3 Short Paragraphs: Knight and Day

2010, James Mangold (mixed bag director of Kate & Leopold, Walk the Line and 3:10 to Yuma) -- download

Yes, I downloaded this along with the previous title, Killers. They were running in the theatre at the same time so I was under the impression that they were both about assassins trying to give up the life for the love of a beautiful blonde. And that they were both light hearted rom-coms. I was only partially right about it with this one. He is not an assassin, per se, but more of a multi-talented government agent that happens to include killing in that list. And he doesn't want to leave the business because he meets a Beauty but actually just wants to complete his mission. But yes, the Beauty is really really uncomfortable with his killing everyone around them. But he cannot help it, they are Bad Guys.

Its still a rom-com, to a degree, but its more a spy-action flick, as Tom Cruise does really well. Its so much a bigger movie than the other, visiting so many locales and locations that its mucho eye-candy. Its not in suburbia, thankgawdz. This movie wanted to be James Bond light where the settings are larger than life and the action is over the top. It was also a bit darker, with the Beauty showing a true discomfort in the number of deaths that are happening around her. Until she understands the Killer now Knight's place in the plot, where she then joins in on the caper.

Once it was established we didn't have any moral ambiguities about the killing in the movie, the body count could rise without worry. Blowed up, shot, kicked, cracked and crushed -- Killer...er Knight Cruise really does impress us with how capable this guy is, but without the grim attitude of his other popular government agent. But I tossed in my own worries for the mooks. I know mooks are supposed to be killed but what if they are just being drawn into the fight due to betrayal? Its not their fault they think the Killer is a villain when he is, in fact, the Knight. But they die in droves. And I feel sorry for them. Someone has to.