Knight and Day

Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you a wonder beyond your wildest dreams; a spectacle the likes of which your eyes have never before witnessed; a marvel of the modern world; an unparalleled treasure to which you will never find an equal. I present to you: a Hollywood action movie with little-acclaimed, and slightly outdated actors, an un-notable director, with a slightly familiar story with a not-too-radical twist. Yes, we live in a day when run-off-the-mill action movies are not only a dime a dozen, but also disproportionally sensationalized, all for the sake of making as much money as possible out of apathetic, easy-to-please audiences with low standards, and apparently too much money in their pocket. Fortunately, Knight and Day exceeded my expectations, which were, unfortunately, very low.

It's a difficult thing to not clump "action" movies--or any genre for that matter--together, but Knight and Day was a movie that, in fact, although outwardly fitting the above description of an average, mind-numbing action movie, surprises the viewer into enjoying it. Although this wasn't a movie that makes one think, it certainly forces one to pay attention. If the viewer goes to see this movie and merely sits down to take it in, a majority of it's beauties and foreshadowings will be missed, and consequentially not enjoyed. The more the viewer actively observes, the more he takes away, and the more he enjoys. I'm afraid this movie entirely passes up the typical audience, hence it's unpopular reception at the box-office.

So what about this movie makes it tick? We all know Tom Cruise has outstayed his welcome in Hollywood, Cameron Diaz is too much the Hollywood veteran to be a carrying star, and James Marigold has enjoyed little to no acknowledgment as a director, plus anyone can see that the typical "killing machine" intrigue has worn off through movies such as the Bourne trilogy, and a romantic action twist just doesn't cut it any more. However, all of these components fit together masterfully to create a movie that not only stands out, but shines when given the attention it deserves. Although alone, no particular part of this movie stands out, each piece works together for the greater good of the movie.

If I had to pick one thing about the modern movie that not so much bothers, but annoys me the most, I would say it was bad running jokes. By "running jokes" I mean a joke, a line, or a sequence that's brought up early in the movie, that's repeated late in the movie for romantic, comedic, or dramatic effect. When used incorrectly, these can ruin a perfectly good evening. It was truly a relief to be pleasantly surprised by a good running joke. Kudos' to Patrick O'Neil, this being his first job screenwriting for a movie.

Does anybody else think that Jordi Molla, the actor who played Antonio, looks strikingly like Russel Crowe, star of Marigold's last film, 3:10 to Yuma? coincidence? hm....

Also, it would be nice to see Maggie Grace of "Lost" and "Taken" in more serious roles.

On the whole, I give Knight and Day an 8/10, being a film that I not only enjoyed, but would like to see again. although I am no fan of either Cruise or Diaz, this was a nice escape from the realities of real life, as well as of Hollywood's infamous factory-line sludge.