The Nice Guys
Year: 2016
Rating: R
Length: 116 minutes / 1.93 hours
I’ll be honest that the trailer for this film is the main reason I went to go see it. The few bits revealed in it definitely painted a picture of a smart and funny film. The pairing of Ryan Gosling with Russell Crowe was an interesting one, but definitely works on the “buddy cop” adventure level. While Gosling had almost every funny line, the action brought to the film via Crowe’s slightly heavier form really helped to balance things out. The full film definitely delivered on what the trailer had to offer.
With dialogue that comes fast and full of quips, I was laughing throughout most of this film. It almost has a “self-aware” feel to it, as each failed piece of the investigation would have normally led to the next logical step. As it is rated R, it unfortunately has an incredible amount of questionable material, including plenty of nudity (as the main plot revolves around pornography), incessant cursing, and regular violence. Much of this isn’t too distracting, but the heavy-handed social message about pollution and corporate corruption is a bit obnoxious in a film that I was expecting to be fun.
In the end, the Gosling/Crowe dynamic works and helps to propel the film forward between balanced segments of comedy and action. If you focus on what’s being said, there’s plenty to laugh about, but also a number of good examples of character development. I wouldn’t mind seeing this pair of “nice guys” again in a sequel.
A film filled with witty banter, adequate action, and an incredible 1970’s soundtrack, I give The Nice Guys 3.5 stars out of 5.
