KNIGHT AND DAY is insane fun; Cruise is back

In an earlier article, I compared Knight and Day to Killers. I'm glad I bet on Cruise. Except for a slight slip involving a couch, he seems to have a lock on his career. He knows his strengths and they're all are on display in Knight and Day, a film that revels in its lunacy so convincingly that I couldn't help but join the fun. After seeing a preview of the film on Saturday, I left beaming, ready to drive fast and kick some ass. This is a better popcorn flick than almost anything out there and has just enough flirting to keep the ladies interested.

The most exciting moment for me was about 20 minutes in, when I realized that I had no idea what was coming next. Almost every shot from the trailer takes place in the first few scenes of the movie. I can't remember the last time that's happened; it felt really liberating to not know what was coming. After the first few moments, which are thrilling, it's all surprises and they're all fun as hell. I felt like I was back in a 60s action movie with amped up pacing to satiate my modern eyes.

Knight and Day? More like Miller and Haven

Tom Cruise plays Roy Miller. Roy is like Jerry Maguire meets Ethan Hunt, but with a shot of confidence neither of them had. He's determined, but makes time to care, and joke. He used to work for the government, but he's gone rogue and the CIA is after him. He says he's protecting something called a Zephyr (the film's MacGuffin), but can we trust him? I wandered from yes to no.

Cameron Diaz is June Havens. She's a lot like her name: happy, light, and a lot like Summer. She even wears a yellow dress. Diaz doesn't always impress, but as the innocent foil to Cruise, she seems comfortable and loose. Just don't give her a gun. June is dangerous with a gun, and not because she's deadly, or accurate.

Love at first drugging

The two meet at an airport. Roy Miller is being tracked and uses June to get through security. Somehow she ends up on his flight, which is full of people who don't much care for Roy--some might call them assassins. After things go down on the plane (and the plane goes down), Roy drugs June and she wakes up in her apartment, wondering if the whole thing was just a dream...until she reads all the Post-It notes Roy's left her.

"I enjoyed meeting you, June. - Roy"

"Get a good breakfast, June. - Roy"

That breakfast note, by the way, is attached to an omelette. What a thoughtful guy. Before long, the CIA is after June and Roy comes to her aid. In a very cool shot we see June frantically driving a car the wrong way down a highway and a cop motorcycle behind her go over a ramp. An empty cycle falls into the river, then Roy lands on her windshield with a thud. It sets up a fun chase scene.

Later, on Roy's tropical island, June wakes up in a bathing suit, again after being drugged (a recurring theme!). We wonder how she suddenly changed outfits (could it be movie magic?) until she starts asking Roy about it. His response: "June, I've been trained to dismantle a bomb in the dark with only a paper clip and a Junior Mint; I think I can get you out of some clothes without looking...I'm not saying that's what I did." June isn't above returning the favor.

After the island, things only get crazier, but Knight and Day never falls apart thanks to Director James Mangold (3:10 to Yuma, Identity), who knows how to pace a film. Helping him tame the lunacy is a solid supporting cast. Peter Saarsgard and Viola Davis play CIA agents, and both perform well. I look forward to the day when Davis gets a starring role in a movie. She's steals every scene she's in, whether it be in Disturbia, Doubt (best!), State of Play, Law Abiding Citizen or this, but has yet to get a role worthy of her talents. Jordi Mollà steps back into a villainous role here, playing Antonio, a mob boss (or somebody with cronies). Mollà's character reminds me of the backstabbing friend Diego he played in Blow. He has this glossy look in his eyes and fidgety way about him that's unnerving; he always seems drugged up and ready to snap.

Get over the past

If you hate Cruise, get over it, and if you don't care for Diaz, give her another shot. This is a fun action flick with a carefree 60s vibe to it. I imagine some viewers will not like the movie. They may use words like "hectic," "bad CGI," or "predictable plot." If they say these words and it will sound very convincing. Don't listen. In fact, get away from them--run away if you can. These people are haters. They may be jaded from too much movie watching or immune to relaxing and enjoying a good popcorn flick. Maybe they hate the stars for reasons outside the screen. Avoid these people at all costs.

Knight and Day is not plausible in the real world. No modern action movie is. It has insane action and even lets you know just how insane it is, so you don't start to worry. It's funny and lets you to know you're watching a film that's part comedy with a dash of romance, right from the get go. This movie succeeds because it's honest and plays to its strengths.

It's nice to watch an original action movie that isn't based on something that came out in the 80s, or any brand, for that matter. Kudos to all involved.

(For more of my reviews and daily articles, check out my website: http://cinemasoldier.com