The mid-budget movie! It's a phenomenon we see less and less now days. Films are either made for a buck and some spare change, or made for $400 million, all over the world. So when a $50 million middle-of-the-road movie is made, I perk up. This film is defiantly a huge breath of fresh air, and from the moment I saw the first trailer, I was so hyped to see this! "The Nice Guys," starring Russell Crowe, Ryan Gosling, directed by Shane Black. How sick is this flick?
So Shane Black is pretty well known in the film community thanks to movies like "Lethal Weapon 1 and 2", and writing and directing a little movie called "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang," but to the average person, he is probably most well known for Iron Man 3. Now I'm a film lover. I like all types of movies from big action blockbuster movies to super small art-house films, but since I am only 20 (at the time I'm writing this) I haven't seen a bunch of film milestones that other cinema-files say I "have to see" (e.g. "Goodfellas," "Citizen Kane," or "Apocalypse Now"). So when I hear from people, like You-Tuber Chris Stuckmann, that I have to see Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, I put it on my ever-growing bucket list of have-to-see movies that, honestly, I'm doing a pretty bad job at thinning out. But after I saw "The Nice Guys," "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" has moved to the top of my list of must-sees! I'm going to seek it out right now after I write this!
I had a great time watching this movie, you guys. It's so much fun and in a different way from all the superhero movies out now. I love superhero flicks, I really do, but it does get tiring hearing about superheroes all the time. This movie is like walking into Chili's after a week of only eating Wendy's. I like Wendy's; it's a great fast-food joint, but sometimes instead of a burger you just want a nice, juicy steak. "The Nice Guys" is a nice, juicy steak. From the opening credits, I knew I was in for a treat, and I wasn't disappointed.
Performances
Ryan Gosling plays a private investigator that is more interested in cashing checks then helping anybody, I loved seeing this manifestation of good looks play a bumbling idiot that is light-years more immature then his own thirteen-year-old daughter! Russell Crowe is also in this movie, and despite of what you think about him as a person, man, can he act! I have never been disappointed with a Russell Crowe performance, and this movie is no exception. In this film, he plays a thug for hire. Basically, if someone is giving you trouble, you just call him up and for the right price he'll beat that person up. When the murder of a adult film star stirs up some controversy, Jackson Healy (Crowe) and Holland March (Gosling) must team up to see what is really going on underneath it all. They also have some unconventional help from March's (Gosling) thirteen-year-old daughter (Angourie Rice) who holds her own with some heavy weight actors. Even though she's the young one, she's really the responsible adult. Heck, I'm pretty sure she helps Crowe's character solve the case more then Gosling's! This movie, from start to finish, is just fun. You really care about the characters; whenever stuff starts to go down, you are biting your fingernails because you don't want anything bad to happen to these two, or the little girl. It is also a fun mystery, the whole time they're trying to crack this crazy web of lies and scandals, and the deeper they get in, the crazier it gets. The comedy hits perfectly when it has to, the action is great, and when the drama sits in and it's supposed to get serious, you buy it. The chemistry between Crowe and Gosling is also why this movie is so enjoyable. They are complete opposites of one another, and at the same time, are also very similar. If they weren't good together, this movie would be a train wreck. Thankfully, they work wonderfully as a pair! Also, the setting is pretty cool, the 70's was a pretty wacky time and it's almost a character in itself.
Negatives?
If I have to give this movie any negatives, it is that if you are not a fan of risqué comedy, then I think you should give this film a pass. It has a lot of dark humor, and for someone like me who loves stuff like South Park, it was right up my alley, but if you are not a fan of that style of comedy, then I think you might find some of the jokes in this movie hard to laugh at. Also I can't really blame the movie for this, but some of the biggest gut-punch laugh at loud moments, I think, were ruined in the trailer. I know this doesn't represent a real flaw with the movie, but there are hilarious moments that were not as funny in the theatre because the preview had cashed in on the laugh. They were still great, but I wish some of those moments were saved for the movie, but they lost there impact once I saw it as a whole.
If you're new to my rating methods, I will now break down how "sick" this movie is, and if you have read one of my reviews before, I have tweaked my rating system a just bit.
"Healthy As A Horse" Never see this movie, even if your life depends on it!
"Common Cold" This movie is fun or entertaining but not necessarily a good movie.
"Stomach Bug" Good, but not worth spending money at the theaters.
"Called Out of Work" Really good movie and worth seeing in theaters if you get the chance!
"Projectile Vomiting" Watch this movie as soon as possible, get in line at the theater, or immediately buy it on Blu-ray or DVD. You have to see this movie!
So how "sick" is "The Nice Guys" ?
Is someone in the room a doctor! Help "The Nice Guys" it's...
"Projectile Vomiting!
The mid-budget movie is dying. So many movies are either super-indie, or high dollar studio projects pumped out of a machine that it's refreshing seeing a film like this. Movies are art, and you can see the hard work and love that was put into the making of this film. If you want a break from the all the superheroes flying in the air, or you just like to have a good times defiantly check out "The Nice Guys." You will not be disappointed.
