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Movie Review - Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang (2005)
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(What this rating means)
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| Director: |
Shane Black |
| Starring: |
Robert Downey Jr., Val Kilmer, and Michelle Monaghan |
| Rated: |
R (for language, violence and sexuality/nudity) |
| Length: |
103 minutes |
| Genre: |
Murder Mystery/Dark Comedy |
| Tagline: |
SeX. MurdEr. MyStery. Welcome to the party. |
| Studio: |
Warner Bros. |
| Website: |
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang |
| Release: |
November 11, 2005 |
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PLOT
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Harry Lockhart (Downey Jr.) really isn't that bad of a guy. OK, so he's a small-time thief who must resort to
stealing Christmas gifts for his niece, but hey, he means well! Unfortunately, the night he and his illegitimate
"business" partner are partaking in some after-hours shopping, an alarm is tripped and Harry and his pal have to
make a run for it.
During his getaway, Harry accidentally stumbles into a movie audition. Realizing that his partner is dead, his
actual emotions come to the forefront and convince the producer that he's a method actor. Sent to Los Angeles
for a screen test, Harry is teamed up with private eye Perry van Shrike (Kilmer), AKA "Gay Perry," to learn the ins
and outs of the detective business.
Aspiring actresses, mysterious suicides, false identities, and family secrets all get thrown into the mix to turn
Harry's free trip to L.A. into a desperate fight for survival. An original and darkly comedic, albeit slightly
confusing, murder mystery ensues.
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JOHNNY'S TAKE
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The term "Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang" was first coined in the 1960s by the Japanese press as a nickname for James Bond.
Director Shane Black loved the term and chose it as the movie's title because, "it so clearly represented what
this film is."
And what exactly is this film? Good question. For starters, it's original. It's a nice change of pace from all
of the sequels and remakes we've been inundated with recently. I needed this breath of fresh air after being
blind-sided by the news that a remake of Robocop might be on its way.
It's also funny and action-packed. The pace comes at us almost as quickly as the clever dialogue, making it nearly
impossible for the average viewer to get bored. You may be offended, you may not appreciate the dark humor, and
you may not get the style, but I would predict the majority of you won't get bored. Will I refund your ticket
money if you *do* get bored? No, absolutely not. Don't be silly. I'll just say, "Oh well, I guess you're just in
the minority on this one!"
What I like most about Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang is it's so hard to "genre-lize." See what I did there? Add that
term to the Movie Mark Dictionary. When you can't "genre-lize"
something then you can't easily force it into any one specific genre. Clever, huh? That's what makes
Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang so fun. Is there action? Yes! After all, it's by the same guy who wrote the Lethal
Weapon movies. But it's not an action movie.
Is there humor? Indeed. The laughs mostly come from the chemistry between Val Kilmer and Robert Downey Jr. and
some of the crazy situations they find themselves in. This is my kind of dark humor. I love to be caught off
guard by unexpected moments that make me laugh at things that might not be so funny if they were witnessed in the
real world. But this isn't a comedy. The humor is never forced and doesn't have to resort to slapstick or
flatulent puppies just to get cheap laughs. Sure, there's a scene that involves peeing on a corpse, but it has
to be seen in its context to be appreciated.
If I were forced to affix a label to this then I suppose I'd say it's a darkly comedic murder mystery. It takes
itself just seriously enough to keep you in suspense, but it's irreverent enough to simply be fun and
entertaining. It works well enough as a farce without ever coming off as a pure parody.
My main complaint is that the story does get a little too confusing. I admit that I openly mocked other reviews
that called the story "needlessly complex," but now that I have seen it I totally understand what these reviews
are talking about. You'll want to pay careful attention or you'll get lost pretty quickly. I'd even suggest
taking notes. If you're not careful you'll become so immersed with keeping up with the rapid-fire dialogue that
you could lose focus on the plot details. It's not mind-blowing, but there are just so many characters and
minutiae to keep up with that it's easy to lose track of what exactly is going on. If your friends call you "ol'
goldfish attention span" then you could be in trouble.
I'm not going to lie to you and tell you that this movie is for everybody. The language gets pretty rough, there
is strong sexual content, Val Kilmer is a detective who just happens to be gay and jokes are made at his expense,
there's a decent amount of gunplay, and some people just might not appreciate the unconventionality on display.
But I loved the fact that this wasn't formulaic and that the look and style was different than the norm.
Black admits to de-saturating the colors in post-production to give the film a crude, rough look. Perhaps some
might like their movies a little more bright, but I thought it was quite effective at giving the film the pulp
detective story vibe that Black was going for.
I wouldn't recommend this to my mother, so I won't pretend to know whether this fits *your* taste either. It all
depends on how you view these kinds of things. Is it gratuitous or knowingly over-the-top? Clever or too clever
for its own good? Cheesy or comfortable in its self-awareness? Ask yourself what it takes to offend your senses
and let that be your guide.
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ODDS & ENDS
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- Based in part on Brett Halliday's novel, Bodies Are Where You Find Them.
- Whoa, Val Kilmer supposedly had to lose 50 pounds for the role! He isn't exactly looking extra lean, so what was
he weighing, 250? 260? Wow.
- Commenting on the beauty that is Michelle Monaghan, Kilmer said, "I actually forgot my character was gay once
when I was watching her walk through a scene."
- Proving that big budgets aren't always necessary for entertainment, Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang was made for a
mere $15 million. That's "mere" according to Hollywood standards, not Johnny's wallet standards.
- Shane Black screened several 1960s noir classic for director of photography Michael Barret and production designer
Aaron Osborne (including Paul Newman's Harper and Lee Marvin's Point Blank) so they would have a good
idea of the style and look he wanted to achieve.
- Inspiration for the look of Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang was drawn from the artwork of Robert McGuinness.
McGuinness is known for his cover illustrations of 1960s detective novels. He even illustrated the covers of all
of the Jonny Gossamer novels featured in the film.
- Black came up with the book titles and wrote the descriptive copy for the back covers.
- Robert Downey Jr. was in Friends and Lovers with Stephen Baldwin who was in The Young Riders with
Josh Brolin who was in Hollow Man with Kevin Bacon. No, I didn't try too hard with this one. You have a
problem with that?
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MAMA'S APPROVAL
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How would this fail to meet mama's approval? Let me count the ways - the profanity is rough (including several
"f" words), there is female nudity, sexual situations and dialogue, blood, violence, and a none-too-pleasant
kiss shared by Kilmer and Downey Jr. It was done to distract the police, but still.
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TRAILER COMPARISON
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The trailer's a decent gauge of what to expect.
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THE GIST
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If you're looking for something different with a bit of an edge, then you'll likely appreciate Kiss Kiss, Bang
Bang. It's a fresh departure from the routine most movies find themselves in lockstep with. However, if you're
easily offended and you like straightforward movies that don't dare bring you out of your comfort zone then give this
film a wide berth.
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