Looking for a specific film review? CLICK BELOW

0-9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z / Trailers / DVD Store


September 24, 2008
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)
Should I see it?
No.


Short Review: Apparently, the writer decided to replace the punctuation in his script with curse words.

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

Watching this film is like going out for a night on the town with a friend of mine. You have fun and intelligent conversation for about the first hour and then he gets one too many drinks in him and he starts fights, swears too much and eventually moons the cops. This movie begins wonderfully. Yes, it is littered with foul language, crude references and violence…that breeze you just heard was all of my Christian readers running away from this review. This is a foul movie in many respects but the first act of the film is still a great watch. It is tightly written, expertly crafted and needless cursing aside, fun.

Penned and directed by veteran screenwriter Shane Black (Lethal Weapon, The Last Boyscout) this movie is bristling with marvelous dialog and ingenious narration. Yeah, narration, the bane of my existence - the Cheese Whiz and Spam sandwich in the screenwriting buffet. Black’s use of narration is wonderful and funny. Black has a cynical sense of humor and knows how to throw out insults. As one who appreciates cynicism, along with clever insults, I have always had a soft spot for Black’s work.

The film revolves around Harry Lockhart (Robert Downey Jr.), a former failing criminal turn soon to be failing film actor. Lockhart gets mingled in a murder mystery with hardened Hollywood private investigator Gay Perry (Val Kilmer.) The piece is an exercise in the hollow joys of cynicism. Everyone is bitter, disturbed and sarcastic to the extreme. Every scene drips with contempt for Hollywood, the entertainment industry and those who exist around its fringes. This is the film’s strongest point but it is also its undoing.

The film is a great watch for about forty minutes Again, I return to the idea that this film is a little like sharing a park bench with a belligerent drunk. They may be humorous for a little while but eventually it just wears on you and its just sad. The film keeps going on you just want it to end already. The cynicism is great to open with, but it just doesn’t let up and eventually overtakes the piece. This is particularly evident in the final act where Black’s story loses steam sputters along for the final half-hour. The film ends with a limping plot that becomes more crude than clever.

Overall, while I love many parts of the film for my own film geek reasons, I think the normal person will not find this experience one they will want to repeat. As a movie, it goes stale and why would you want to sit through that?

The final piece of narration in the film should sum up whether you think this film is for you or not:

“For all of those good people in the Midwest, we’re sorry we said “f**k” so many times.”


Related Reviews:
Val Kilmer movies
Top Secret! (1984)
Spartan (2004)


Other Critic's Reviews:
Strong Opinion
Monsters & Critics


Labels: , , , ,


posted by Michelle Obama's Left Nut at 9:00 AM




Share






3 Comments:

Anonymous Julie D. said...

Scott, it remains a mystery to me how I can agree with you in so many ways on so many fronts ... and then find you to be so lamentably wrong about so very many movies! This is just the latest example adding to my mystification. Naturally, since you found it so lacking, our family loves it and has watched it many, many times without becoming bored. Methinks that there are many nuances you are not letting yourself enjoy. :-D

September 24, 2008 at 10:27 AM  
Anonymous Scott Nehring said...

Look at things this way, the first 40 minutes are good so you're half right.

That's better than your average :D

September 24, 2008 at 11:58 AM  
Anonymous Julie D. said...

And better than yours for understanding a movie! :-D

September 24, 2008 at 12:14 PM  

Post a Comment

<< Home