Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

Shane Black is a good writer. Judging by Kiss Kiss Bang bang he is also a fantastic director. This dark comedy is an incredibly underrated comedy and showcases the powerhouse talent of Val Kilmer, Robert Downey Jr. and Shane Black. Laden with one liners and throwaway jokes Kiss Kiss Bang bang should be re watched to get everything in, for only one viewing is not enough. Perhaps this is the reason the film underperformed at the box office. If you are a fan of Robert Downey Jr. you owe it to yourself to watch this film.

Having stumbled into a casting session, petty thief Harry Lockhart has found himself flown to LA to try out for the lead in a major film. This also involves parties, at one of which he meets "Gay" Perry, a PI who acts as an adviser on such movies. When Harry joins Perry on a stake-out to learn the job they wind up balls-deep in mystery when they recover a dead body from the trunk of a dumped car. They leave the body and go their separate ways, but the body then turns up in Harry's bathroom and Perry realises that it is a setup. Coincidentally Harry's childhood sweetheart (Harmony) has her younger sister turn up in LA before committing suicide. She turns to Harry for help who, in a fit of puppy love, tells her he is a private detective. But with so many bodies all at once, are the cases as separate as they first appear?

Having spent a bit of time in the wilderness since his glory days, Shane Black returned to the screens properly as writer and director with an effective film that works surprisingly well in the genre he dominates while also poking fun at it. The plot is a real strength as it updates the potboilers of the 1940's with a complex string of "unrelated" murders that build together to a relatively satisfying conclusion. Sure it is full of holes at points and lacks some logic in the way it jumps around but it flows really well. However what really makes the film work is the post-ironic and fun delivery throughout. To some viewers I'm sure that it will be a bit too knowing but for me it was tremendously self-effacing fun. This is never done to the detriment of the narrative although some people may be disappointed that it takes precedence over traditional action (which it is quite light on).

Black does well with this though and his dialogue is full of great one-liners (as I expected) but also a lot of knowing references to the genre and the clichés that he helped create (which I didn't expect). What was pretty surprising was how well it all worked together. As director he has injected a lot of style into the film and is well supported by really cool opening credits, some wicked black humour and a strong soundtrack. Of course it wouldn't have worked without a cast that "got" what he was doing and fortunately his casting director got him two great leads. Downey Jr is brilliant. His narration is very natural and convincing and he really brings out the humour in his lines. In the rest of the film he is just as strong and is really fun. Kilmer is equally as good albeit in a smaller role; he is smart, tough and yet able to work well with his genre-busting character. They both work really well together and their chemistry produces a real energy. The support cast are good but not as strong. Monaghan is sexy but has to carry a lot of the narrative; Bernsen is merely a face; Miller has a small turn but generally everyone is in the shadown of Kilmer, Downey and Black.

Overall this is not a perfect film and those that don't like Black or the genre will probably not get it but it is still a lot of fun. Never taking itself seriously is a strong point and Black's writing is sharp and funny while his direction is stylish and cool. Downey Jr and Kilmer are both very strong and take to the material really well, bringing out plenty of energy and laughs. A really fun film that is affectionately mocking towards the genre.

The term "Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang" was first coined in the 1960s by the Japanese press as a nickname for James Bond. Director Shane Black loved the term and chose it as the movie's title because, "it so clearly represented what this film is." And what exactly is this film? Good question. For starters, it's original. It's a nice change of pace from all of the sequels and remakes we've been inundated with recently. I needed this breath of fresh air after being blind-sided by the news that a remake of Robocop might be on its way.

It's also funny and action-packed. The pace comes at us almost as quickly as the clever dialogue, making it nearly impossible for the average viewer to get bored. You may be offended, you may not appreciate the dark humor, and you may not get the style, but I would predict the majority of you won't get bored. Will I refund your ticket money if you *do* get bored? No, absolutely not. Don't be silly. I'll just say, "Oh well, I guess you're just in the minority on this one!" What I like most about Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang is it's so hard to "genre-lize." See what I did there? Add that term to the Movie Mark Dictionary. When you can't "genre-lize" something then you can't easily force it into any one specific genre. Clever, huh? That's what makes Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang so fun. Is there action? Yes! After all, it's by the same guy who wrote the Lethal Weapon movies. But it's not an action movie.

Is there humor? Indeed. The laughs mostly come from the chemistry between Val Kilmer and Robert Downey Jr. and some of the crazy situations they find themselves in. This is my kind of dark humor. I love to be caught off guard by unexpected moments that make me laugh at things that might not be so funny if they were witnessed in the real world. But this isn't a comedy. The humor is never forced and doesn't have to resort to slapstick or flatulent puppies just to get cheap laughs. Sure, there's a scene that involves peeing on a corpse, but it has to be seen in its context to be appreciated.

