Review of The Nice Guys (2016) by Electronick — 22 Jun 2016

"The Nice Guys had a similar tone to what I was looking for in "Keanu". It has a premise that appears serious but the protagonists are more invested in their personal stories than in the grand conspiracy.

Russel Crowe is back and his performance marks a nice return from the esteemed Australian star. His interactions with Ryan Gosling. They are similar in the fact they have a troubled past and try to live up to their job as police officers but they are troubled.

The main difference between the two is that Crowe is an activist and Gosling is more of a fatalist. The main difference in how they approach the situation makes an entertaining watch. The interaction between the two give rise to some comedic antiques with Russel Crowe acting as a comic foil with his high brow masculinity being countered by Ryan Gosling's outlandish personality.

Gosling's daughter in the film could have been a burden but she was written in a way that makes her a huge contribute to the story. In fact she helps out Ryan Gosling more than Russel Crowe does in certain cases.

It is clear that she loves her father but she doesn't want him to waste his life being a alcoholic as well. She also has a touching relationship with Russel Crowe. The only problem with said relationship is that there was a subplot of Gosling's daughter not wanting Corwe t kill which felt a little out of place considering that her father had shot a few gangsters in the film prior to that.

Some might take issue with the representation of grown women in this film. It does match the setting of the 1970s but there are a few instances when it could feel uncomfortable like how the intro kills off a porn star right after sexualising her.

The story line also has a lack of focus but to the films credit it knows that the highlight is the interactions with the characters so it doesn't try to develop it as much. I also give the film some credit for killing off the woman that they were trying to protect which is something that most buddy-cop movies usually wouldn't do.

Even when they expose her mother for plotting the assassination she still gets away Scott free. That is something that is usually not done in these kind of comedies and I respect the director's decision to include this in the film.

The film does fall under cop comedy cliches from time to time and the story is not as well structured as it could have been but it is a fun ride for anyone who wishes to see this film. You will be entertained in this wild ride.