Review of Kiss Kiss (Bang Bang) (2001) by Caleb H — 09 May 2012

Say what you will about Shane Black the writer, when he actually manages to find a cast that can deliver his quick-witted, snappy dialogue, his movies are phenomenal. Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang was the beginning of Robert Downey Junior's big Hollywood comeback, and it's obvious in the opening reels why he has become such a huge star.

The film veers a tad into the eclectically dark territory, but Downey never falters once. His character is believable, lovable, and a bit of an idiot...he should be unlikable, but by the end of the movie, we're rooting for him.

Likewise, KKBB is probably the last time Val Kilmer was decent in anything. As a pulp satire, this falls short of the genre pinnacle (Pulp Fiction, natch), but only by a few inches. It's still a solid, and very entertaining film-even when it should be absolutely repulsive.

Credit Downey for walking away with this movie and finally figuring out how a Shane Black script SHOULD be read.