Review: Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

I don't think you'd know where to put food at, if you didn't flap your mouth so much. Yes I think you're stupid.

Ok, so this is a throwback review because Kiss Kiss Bang Bang has been out for a long time (in movie world). For anyone not in the proverbial 'know', this movie is a murder-mystery-comedy-action movie. Yeah, that's a pretty thick stew, but Kiss Kiss Bang Bang pulls it off pitch perfect. It's hard to tell what elements came together to produce such a tonally good movie, but my money is on a perfect storm of Roberty Downey Jr., Val Kilmer, and writer/director Shane Black (the same dude who wrote all the Lethal Weapon movies and FUCKING Last Action Hero!). So yeah, RDJ and Val Kilmer speak forthemselves. While Val Kilmer hasn't really been prominent in recent years, his work here is a coda to his career as far as I'm concerned. The real x-factor here is Shane Black. I have nothing personal against the Lethal Weapon movies, but they were pretty mindless in terms of plot. I think the key is that Black adapted the screenplay from an existing novel. Not that his talent isn't up to the challenge, but it's clear having a set framework to build on only did wonders.

Basing the movie around Robert Downey Jr.'s character Harry Lockhart is a good move. RDJ is a more than capable actor and this movie came right before his big re-emergence into the mainstream. Is Harry realistic? Is the movie at all 'realistic' in the traditional sense? No. But the character of Lockhart is so interesting and neurotic that the whole movie blooms from Downey's performance. Because of this, the movie boils down to a hyper-realized, overblown version of real life with much wittier dialogue. The mystery itself involving Michelle Monaghan's (Harmony Faith Lane) dead sister links effortlessly through the movie with the death of a famous actor's dead daughter and a childhood subplot about 'Johnny Gossomer' novels. If that sounds complicated, that's because it's deliberate. The movie purposfully twists and bends through the motions; all along the audience is taunted by Harry's offbeat and hilariously original narration. It's not often a movie works when the narrator is breaking the fourth wall but this movie does it with a smart wink and a nudge.

Val Kilmer (Gay Perry, no shit) does a pretty straightforward Val Kilmer performance but with some very comically odd quirks. What this accomplishes is another great addition to an already pretty colorful cast. In fact, most of the most priceless comedy moments come from Kilmer in this movie and seeing Kilmer play a kick ass, homosexual detective already looks pretty cool on paper. Michelle Monaghan does a decent job as Harmony. She's cute and likable, but also has enough layers to have a very identifiable 'everywoman' quality. She's a sweetheart, but the way she relegates Harry as a non-threat will likely make a lot of men in the audience shake their heads in empathy with him.

If you haven't figured it out yet, this movie if for random chance may have come off as mundane. The fact that it so splendidly comes together on a number of levels is something that when produced by Hollywood, one should really appreciate. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang lures you in with the comedy, hooks you with a mystery, and makes you stick around to see where all the fallout lands. As far as I'm concerned, an interesting movie that will always make.