I gotta classify this movie first before sharing my final thoughts. Its a buddy/neo noir/comedy. Got that? At least one of those genres doesn't necessarily go along with the other two, and for good reason. But at the helm, we got Shane Black, the creator of the Lethal Weapon franchise, so is it worth a watch? I sure say it is, but does it always make sense and hit its mark. At times, yes and at times no.
The outrageous premise I was mentioning in my outline is what begins this ambitious yarn. So Robert Downey Jr. As Harry is a burglar who with an accomplice is running from the law right at the start and stumbles somehow right into an acting audition and wouldn't you know it, plays into his situation and of course gets the part. The cop giving chase finds him but politely apologizes and leaves thinking he just ruined the audition. So now Harry is free to take his chances and see where this all goes and he gets set up with Val Kilmer's character, Gay Perry (yes you heard that right) who's a private investigator assigned to give Harry first hand experience for his upcoming role. He seems to show up from seemingly nowhere throughout just FYI. From there, the two become buddy partners, and the interactions between them are the bulk of Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Along the way, we also meet the absolutely stunning Michelle Monaghan who plays the love interest. I couldn't keep my eyes off her here. She dances and prances about the screen like a temptress. Also, the neo noir part of this movie makes up the plot, with one or two subplots to connect things together. Its unique in the sense that its not setup as your typical neo-noir movie, its original and daring with a TON of gay humour. Its missing alot of key elements that define the term neo-noir because it plays mostly to its strengths of an unusual script and buddy humour. There is certainly a mystery underlying but its not exactly always focused on.
Overall, though, its a FUN movie, which is exactly what it was designed for. Crowd entertainment value. Its also interestingly enough the film that rejuvenated Robert Downey Jr.'s once sagging career. Alot of support given to him by his fellow castmates and crew he deservingly rose back to prominence soon after. Love him as Iron Man and the Sherlock Holmes franchise. He is outspoken at how much this movie means to him for good reason. The acting is top-notch, and Shane Black does a great job directing it. Recommended for someone looking for something different but enjoyable.
The outrageous premise I was mentioning in my outline is what begins this ambitious yarn. So Robert Downey Jr. As Harry is a burglar who with an accomplice is running from the law right at the start and stumbles somehow right into an acting audition and wouldn't you know it, plays into his situation and of course gets the part. The cop giving chase finds him but politely apologizes and leaves thinking he just ruined the audition. So now Harry is free to take his chances and see where this all goes and he gets set up with Val Kilmer's character, Gay Perry (yes you heard that right) who's a private investigator assigned to give Harry first hand experience for his upcoming role. He seems to show up from seemingly nowhere throughout just FYI. From there, the two become buddy partners, and the interactions between them are the bulk of Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. Along the way, we also meet the absolutely stunning Michelle Monaghan who plays the love interest. I couldn't keep my eyes off her here. She dances and prances about the screen like a temptress. Also, the neo noir part of this movie makes up the plot, with one or two subplots to connect things together. Its unique in the sense that its not setup as your typical neo-noir movie, its original and daring with a TON of gay humour. Its missing alot of key elements that define the term neo-noir because it plays mostly to its strengths of an unusual script and buddy humour. There is certainly a mystery underlying but its not exactly always focused on.
Overall, though, its a FUN movie, which is exactly what it was designed for. Crowd entertainment value. Its also interestingly enough the film that rejuvenated Robert Downey Jr.'s once sagging career. Alot of support given to him by his fellow castmates and crew he deservingly rose back to prominence soon after. Love him as Iron Man and the Sherlock Holmes franchise. He is outspoken at how much this movie means to him for good reason. The acting is top-notch, and Shane Black does a great job directing it. Recommended for someone looking for something different but enjoyable.