The names and faces may change, but big studios will never stop attempting to sell dodgy films off the star power of notable celebrities. When a major star feels miscast in a big-budget role, it’s hard not to notice that the decision was made for profit rather than artistic merit. AsKnight and Daydemonstrates, some projects can’t be sold, even with names like Cameron Diaz and Tom Cruise on the poster.
There are few celebrities with the cultural impact of Thomas Cruise Mapother IV. He was abox-office powerhouse by 1986, a respected serious actor by 1999, and a laughingstock by the early 2000s. Cruise’s bizarre behavior and open cult advocacy were seen as punchlines two decades ago. Today, fans thank him for saving blockbuster cinema. Through it all, his only constant was sheer unrivaled star power.
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What isKnight and Dayabout?
June Havens is a mild-mannered classic car restoration specialist who finds herself in the orbit of Roy Miller. At an airport in Wichita, June and Roy bump into each other twice. Unbeknownst to June,Roy is an eccentric secret agentwho has earned the ire of the CIA. The agent tailing him believes June is an ally of the rogue asset, leading him to have them both sent away to die. June winds up on a plane with Roy and a handful of hired killers. When Roy executes his opponents, and June sees their bodies clutter the center aisle, she realizes she’s embroiled in something much greater than she understands. Roy decides that June is safer with him and that she’ll have to come along as he completes his mission.
Roy was tasked with guarding a genius inventor named Simon Feck. Simon has created a perpetual battery called a Zephyr that could solve the world’s energy crisis. Roy’s co-worker, CIA agent John Fitzgerald, attempted to steal theZephyr and frame Roy. Roy is forced to go on the run to evade the nation’s intelligence infrastructure. Spanish arms dealer Antonio Quintana is also hunting Roy, sending waves of assassins and soldiers to take him down. Roy and June travel across nations to keep Simon safe and the Zephyr out of the wrong hands. With multiple large organizations involved, the fate of the world at stake, and a burgeoning romance between Roy and June, the cross-country chase threatens to turn into an all-out war.
What isKnight and Day’s Rotten Tomatoes score?
Knight and Dayhas a 52% positive score on Rotten Tomatoes. Of the 234 critics who weighed in on the film, 121 offered a positive rating, while 113 were less kind. The average rating is 5.6 out of 10. Audiences were similarly unimpressed, handing down a 49% positive rating. Reviewers weregenerally fond of Tom Cruiseand Cameron Diaz in the lead roles. Their performances were the selling point of the film and the only aspect that regularly received praise. Most reviews markedKnight and Dayas a boring, forgettable, repetitive, confused picture with little reason to exist.
Financially,Knight and Daywasn’t a disaster. It brought home $262 million on a $117 million budget. Conventional box office wisdom recommends doubling the production budget to account for marketing. That method would suggest the film netted around $28 million in pure profit. Itsopening weekend was seenas a disappointment. Many critics pointed to Cameron Diaz’s age as an explanation for the film’s failure. Bad word of mouth led to a tremendous dropoff after the first day of screenings, but many reviewers wanted to focus on unpleasantassertions about Ms. Diaz’s age. Surely, the lesson ofKnight of Dayis that films adding nothing to the conversation can’t hope to coast off star power, not that women’s star power has an identifiable shelf life.
How doesKnight and Dayend?
Roy organizes a trade with Quintana. He offers to sell him the Zephyr while setting Fitzgerald up to be kidnaped by the arms dealer’s men. TheCIA discovers the deal, picks up June, and flies her home. June hunts down Roy’s parents' house and discovers that his real name is Matthew Knight. June leaves a message on her own phone stating she has the Zephyr, leading Quintana to kidnap her. Roy tracks down Quintana and rescues June. He leads Quintana on a car chase through Spain, leading the arms dealer to die in a bull stampede. Fitzgerald forces Roy to trade the Zephyr for Simon, then shoots at Simon regardless. Roy takes the bullet, and the Zephyr explodes. Roy wakes up in a hospital, where the CIA assures him he’ll be reinstated. The government plans to kill him to prevent information from getting out. June rescues him, and they drive into the sunset together.
Knight and Dayfeels like a film made without any noble artistic intentions. One of the twelve writers may have had an idea for a decent spy movie somewhere along the line, but the final product clearly demonstrates its real intentions. There is no shortage ofboring star-driven blockbusterslike this one.Knight and Dayisn’t memorable enough to teach anyone anything.
