Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)

User Rating:

7.9/10   

Director:

Shane Black

Writers (WGA):

Brett Halliday (novel) (in part)
Shane Black (screen story)

Release Date:

14 September 2005 (France)

Genre:

Comedy | Crime | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

SeX. MurdEr. MyStery. Welcome to the party.

Plot:

A murder mystery brings together a private eye, a struggling actress, and a thief masquerading as an actor.

Plot Keywords:

Detective | Gay | Actor | Thief | Murder

Awards:

4 wins & 12 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Wed. Nov. 18

3:00 AM

AMC

Cast

Robert Downey Jr.	...	Harry Lockhart
Val Kilmer	...	Gay Perry
Michelle Monaghan	...	Harmony Faith Lane
Corbin Bernsen	...	Harlan Dexter
Dash Mihok	...	Mr. Frying Pan
Larry Miller	...	Dabney Shaw
Rockmond Dunbar	...	Mr. Fire
Shannyn Sossamon	...	Pink Hair Girl
Angela Lindvall	...	Flicka
Indio Falconer Downey	...	Harry Lockhart - Age 9
Ariel Winter	...	Harmony Faith Lane - Age 7
Duane Carnahan	...	Chainsaw Kid
Josh Richman	...	Richie
Martha Hackett	...	Pistol Woman
Nancy Fish	...	N.Y. Casting Woman

Also Known As:

L.A.P.I. (USA) (working title)
You'll Never Die in This Town Again (USA) (working title)

MPAA:

Rated R for language, violence and sexuality/nudity.

Runtime:

103 min | USA:102 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital | SDDS

Certification:

Finland:K-15 | Switzerland:14 (canton of Geneva) | Switzerland:14 (canton of Vaud) | Ireland:15A | Belgium:KT | Netherlands:16 | Canada:14A | Brazil:16 | Sweden:15 | Portugal:M/12 | Iceland:16 | Singapore:M18 | Argentina:16 | Greece:K-17 | Philippines:R-13 | Canada:18+ (Ontario) | USA:R (certificate #41234) | Germany:12 | South Korea:15 | Malaysia:18SG (DVD) | New Zealand:R16 | UK:15 | Australia:MA

Filming Locations:

Long Beach, California, USA

Company:

Warner Bros. Pictures

Trivia:

The movie's title is a reference to an un-used theme song to the James Bond movie Thunderball (1965). "Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" was recorded by first Shirley Bassey and then Dionne Warwick after composer John Barry had chosen the title when he read a magazine article which mentioned that was how Bond was known in Italy. However, the producers got cold feet at the last moment and asked him to write a title song, "Thunderball", which was performed by Tom Jones. Both versions of "Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" were released many years later, and "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang" has since become a slang description of the James Bond-style spy genre.

Goofs:

Crew or equipment visible: In the wide opening shot of the scene with Harry and Harmony in the bar, the camera and crew are reflected in the mirrors behind.

Quotes:

Perry: You don't get it, do you? This isn't "good cop, bad cop." This is fag and New Yorker. You're in a lot of trouble.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Fired Up! (2009)

Soundtrack:

BLUE CHRISTMAS

Seriously where did this dark horse of a film come from?!

Without a doubt I thought that this was truly entertaining film. I only managed to catch it at my local cinema in a one off showing, but I really wasn't disappointed.

Me and my friend went in the film not truly understanding what to expect. Basically it cracks down to Robert Downey Jr. starting the film off as a burglar, after being shot at he accidentally runs into an acting audition. Breaking down with tears in the office, he accidentally gets the acting job and whisked off to Hollywood with hopes of playing a detective in an upcoming film.

Cue Gay Perry a.k.a Val Kilmer who is fantastic in this film with his dry wit and humour adding some hilarious scenes to this film. He plays a gay detective assigned to help train up Robert Downey Jr. The pair of them get sucked into a story starting with discovery of a corpse and building into deeper plot involving kidnapping and murder. The plot line is genuinely well crafted, and is explored in the perfect amount of depth. It is quite simply littered with many funny moments. Probably the favourite of mine being the running joke of the gay detective through the film, involving the 'faggot' gun. Shane Black directs this film superbly, keeping it alive with sharp wit.

The whole cast clicks together perfectly with Robert Downey Jr and Val Kilmer shining with good support coming from Michelle Monaghan. The film is accompanied by a very light hearted narration from Robert Downey Jr. which makes the film that even bit more engaging.

Overall, a quirky, very amusing film, with a superb cast, and with a run time of 99 minutes, you simply can't afford to miss it.

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang... A solid 10/10