Review of Knight and Day (2010) by Lopez17 — 10 Aug 2010

In this day and age in this era of films spy movies are literally a dime a dozen they are one of the action genres most common uses for an action/ adventure picture and have spawned many franchises, T.V. series, video games. You name it the spy genre has left there mark somewhere to make sure that you never forget them the spy game has had a very successful run in the films. Although never quite commanding the respect they deserve from moviegoers who are now a days more interested in seeing dull overdrawn teen romances than good spy thrillers with smart ideas and compelling stories but that is just the way things go theses days. James Mangold's romantic action/comedy "Knight & Day" is the perfect example of a spy movie that has all the right ideas the right set ups and a story good enough to make me want to actually sit through the whole thing without checking my watch every ten minutes or so asking myself when it will be over. "Knight and Day" is the first great film of the summer. James Mangold's "Knight and Day" is one of those films that flew under my radar until almost two months before its initial release, which for a film with such a high-class director and stars I expected to hear more about this film. Instead I only heard that Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz were working together again after almost 9 years. There last collaboration being Cameron Crowe's bizarre hit "Vanilla Sky"(2001) truthfully that is the main reason went to see this movie. If there were anyone else in the lead roles, I would not have bothered with and gone to see something else instead now I am glad I did not decided to skip this one after all. "Knight and Day" is a pure formula film right down to its story and plot even most of its dialogue is formula the most formulaic parts are concerning Cameron Diaz when she is being briefed about Roy Miller(Tom Cruise) and how he is dangerous and crazy and a traitor, moviegoers have all heard it before. The only thing that saves this film from being nothing more than just a run of the mill rehash of other better spy movies is the breezy pace, snappy dialogue and a pair of winning performances from Cameron Diaz and Tom Cruise help bring this film out of its familiar territory saving it from a dark and dreary failure. James Mangold is know for making high quality films most notably being "Walk the Line"(2005), "Cop Land"(1997)," Identity"(2003), "3:10 to Yuma"(2007). "Knight and Day" may not be one of Mangold best it certainly is better than his other comedy type film "Kate and Leopold"(2001) which wasn't bad but than again it was not quite that good either it is somewhere in between "Knight and Day" is far above "Kate and Leopold" but it is less imaginative than that film. What I found most impressive about this film and I think moviegoers will as well is the skill and design of this film it uses the clichés of its simple formula and story to turn what would have been a routine action/adventure/ spy thriller. Into an exceedingly enjoyable film far more enjoyable than could be imagined too enjoyable for its own, good "Knight and Day" works.

What I wanted form this film I did not get completely I wanted to get Cruise and Diaz laughing it up and cracking jokes like it is going out of style but instead I got rudimentary action, cliché plot twist. After hearing all this you start asking yourself this question: is this film wroth seeing? Most definitely, I wish there would have been more to it than just action and a pair of good-looking leads falling for each other, running around trying to find a very valuable object it just all seemed too...