“Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” establishes right off the bat that it’s supposed to be a tongue-in-cheek style of noir film. This isn’t exactly a new concept, so with films that attempt to do such a thing, the execution needs to be spot on and original in order to be something unique and not just another cliché film trying not to be cliché.
With Robert Downey Jr. as the film’s protagonist and narrator, the film has something going for it. Downey Jr. is one of those narrators like Morgan Freeman, Kiefer Sutherland or Patrick Stewart, where the voice is captivating enough and the persona cool enough to make you want to pay attention. And as an actor, Downey Jr. is just as good in any role he takes on. But the problem is, once the film has your attention, it doesn’t do a whole lot to keep it.
Downey Jr. plays small-time criminal Harry Lockhart. After botching a robbery, he is chased by police but manages to evade them by running into a building that is having an open casting call for a movie. He impresses the producers enough with his “acting” (in actuality, they just see his nervousness of getting caught) to get the role. As a result, he is teamed up with a real private investigator, played by Val Kilmer, who is brought in to teach him the ropes of his character’s occupation.
While at a studio party, Harry runs in to a former crush of his, Harmony Lane, played by Michelle Monaghan. As he attempts to woo her, the two, along with Val Kilmer, are thrown into solving a real-life case, and the rest of the movie focuses on the juggling act of love and mystery solving.
Once Monaghan comes into play, the film is doomed. She and Downey Jr. have virtually no chemistry, and watching the two try to act like they are falling for each other is draining. Monaghan is a horrible actress. Keep in mind she was the girl who Shia LaBeouf managed to out-act in “Eagle Eye.” She brings nothing to the table, and even though Downey Jr. is so good in the role, it’s hard to care whether or not he gets the girl when the girl is . Michelle Monaghan.
The other half of the film, however, is quite compelling. Kilmer shows his range as the film’s comic relief, and he shows a talent for comedic acting that previously had not been seen. He brings a serious type of humor to combat Downey Jr.’s off-the-wall style, and it works impeccably well. When the film focuses on the two solving their case, that is when it is most interesting and entertaining.
Who knows how quirky and good the film would have been had Michelle Monaghan not been the female cast opposite Downey Jr. It has a lot of great things going for it, and it has two scenes that will easily be remembered by the viewer because of how funny they are. But there isn’t much that humor, good acting and narration can do when half of a film’s story and plot just falls flat.
