Bring on Sequels

Rating: 9/10 (20 May 2016)

I don't know how much broad appeal a period piece that's structured around an adult film industry crime has, but you'll have a hard time not getting behind the chemistry between Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling as the title characters. The Nice Guys is undoubtedly one of the most entertaining films from beginning to end in 2016 with a refreshing take on the buddy-cop genre.
Crowe plays Jackson Healy, a tough, uncompromising, and rugged private eye of sorts who is looking for the same young woman who Gosling is as well. Gosling plays against type as Holland March who is everything Healy is not as he pretty much weeps at the sight of blood. The two play wonderfully off each other in what is hopefully just the first time we see them on screen together. It appears as if some of the gags between the two of them is improvised, but Shane Black's script and direction deserves a ton of credit.
If it does well enough at the box office, I have to believe the audience would be open to sequels. Black not only establishes the bond between Healy and March, but he also sets up the characters individually just as well. The subtle hints at who they were before this movie added the needed depth for the story and motivations from both sides.
With that said, the heavy inclusion of March's daughter, Holly, doesn't work as well as I think Shane Black hoped. I didn't have any problems with Angourie Rice's performance, but her presence sometimes overshadows the brilliant dynamic established with Healy and March. Seeing a 13-year-old girl parade around adult film parties filled with gunfire can be quite amusing at times, but it's more uncomfortable than anything else.
It's worth mentioning that Kim Basinger re-teams with her L.A. Confidential co-star, Crowe, so that was neat. In all, I really love the world Shane Black created with The Nice Guys. There's something to be said for a period piece that poses a smart and entertaining time at the movies all while amping up my excitement for sequels.
+Chemistry between Crowe and Gosling
+Intricate and funny script
+Sets itself up for installments in the future
-Focus shifts to the daughter a few too many times
9.1/10