Wednesday 18 August 2010

KNIGHT AND DAY review

Also out in cinemas is the latest star vehicle for Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz.
More after the jump...

After meeting the dashing Roy Miller (Tom Cruise) in an airport, June Havens (Cameron Diaz) is suddenly pulled into a world of espionage and rohypnol, as Roy tries to protect a self-sustainable energy source in a variety of exotic locations. Never mind that June's not held a gun before, she takes to it quite easily.


Tom Cruise can't do comedy. Anyone who saw the viral marketing for this film will testify that the man has no sense of humour. Yes, he was amusing as Les Grossman in Tropic Thunder to a certain extent, but he didn't know when to quit and has already ruined that character with an appearance at the MTV Movie Awards.


Knight and Day also has an appalling amount of product placement that apparently says 'You don't need an iPhone; you don't need a Blackberry. You need an iPhone AND a Blackberry'. Uh oh, it looks like Roy and June are being chased by a dastardly Spanish Billionaire. It's okay, he's only deployed a fleet of Smart cars to catch them?! Stupid.


It's also a little bit, for want of a better word, rapey. Cameron Diaz continuously finds herself getting drugged or knocked out, and smoothy Cruisey has no problem with changing her clothes whilst she's unconscious. It's meant to be cute, but comes across as letchy.


I suppose they're playing on the desire to meet a mysterious stranger and wake up in an exotic location. Yeah, but after FOUR TIMES June just seems really dense. It's like B.A Baracus in the A-Team refusing to get on the plane. It's just too easy to get them to drink the spiked milk.


When they do have to defend themselves against the bad guys, Diaz is able to use firearms perfectly well, but the henchman who've been sent to capture her couldn't hit a cow's arse with a banjo. At one point she runs into their line of fire, seemingly taunting them. They just can't hit her.


Peter Sarsgaard is okay as the bad guy, but he's hardly stretching himself. All the other members of the cast might as well not exist, with appearances by Paul Dano and Marc Blucas adding little to the plot. There's also a couple of plot strands involving Roy and June's respective families that just don't go anywhere.


If you're wondering what the title means, I can't tell you. Not because it would spoil anything, just because it's a meaningless play on words. That's about the level of hilarity this film reaches. I'd have preferred the French title, Night and Day. At least it wouldn't keep you waiting for the explanation and then not deliver.


Slightly in its defense, this kind of goofy, madcap romance was clearly what it was aiming for, but it doesn't work. Horrendously middle-class and middle aged, this film will definitely appeal to some sections of society; but not me.


Verdict



1 comment:

  1. Spot on that review! That movie was band as bland can be.

    ReplyDelete