and a super powerful, super efficient battery created by a boy genius. The film is a action packed and extremely funny to boot. The best thing about the whole affair is that it doesn’t take itself too seriously. And that is where director Mangold and his two leads, Cruise and Diaz, come into play so well. The chemistry between the two leads is great and the situations that arise give them perfect opportunities to make the audience laugh and cheer.

I hope this is the return of Tom Cruise, because his performance here is downright hilarious. There are so many instances and lines that he delivers that are so perfect. The best way I can think of to express what this movie is is fun. It’s just pure fun in the best way possible. The plot doesn’t get in the way and is a good setting for these characters to develop and entertain the audience. Not game changing, not important in any way, but the best bang for your buck good time I have seen this summer so far.

*** – Good