The Nice Guys Review

Last updated on November 16th, 2016 at 08:38 pm

The Nice Guys is a 1970s comedy crime drama directed by Shane Black (Iron Man 3) featuring a pair of Hollywood’s finest: Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling. The two play private investigators forced to work together on the apparent disappearance of a pornstar in Los Angeles.

Whats Nice About The Nice Guys?

Now, you probably noticed a few things in the above paragraph. Firstly, this film is directed by Shane Black, who is known for his witty dialogue in buddy films (Kiss Kiss Bang Bang). Secondly, the leads are performing roles they aren’t necessarily known for, which is already interesting. Also, who doesn’t like a crime drama with comedy? Violence and humor? Sign me up! Lastly, the case revolves around a pornstar. Yeah…we’ll get to that in a bit.

The Nice Guys stars Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling

A Film In The Vein Of Lethal Weapon

It goes without saying that Shane Black is an incredible director and writer. The dialogue in The Nice Guys transports me to the hayday of buddy cop films with movies like Lethal Weapon. The characters are witty and the plot doesn’t always go where you expect it. I was definitely caught off guard a few times while expecting the plot to progress one way and watch it evolve into something new and fun.

What really sells the clever writing are Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe. Gosling’s character, Holland March is an alcoholic private eye deemed to be “the worst detective ever” by his daughter. His unlikely partner, Jackson Healey is a little less professional relying on brute force to apprehend suspects. Ryan and Russell work together extremely well and it was apparent in their first scene that this would be the highlight of the film.

A Tad Uncomfortable

Unfortunately, The Nice Guys hits full throttle on the sexuality which felt extremely unnecessary. It is understood the investigation surrounds a pornstar, but the nudity felt unnecessary and didn’t highlight any important aspects of the case. The nudity was thrown in to add some “edge” I suppose. It actually got to the point where the scenes felt irrelevant and uncomfortable.

Another issue involved the remainder of the cast. Russell and Ryan were phenomenal, but the rest landed flat. None of the supporting cast were impressive, some were even annoying. The characters were stereotypical and didn’t over any means to care about them.

The Nice Guys Verdict

Ultimately, The Nice Guys is a nice attempt at a throwback buddy cop film. There are a few great aspects, but by the end you’ll start to get antsy hoping the film projector booth explodes.