I was certainly interested in it, and the fact that Shane Black was directing pretty much sealed it for me in terms of wanting to watch it. With his contribution in writing for the Lethal Weapon franchise and directing Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, I was pretty confident that we would get something similar, especially in the witty dialogue.
Well I certainly got what I expected, and yet I saw a lot that was very refreshing to see. From the opening credits, you have that 70's vibe in you straight away with the style of music being played. There was also a film-noir tone to it which certainly delighted me, as that is a genre I have been wanting to return to modern-day cinema.
By the end of it, I was enjoying the ride that this film was taking me and felt pretty satisfied with the pay-off.
If you have liked Shane Black's previous material, then you will certainly be entertained by this. It's very Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and Lethal Weapon, with bits that reminded me of Rush Hour as well.
The writing is the strongest part of the film. It is on point, original and what you expect with any Shane Black film. There were lots of memorable quotes which caused many laugh out loud moments. There were so many that even after the screening, my brain kept reminding me of some that I missed out on initially and I had a little chuckle to myself when leaving the cinema.
Your two leads Russell Crow and Ryan Gosling have great chemistry and really sell the film well as this comedic duo. They this generations Mel Gibson and Danny Glover. However, the real star is Angourie Rice. It takes a while for her to become a memorable character, but by the second half we really see her shine and in the end becomes the scene-stealer of the entire film.
One minor role that I have to mention was Kim Basinger. I had no idea she was cast in this. It was really nice to see her in a big film again. I don't think I've seen her since 8 Mile, which was in 2002.
Another positive to mention is the action. The style feelt vintage and yet refreshing to see. It felt very 80's despite it being set in the 70's. In regards to the 1977 setting. It is almost a character in itself. The landscape, the costumes people are wearing, the music and TV you see really drops you into that period perfectly. Even the camera style and editing almost felt nostalgic.
While I liked it a lot, I think this one looks like it will be do better on multiple viewing, just so you can get all the gags. It also took a while for me to properly warm to. I was enjoying it. But the good stuff just was not captivating me a lot on the initial viewing. The only time I felt fully invested was when we got into the final act. I'm not sure if it was because it has been a while since I have seen a buddy cop film with a film-noir tone to it.
It is certainly the type of film that you just do not see anymore and I am glad people still make them every now and again. Whilst there is so much crap that I thankfully avoid. The mainstream audience don't. I really hope this finds a fan-base in the big multiplexes and gets some well deserved box office takings.
However, I will say that some of the younger cinema-goers might not get all the jokes as a fair amount are references to the 70's, preferably American 70's.
It deserves to be seen on the big screen as we need more films like this on an yearly basis. In an age where franchises and cinematic universes are the big cash grab. We need to support the original ideas that work and deserve some love. 2016 has certainly given us some, and the mainstream audience need to be brave enough and discover something new, and The Nice Guys is the newest find.
Rating: 7/10
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