Just the right escapist fix

Rating: 8/10 (20 May 2016)

"The Nice Guys" had one of those trailers for the ages that you just know would yield a disappointing movie. No let-down here; I thoroughly enjoyed it. It's a terrific mix of comedy, action, porn and Detroit gangsters. With less profanity and violence, this is something that'd work great on TV. But that'd be neutering it.
It's a Shane Black movie in every respect - the end result of mixing "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" and "The Last Boy Scout" - but that's also why it's so entertaining. It's his signature brand of dialog and brutality that make for a good time. But it's also the chemistry between Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling. Both are good casting choices, but this is Gosling's show; he plays the hell out of a hapless loser, and more than a few laughs come from his spastic humor.
The tone is spot-on, the plot has just the right twists, and this works beautifully as light and breezy Summer fare.
And I haven't seen a soundtrack this good in a very long time.
8/10