Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang – Downey Jr without the iron suit

I’m guessing ‘Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang’ must have developed a ‘cult following’ by now.  Whenever I ask people have they seen it, they just give me a blank look as if I’m making the film’s title up!  If nothing else it stars ‘Iron Man’ himself (Robert Downey Jr) and also ‘Batman’ (Val Kilmer, but I daresay most of us will have wiped his turn under the cape and cowl from our collective minds).  Downey Jr was probably never meant to be the ‘face’ of Marvel’s ‘shared universe’ and yet his sheer charisma propelled him to deserved mega-stardom.  Here (back in 2005), he simply practices all those traits that would eventually make Tony Stark such a compelling character. 

It’s hard to imagine Robert Downey Jr not flying (literally!) headlong into the thick of the action in order to save a city from an alien menace, however, here, he plays Harry Lockhart who is a simple thief (and not a particularly good one!) who inadvertently gets mistaken for an actor and subsequently finds himself auditioning for roles in L.A. Now, as if that wasn’t unexpected enough for him, he also gets caught up in a double murder mystery and requires the help of Gay Perry (private detective, Val Kilmer) and flame-from-the-past Harmony Faith Lane (Michelle Monaghan) in order to solve it.

In short, if you’re a fan of Downey Jr’s work (or rather Tony Stark with a different name) then you’ll love ‘Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang’ totally and I could leave the review there, but for those who may require a little more convincing, I should say that the banter between Downey Jr and Val Kilmer is right up there with any he’s done with Captain America, Thor or the Hulk.  Kilmer himself deserves a nod for his portrayal of – openly gay – private detective Gay Perry (did the name not tip you off?), going some way to dispel typical gay stereotypes in major filmic productions.  Also, Michelle Monaghan is more than just ‘eye candy’ – her character isn’t a ‘Mary Sue’ and, besides looking damn fine, actually has relevance in the plot and gives as good as she gets with (her obvious ‘love interest’) Downey Jr.

Personally, I loved this film and the cheeky pokes it takes at Hollywood films in general, going some way to break a few of the tropes and clichés associated with the genre.  I’m not sure if this is a fault or just an observation, but since ‘Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang’ was released we’re probably all more familiar with ‘Deadpool.’ The reason I mention this is because this other superhero is well-known for ‘breaking the fourth wall’ and talking directly to us, the audience. ‘Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang’ also uses this technique, but mainly at the beginning and the end of the film.  It was as if the film-makers liked it, but then ran out of ways to incorporate Downey Jr (also our narrator and story-teller) turning to face camera and making wry observations.  Then, when the film was wrapping up, they realised they better put a few more of these instances in.

However, that doesn’t really bring the film down.  If you’re into banter-filled murder mysteries with an A-list cast then this should certainly be something you should check out.  Hopefully, since Downey Jr’s rise to fame more people will have checked out this little gem by now.

8/10 The Force is definitely strong with this one