Nothing truly comforts quite like the familiar. Whether it is returning home on a cold winter’s night or getting lost in a particular book or show that takes you back to yesteryear, it is simply human nature. This week’s adventure flick “Knight and Day” cashes in on that particular human trait by featuring Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz, the cinematic equivalents of Grandma’s apple pie.
What should have been a routine flight to her sister’s nuptials quickly becomes a whirlwind of intrigue, murder and comedic timing for June (Diaz). After bumping into the same stranger twice in the airport, June once again runs into the same man on the flight. The affable mystery man, Roy Miller (Cruise), tries to warn June of potential problems on the flight. After mistaking his remarks for flirtation, June soon learns first-hand that Mr. Miller is much more than meets the eye.
Cruise is an icon, pure and simple. In “Knight and Day,” he is tasked with bringing levity to the nasty business of dispatching bad guys. While this may not sound like a tall order, it, in fact, is. There are risks to consider in this endeavor, but Cruise is a veteran and performs admirably. Despite his many tabloid exploits in recent years, Cruise has always delivered.
His costar, Diaz, utilizes her girl-next-door charm to the hilt while serving as both a prop and the butt of countless damsel-in-distress-inspired jokes. While the pairing may seem strange, there is a chemistry between the two that genuinely brings a smile to one’s face. Also, this pairing may serve to bring her somewhat cooling star back up to a more relevant heat.
Peter Sarsgaard heads the supporting cast as Agent Fitzgerald. Once partnered with Cruise’s Miller, he now hunts the supposed rogue agent in order to retrieve the Zephyr, a D-sized battery containing almost limitless power. Paul Dano portrays the battery’s inventor Simon Feck. The stereotypical film scientist, Feck is being protected by Miller against the many forces naturally vying for this unprecedented invention. Since Feck resides inside his own mind a majority of the time, he is relatively nonplussed by the mayhem that surrounds him due to his friendship with Agent Miller.
The action is all chase-related and is both well-constructed and well-shot. A great variety of locations are utilized throughout the film. This keeps it consistent with other flicks found under the all-encompassing umbrella known as the espionage thriller genre by providing action consistent with the like.
The film seems to suffer from its own goal, safely mediocre. Not mediocre in the sense that the film’s producers were hoping for a film that achieved mediocrity, rather, a rehashing of all the spy thriller films that have ever been put to the screen. A sampling of “Mr. and Mrs. Smith,” a touch of the “Bourne” franchise — just name the film, and part of its genetic code is found here. Viewers could easily find themselves exclaiming time and again, “Where have I seen that before?”
Vanilla flavoring aside, “Knight and Day” is a fun film, the perfect cure for the heat wave currently paying homage to the World Cup via its African-inspired temperatures. Cruise is his vivacious self, and Diaz brings her own spunk and comedic timing, thus making the film safely palatable for a very wide-ranging audience. So revel in summer, enjoy a cookout and feel free to enjoy a helping of “Knight and Day” for dessert. Who said you can’t go home?
Rating: W W W
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