Tom Cruise stars as renegade spy, Roy Miller, who bumps into - and falls in love with - the slightly dappy girl-next-door, June Havens (Cameron Diaz). There's ditched planes, car chases, shoot-outs, bombing raids, train fights and general global mayhem before she to realises he may be the man of her dreams. The pair hop explosively from Boston to The Bronx, and the Azores to an Alpine express, to find a missing scientist, pursued by the disposable ranks of the US secret service (headed by Peter Sarsgaard).Find out what we thought of the film after the jump...
Knight and Day (12A)Starring: Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz, Peter Sarsgaard
Director: James Mangold
Running time: 110 minutes
Trailer: Watch it here
The plot: Tom Cruise stars as renegade spy, Roy Miller, who bumps into - and falls in love with - the slightly dappy girl-next-door, June Havens (Cameron Diaz). There's ditched planes, car chases, shoot-outs, bombing raids, train fights and general global mayhem before she to realises he may be the man of her dreams. The pair hop explosively from Boston to The Bronx, and the Azores to an Alpine express, to find a missing scientist, pursued by the disposable ranks of the US secret service (headed by Peter Sarsgaard).
What's good about it? It far outweighed any expectations we had; both for another spy film and for a Tom Cruise film. Cruise's personal life has made it easy to forget what an entertaining and talented big-screen star he can be. His masculine presence, athletic prowess - he fearlessly performs many of his own stunts - and charm are all on display in Knight and Day. Both he and Diaz are in fine comedic form and bring lightness and entertainment to a plot that could have been tiresome; in fact, we didn't check our watches once and could have gone on watching them fool around for much longer. Their characters shone out in moments of manic action and there were a few good twists that kept the action fresh.
What's wrong with it? Admittedly, the film is based on an overworked spy-thriller template. There's nothing new about the concept of a covert agent and a beautiful women on the run, after being set up, whilst still trying to save the world in some way. The action is sometimes so extreme it borders on silliness, but this is often done intentionally for comic effect.
Verdict: Basically, it's an action film with a light heart. It takes you around the world to some beautiful locations and is filled with comedy and characters that you can really warm to. It's definitely not bad for a summer flick - just don't go in expecting much.
Rating: 7 out of 10