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The Vow

A saccharine and paint-by-numbers slice of romance, which is largely boosted by the appeal of its two leads.

Star Wars: Episode 1 - The Phantom Menace (3D)

The under-utilised 3D adds little to this prequel, which only serves as a sore reminder of the brilliance of the original films.

Any Questions For Ben?

The talented bunch of actors ably cut through the surface gloss, but it’s tough to remain invested in the plight of the self-absorbed lead.

Shame

It starts off as brutal but arresting stuff, and the two lead performances are scorching, but disappointingly dissolves into a case of tragedy for the sake of tragedy.

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Knight & Day (Film)

by Erin Free | July 12, 2010 11:57 | Edited July 12, 2010 14:53

This is blockbuster entertainment at its best.

In this day and age, it's refreshing to see a blockbuster that isn't a remake, a comic book adaptation, or a big screen version of a popular TV show. Knight And Day is - surprise, surprise - a big budget flick adapted from an original script. Sure, its ideas may not be even remotely groundbreaking, but in the current cinematic climate, they sparkle as if they're brand spanking new.

 

Directed with swift economy by James Mangold (Walk The Line, Girl, Interrupted), Knight And Day is an old-style action caper movie of the kind made in the sixties, and back then, it might have starred the likes of Steve McQueen and Audrey Hepburn. Today, it's lit up by the larger-than-life superstar wattage of Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz, who bring all of their abundant charm and energy to a film that lives and dies on their chemistry. Thankfully, they've got it in spades.

 

After appearing together in Vanilla Sky, Cruise and Diaz reunite as, respectively, a charming but enigmatic government agent and the innocent who gets caught up in his sticky web when he takes flight from his former employers. The plot - interestingly constructed hokum about an inexhaustible energy force, and its potential to change the face of the world - is really an excuse for the film to bounce from one exotic location to the next, while its stars throw sparks off each other and trade zingy quips and one-liners.

 

Director James Mangold sensibly eschews CGI in favour of physical stunts (with Cruise clearly doing much of his own work), practical effects, and intelligently staged and choreographed action sequences, furthering the film's enjoyable, traditionalist feel. Boasting fine supporting turns (Peter Sarsgaard and Viola Davis are both excellent), perfectly placed twists and turns, and enough star-shine to power a small city, Knight And Day is big time entertainment, with a capital E.