Knight and Day

More Like Tongue and Cheek

[Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz, Peter Sarsgaard]

Today I ran into another great moment that can only happen at the movies. You may or may not have seats at your movie theatre that are designated specifically for the handicapped. At the theatre I go to, they have spaced seating in front of the crossway for this purpose. An older couple were sitting in the two seats centered in the theatre. Just then a man with a cane and his father with a walker came in. He proceeded to tell the man and his wife that they needed to move because these seats were for the handicapped. The older man shot back that he had the right to sit there. The man with the cane shot back '...that in legal terms, he was not considered handicapped... and needed to move.'. The man and his wife moved to the two handicapped seats that were situated to the left of the two seats they had vacated. I would typically applaud a person for sticking up for the reservation of seats for the elderly or handicapped, but I would never use it as a tool to evict a couple just because you wanted to see the movie front and center. That's just crazy!

SYNOPSIS: June Havens, trying to get home to Boston from Wichita, bumps into a handsome man, Roy Miller, at the airport. As events spin into motion and out of control, June quickly is told by Roy that he is a hunted rogue government operative because of the perpetual energy source he is carrying, its inventor that he has moved to a safe house and the agents he was framed for killing. To make matters worse, a notorious arms dealer also wants the energy source, and June still needs to make it to her little sister's wedding on Saturday!

Marquee master Tom Cruise rolls back into the Summer theater, with Cameron Diaz in tow, to dazzle us with another high energy thrill ride. Is it a thrill ride or a kiddie ride? I can definitely attest that the action sequences are kickin'! The flight fight is well choreographed and executed, especially when the flight crew is executed! The car chases and gun battles are frantic and fun. The real question with any action film is whether the moments between the action is worth while.

Remember how great Bruce Willis was in the original "Die Hard"? The entire film, action and non-action, was great to watch. As for "Knight and Day", while Cruise and Diaz kept me entertained, they fail to enthrall me emotionally. Is it Cameron? Is it Cruise? I know it isn't Cruise because I will admit to tearing up during "Jerry Maguire". And I know Diaz has it in her as well. Maybe it was in the trying to add comedy to the action that the emotion effort was underdone.

The early dialogue is a little forced in order to propel the story. We all find out on the flight that June has never been anywhere or done anything of note. In the next breath, Roy is inferring that he just wants to be able to live life, not just travel through it. I would rather have the storytelling conveyed in action, not just words. Cruise does bring back his 'conquer the world' "Jerry Maguire" without the uncertainty, though. Never was it more evident than when he was explaining to June that her degree of survival was 'up here' with him, 'down here' without him, 'up here' with, 'down here' without.

Even though I was not emotionally invested, I was entertained. As I said, the action was quick and well-done, although the CGI 'running of the bulls' sequence left me gored. A good popcorn movie, but certainly not the best that the marketing machine proclaims. If you liked what you saw on the commercials, I am sure that it's good enough!

Worth: Matinee & DVD