A Nice Movie. But not a great one.

Rating: 7/10 (8 August 2016)

Was i hyped to see another California Noir written and directed by Shane Black? HELL YES.
As a huge fan of his earlier film 'Kiss Kiss Bang Bang', the idea of Black making another movie in the same vein filled me with anticipation. But while TNG hits most of the same notes as KKBB, in every single area it just lacks the same magic of the earlier film. In the end, i enjoyed it, but didn't love it.
It starts with the casting and performances. Crowe and Gosling are good but lack the chemistry of Kilmer and Downey Jr. Crowe plays it fairly straight, as a stoic tough guy reminiscent of his character in LA Confidential. Gosling's performance is well....odd. He goes back and forth from hard boiled PI to zany broad physical comedian. Tonally, its just an odd performance. And along for the ride is his daughter, an all too precocious and worldly beyond her years 10 year old girl. Whilst her performance is OK, she really isn't needed and seems to act as a dramatic device when she is kidnapped or held at gunpoint by the bad guys. Also, the 'femme fatale', that is the girl they're chasing, happens to be a shrill, supremely annoying teenager with no redeeming qualities. When she meets her demise, i watched with almost glee.
The sparkling, razor sharp dialogue of KKBB is also lacking. There are some genuinely funny Shane Black-esque lines, but they're few and far between, and it helps when you have Robert Downey Jr to deliver them.
The story was altogether a bit too convoluted and messy, and i didn't really get a clear picture of the villain's motivations. The climactic shootout was also rather uninspiring and the ending rather unsatisfying. As a total package, TNG feels a little slapdash and lazy in its execution.
Look, despite my criticism i did genuinely enjoy the film. But for me it was impossible not to compare it to KKBB, and note that in every single area, this was an inferior film. Definitely worth a watch, but i was expecting so much more.