Knight & Day Trailer: Tom Cruise, Cameron Diaz Practice Fine Art of Flirting Between Bullets

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Just a few hours ago, we were all reminded how a bad action rom-com trailer can result in a few of the most dissatisfying minutes of your week. Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz have since issued a reaction of sorts for next summer's Knight & Day, and while it's not going to make anyone forget Mr. & Mrs. Smith, there's no denying they might be on to something.

Simply seeing Tom Cruise out of Valkyrie's Nazi regalia and eye patch has this trailer off to a quick start, though what's specifically going on from there is anyone's guess. Diaz is a jittery single woman who literally bumps into Cruise's charming stranger on the way to Boston; their nearly empty plane -- which in fact seems to contain only bad guys with guns (pre-9/11? Confused!) -- turns into a bullet-riddled bloodbath that Cruise's mystery assassin/spy/ladies man will wind up crash landing in a field somewhere.

In the spot's cleverest angle, Diaz recounts the tale to a male friend before jumping into the next wrinkle and the next -- all including Cruise appearing calmly out of nowhere to blow someone or something away. Diaz has a few decent lines but does more panicked warbling than a trailer should probably let on with its leading lady. Cruise is all Cruisey business, though, a steam engine of grins, zingers, gunfire and smooth heroism. We don't have any clue about his provenance, but unlike Gerard Butler's half-assed Bounty Hunter from earlier, that's the selling point, not an oversight.

However, the biggest selling point might be Mangold. Nearly 15 years after his exquisite indie debut Heavy, the filmmaker keeps checking genres and stars off his list of Hollywood things to do at a fairly staggering rate. And it looks like he also has the hang of this one -- action set pieces, (mostly) tasteful comedic-dramatic touches, and all. Sure, it's his job; that's what he's paid to do. I just hope he's paid well, because outside Steven Soderbergh, I'm not sure who else has the chops for it. Somebody get this man a documentary.

VERDICT: Sold!

· Knight & Day Trailer [E! Online]



Comments

  • el smrtmnky says:

    i was hoping this was a promo for a Kath and Kel spy drama. Fox on the Run!!

  • shelly says:

    I read this movie has a production budget of $90 million and still counting. And it definitely shows, it has the right combination of great locations and great explosions, but Cruise is definitely over-eager in his comedic delivery. And Diaz is Diaz as usual. But, it won't really matter because the film's high production value guarantees it to be a big Summer hit.
    As far as The Bounty Hunter movie is concerned don't count the film out, the movie includes a great comedic ensemble cast that is very capable of delivering a fun time at the movies and it looks to be a good Spring release.