Kiss Kiss Bang Bang

The second this film was over, my friend turns to us and says "I could watch that film if it was four hours long." I say in return, "I want four more films just like this, right now." Hands-down, this is the best comedy I've seen this year. (OK, the comedy market wasn't that great this year, but bear with me.) It may be violent (dropping bodies off skyscrapers and NOT making the dumpster makes you wince) and it's slightly plot-heavy (whose daughter is the body in the car and whose daughter is the body in the shower?!), but it's so darn funny that who gives a rat's ass about those slight problems. Shane Black is back on top, this time as director as well as screenwriter (he wrote the undeniably awful Long Kiss Goodnight but opened everyone's eyes with the script for the original Lethal Weapon). What other screenwriter can take a classic caper plot, add in every cliché known to that genre, and at the same time include dialogue that has one character correcting another's parts-of-speech? I simply couldn't wait for the next scene, and it's been a depressingly long time since that has happened. Both main actors are the bee's knees -- Robert Downey Jr. as a petty thief suddenly thrust into the acting business and Val Kilmer as a gay cop (yes, the jokes are over-the-top, as if you couldn't guess) attempting to advise Downey Jr. on his acting role as a cop. Best of all, the lead actress Michelle Monaghan actually gets to show chops instead of being window dressing (well, she runs around in a pervy Santa suit for a bit; ignore if you're a girl). Obviously, I want you to run out and see this. If it's gone from your area, support Mr. Black by buying it on DVD. You will not be sorry.

year: 2005
length: 103 min.
rating: 4.0
IMDB link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0373469/combined