If I were forced to affix a label to this then I suppose I'd say it's a darkly comedic murder mystery. It takes itself just seriously enough to keep you in suspense, but it's irreverent enough to simply be fun and entertaining. It works well enough as a farce without ever coming off as a pure parody.

My main complaint is that the story does get a little too confusing. I admit that I openly mocked other reviews that called the story "needlessly complex," but now that I have seen it I totally understand what these reviews are talking about. You'll want to pay careful attention or you'll get lost pretty quickly. I'd even suggest taking notes. If you're not careful you'll become so immersed with keeping up with the rapid-fire dialogue that you could lose focus on the plot details. It's not mind-blowing, but there are just so many characters and minutiae to keep up with that it's easy to lose track of what exactly is going on. If your friends call you "ol' goldfish attention span" then you could be in trouble.

I'm not going to lie to you and tell you that this movie is for everybody. The language gets pretty rough, there is strong sexual content, Val Kilmer is a detective who just happens to be gay and jokes are made at his expense, there's a decent amount of gunplay, and some people just might not appreciate the unconventionality on display.

But I loved the fact that this wasn't formulaic and that the look and style was different than the norm. Black admits to de-saturating the colors in post-production to give the film a crude, rough look. Perhaps some might like their movies a little more bright, but I thought it was quite effective at giving the film the pulp detective story vibe that Black was going for.

I wouldn't recommend this to my mother, so I won't pretend to know whether this fits *your* taste either. It all depends on how you view these kinds of things. Is it gratuitous or knowingly over-the-top? Clever or too clever for its own good? Cheesy or comfortable in its self-awareness? Ask yourself what it takes to offend your senses and let that be your guide.

I'm not sure whether or not I like this film. On the one hand, I enjoyed watching it and I respect the fact that it's tried to be a little different; but on the other hand, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang reminds me too much of the guy at the buffet who fills his plate and doesn't end up eating it all. The film is a comedy, a thriller, a murder mystery, an action flick; a character study and a crime film, all rolled into one. It would be hard for any film to take this cocktail and spin it into a coherent piece, but to it's credit; Kiss Kiss Bang Bang almost succeeds; but cracks begin to show where the story is concerned, as the film clearly makes the conglomeration of genres it's central point, and it's too easy to get confused. The film is based on a collection of stories by Brett Halliday, and it follows a petty thief who stumbles into the top flight of Hollywood by chance, and soon finds himself part of a murder investigation after witnessing a car speeding into a lake. The investigation includes a gay detective named 'Gay Perry', and his former childhood sweetheart, Harmony.

The cast is one of the film's main assets. Director Shane Black is always happy to show off his main star, who has finally made his way back into 'A' class movies after some...errr...time out. Downey is a talented actor, and it's through him that the film gains most of its vitality. He is joined by Val Kilmer, who is a lot better than I thought he would be in the role of the gay detective. Michelle Monaghan rounds off the cast, and holds her own against the two bigger name male leads. Shane Black is most famous for his action films, including credits for the Lethal Weapon series and Arnie vehicle; The Last Action Hero, but like the film's main lead; Black has had some time off recently, and this film marks his comeback. Some people were relieved to see the Predator co-star back in action...I cant say I share the sentiment, but all in all; I'm glad that he has finally made his directorial debut with this film. On the whole, this will appeal to people who like their films to be quirky and offbeat. The mock-noir style bodes well with Downey's witty performance, and the film is constantly entertaining; even if it doesn't always hit the mark dead on.

Without a doubt I thought that this was truly entertaining film. I only managed to catch it at my local cinema in a one off showing, but I really wasn't disappointed.

Me and my friend went in the film not truly understanding what to expect. Basically it cracks down to Robert Downey Jr. starting the film off as a burglar, after being shot at he accidentally runs into an acting audition. Breaking down with tears in the office, he accidentally gets the acting job and whisked off to Hollywood with hopes of playing a detective in an upcoming film.

Cue Gay Perry a.k.a Val Kilmer who is fantastic in this film with his dry wit and humour adding some hilarious scenes to this film. He plays a gay detective assigned to help train up Robert Downey Jr. The pair of them get sucked into a story starting with discovery of a corpse and building into deeper plot involving kidnapping and murder. The plot line is genuinely well crafted, and is explored in the perfect amount of depth. It is quite simply littered with many funny moments. Probably the favourite of mine being the running joke of the gay detective through the film, involving the 'faggot' gun. Shane Black directs this film superbly, keeping it alive with sharp wit.

The whole cast clicks together perfectly with Robert Downey Jr and Val Kilmer shining with good support coming from Michelle Monaghan. The film is accompanied by a very light hearted narration from Robert Downey Jr. which makes the film that even bit more engaging.

Overall, a quirky, very amusing film, with a superb cast, and with a run time of 99 minutes, you simply can't afford to miss it.

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang... A solid 10/10