Review of Knight and Day (2010) by Ben L — 08 Mar 2012

This movie is more fun than it has any right to be. I wouldn't expect that action, comedy, and romance merged all together into one film would be this balanced. Yet they pulled it off very well. The storyline is action-packed, but has enough moments where the action slows down so the romance can become plausible. I'm not sure that the story is the most well-written thing, but I don't know how much that matters in the long run. The movie works because of 2 key elements, the stars and the action.

Cameron Diaz and Tom Cruise manage to elevate the quality of this movie with 2 stellar performances. Diaz has remarkable comedy talent, and Cruise...well, let's say he doesn't get in her way too much. What Cruise adds is amazing action-movie experience. His portrayal of Roy is very convincing, and genuinely allows the audience to question his level of sanity. The supporting cast gets the job done because they almost disappear into the background in order to let the stars do what they do best.

The fight sequences are extremely well choreographed. Part of the success comes from Diaz and Cruise doing a lot of stunts themselves. This lends so much realism to action sequences that could otherwise feel too contrived. The only negative about this film is that the story lacks any grounding in reality. The stunts are over-the-top, the storyline is absurd, and the love story is outrageous. Of course, that's not why you watch a film like this. If you're looking for reality, then Knight & Day is obviously not the one you dial up. However, if you're just looking to take a fun ride, this could be a great choice for you.