Directed by:
Shane BlackScreenplay:
Shane BlackCinematography:
Michael BarrettComposer:
John OttmanCast:
Robert Downey Jr., Val Kilmer, Michelle Monaghan, Corbin Bernsen, Dash Mihok, Larry Miller, Rockmond Dunbar, Shannyn Sossamon, Angela Lindvall, Ariel Winter (more)VOD (1)
Plots(1)
They say love and money don't mix, but you cant blame Harry Lockhart for trying. He's been whisked from a life of petty crime to Hollywood, where hell audition for the role of a movie detective and be tutored for the part by a private eye. Now all he has to do is convince the dream girl he meets that he's a real detective. And not stumble over the corpses as reel life abruptly gives way to the real. Lights, camera, plenty of action! Shane Black provides the screenplay and makes his directing debut in a cleaver fusion of buddy movie and hardboiled noir produced by Joel Silver. Robert Downey Jr., Val Kilmer and Michelle Monaghan play the thrust-together trio a nave schemer, a tough-as-nails gay detective and a hopeful actress clinging to her dream. Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang, Watch Watch. (Roadshow Entertainment)
(more)Videos (1)
Reviews (10)
Another action comedy full great lines by Shane Black, who this time also sits in the director's chair. The incredible screenplay, full of twists and excellent lines, is complemented by great acting performances. Robert Downey Jr. acts like his life depends on it and "faggot" Val Kilmer complements him brilliantly. If it weren't for the slow pace and too many exaggerated jokes in some places, it would be perfect. Still, I'm even more sorry that the fifth Lethal Weapon won't happen after all because I feel that Black's screenplay could have given the series a much more dignified ending.
()
Great genre crossover. Here noir is parodied while at the same time receiving a proper tribute, while buddy movies, a practically dead genre, get a substantial injection for several years to come. Above all, the central duo of "Perry the Gay Guy and Harry the New Yorker" manage quite convincingly to confirm and overturn the tough-guy gimmicks on their head, and surprisingly get under your skin right from the opening minutes.
()
A sympathetic film thanks to a series of successful catchphrases, self-irony, and the decadent environment of Hollywood. However, it is precisely the kind of film where I appreciate a lot of details, but the overall impression is not so great. Namely, the film has an overcomplicated script, purposeless squeezing out of humor, and violent jumping between crazy situations and more serious tones. In addition, out of the three main actors, only Robert Downey Jr. works for me completely. I don't really like Val Kilmer and he only ever impressed me in The Salton Sea. Michelle Monaghan is a fine actress, but she didn't fit into this role and I would prefer a dozen others in her place. Moreover, the script also omitted a lot of self-deprecating dialogues and jokes, it works exactly in the spirit of what is expected. Simply put, it has been done many times before. Overall impression: 65%.
()
A thoroughly likeable film with a not less likeable cast, an excellent script, funny one-liners, an uplifting view and a massive “but”. Despite all that concentrated positivity, I didn’t have much fun with Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Buddy movies never satisfy me much (the sub-genre gets on my nerves for some reason, in fact), so, even though KKBB is one of the best of the lot, it doesn’t get more than a slight thumbs up out of me.
()
The film is actually just another slightly above-average action-crime-comedy that is not nearly as original and cool as it tries to be from the opening seconds, and is only kept significantly afloat by great performances and that slightly offbeat take on today's Hollywood. Downey in particular is classically excellent and rules in every scene, but Michelle Monaghan with her big cleavage also has something going for her. Overall, the unconventional approach to the traditional plot and the ubiquitous attempt at humorous interludes, which are usually successful, are fine, but I still couldn't shake the feeling that this is no great piece of screenwriting as far as individual scenes are concerned. But that doesn't take away from the fact that I had a great time, that those 100 minutes flew by quickly and that I don't regret a single moment I sacrificed for this film.
()
Ads