KNIGHT AND DAY — ★★★ — Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz; rated PG-13 (violence, profanity, brief gore, vulgarity); in general release
The last time Tom Cruise really had a big hit at the box office was with the third "Mission: Impossible" in 2006. So he clearly needed something like "Knight and Day."
And outside of the "Shrek" movies, Cameron Diaz really hasn't fared well, either. So she really needed this film as well.
Let's not forget movie audiences while we're at it. They certainly could use this big, silly, fun movie after suffering through a nearly monthlong drought of cinematic pleasures this summer.
Now, this kind of thing is not exactly original. The lackluster "Killers" tried to do the same thing, to much less success. But this smarter, comic action-thriller has almost everything you could ask from a supposed "popcorn" movie — especially in terms of action.
"Knight and Day" reteams Cruise and Diaz, who appeared in 2001's less-than-stellar "Vanilla Sky."
She plays June Havens, a garage owner who has been kidnapped by Roy Miller (Cruise), a rogue CIA agent.
Apparently Roy has stolen a top-secret, experimental energy source and will do anything to keep it from falling into the wrong hands. To prove how serious he is, Roy has been leaving a trail of bodies in his wake.
He's also dragging June along with him, allegedly to protect her. And she may need protection. They're being pursued by an arms dealer (Jordi Molla) and his men, as well as Roy's former partner (Peter Sarsgaard).
The film certainly lives up to its somewhat ironic title. Darker story elements are contrasted with lighter, more comic ones.
And Cruise has a proven track record with these kinds of films — witness his work in the three "Mission: Impossible" movies. Those weren't as fun as this feature is, though.
Also, unlike their earlier cinematic pairing, he and Diaz have a lot of chemistry this go-round. Not just romantically either — she's believable as an action star. (It turns out her character is no mere damsel in distress.)
This is among director James Mangold's better works as well. He and his crews stage and capture some spectacular action and stunt sequences. A chase through Spain during the running of the bulls is exciting, as is Roy's initial shootout and escape aboard a jetliner.
"Knight and Day" is rated PG-13 and features strong violent action (gunplay and shootings, brawling, knife play and stabbings, explosive, fiery and vehicular mayhem, and violence against women), scattered strong profanity (including one usage of the so-called "R-rated" curse word), brief bloody imagery and some suggestive references. Running time: 110 minutes.
e-mail: jeff@desnews.com