June Havens finds her everyday life tangled with that of a secret agent who has realized he isn’t supposed to survive his latest mission. As their campaign to stay alive stretches across the globe, they soon learn that all they can count on is each other.
Directed by James Mangold whose previous films include ‘3:10 to Yuma’ and ‘Walk the Line’, ‘Knight and Day’ is a light action comedy with a twist of romance and something of a throwback to past action romantic comedies like ‘Bird on a Wire’.
Throughout the film both Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz provide solid performances and they display a good onscreen chemistry that shines through. Unfortunately for the most part the script is quite weak and the film struggles to provide much depth over the two hour running time. The supporting cast is used to a minimum with very little attention given to any of the motivations behind their actions.
The story as it unfolds initially I found to be interesting enough however as it progresses becomes more and more predictable and certain aspects quite simply don’t make much sense. Action scenes are distributed throughout giving a good pacing to the film while the sequences themselves are delivered in a ludicrously over the top but entertaining manner.
The visual effects are somewhat inadequate, though some may find this doesn’t hinder the enjoyment factor as it actually combines with the ridiculousness of various action scenes to boost the entertainment value.
Make no mistake ‘Knight and Day’ isn’t trying to be an intense, gritty spy film that would be delivered by the likes of Jason Bourne or Ethan Hunt, this is a very light spy film that by the time the credits roll doesn’t want you to think too much about it.
Overall while the pieces of the movie sound good it simply doesn’t quite come together as well as was promised in the trailer which had me looking forward to its release. The comedic aspects fell flat, and the settings and situations that Mangold built up just didn’t manage to draw me. I think some audiences will find enjoyment in the film, ultimately for me I had expected something more from the cast as well as the director with the final product feeling quite forgettable.
I give this film 2.5 out of 5 stars.