Plot: What’s it about?
Sometimes it’s kind of sickening how much talent some people have. I read where Tom Brady was drafted by the Montreal Expos, but as we all know he made his mark as a football player. There’s star of this film, Ryan Gosling who can not only act, but sing and dance, too. I think two examples should suffice, don’t you? I mention this because director Shane Black stepped behind the camera for this one. Black made a name for himself as a writer for such hard-boiled hits like Lethal Weapon and The Long Kiss Goodnight (a personal favorite of mine), and even as one of the ensemble actors in the original Predator. Though he’s only directed a handful of films, this is one of them. He’s teamed up with two of Hollywood’s biggest names in Russell Crowe and Ryan Gosling. Was there too much star power or is this movie as funny and fun as it would seem? Let’s find out.
Holland March (Ryan Gosling) is a low-rent detective. He’s joined by Jackson Healy (Russell Crowe), a thug who beats up folks for a bit of cash. They take their respective talents to find Amelia Kuttner (Margaret Qualley), an adult film star who supposedly died in a car accident, but in all practicality, she’s probably hiding from some very dangerous folks. The duo start following some leads and quickly discover that Amelia’s adult film career wasn’t exactly what it seemed. As the search progresses, we start to wonder if their case is a little more important to them than it is to us. It’s of little consequence, though, as we’re having fun watching these guys stumble around. They even get some oft-needed assistance from Holly (Angourie Rice), the 13 year-old sister of Amelia.
In the same vein as the Lethal Weapon movies, so too is this. There are some serious things that the characters come across, but there’s also a lot of light-hearted humor to accompany that. Fans of Shane Black’s style of directing (he also co-wrote the film) will certainly get a kick out of this and if you’re a fan of his 2006 work – Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang then you’ll be right at home. Crowe and Gosling both seem to have a good time with their respective parts and this is an early appearance of Margaret Qualley, she’s only now coming into her own. Films like this, for me, don’t come around too often. Sit back, relax and – you guessed it – enjoy the ride.
Video: How’s it look?
It’s always nice to see a period movie and look at the outfits (costumes) included within. I’d just watched The French Connection the other day and as a movie that was actually shot in the 70’s there are some obvious differences. Still, you can’t blame Hollywood for trying to go for the camp look and, admittedly, it works here. The 2.39:1 HEVC 4K image does benefit from a new 4K transfer and sparkles from beginning to end. The perpetual facial hair by both Gosling and Crowe gives a very good indication of the level of detail. The prints on the ties and shirts are prevalent and some of the cars, etc. look good as well. Contrast is strong and solid, black levels are consistent and the overall color palette, though littered with browns and oranges – this is a good-looking disc.
Audio: How’s it sound?
The film also gets a bump from the audio as well. It now sports a Dolby Atmos soundtrack which has a few moments constant with the “buddy cop” genre and while it won’t go down as one of the best of the year, it’s playful yet powerful enough to turn a few heads. Vocals are pure and crisp, Crowe’s deep and grungy voice takes front and center. The front stage shoulders the burden of most of the action, but LFE and surrounds are used well and to good extent. It’s a nice, “complete” mix if you will that’s sure to please.
Supplements: What are the extras?
The two featurettes from the Blu-ray have made the leap to the 4K disc.
- Always Bet On Black – If you’re familiar with the old Wesley Snipes movie Passenger 57 (or if you’re familiar with Wesley Snipes, period) then this might give you a brief chuckle. This is a pretty stock offering with some interviews with the cast and crew as well as some behind the scenes footage.
- Worst. Detectives. Ever. Making The Nice Guys – Pretty much the same thing as the other featurette, some candid interviews with Crowe and Gosling as well as some more behind the scenes footage. They kind of missed the boat with the (lack) of supplemental material here.
The Bottom Line
I’d forgotten how much fun this film was. It never really caught fire at the box office and, if for some reason you never got around to adding it to your collection, this is the version to get. The picture gets a bit of a boost from 4K and the ante is upped with a Dolby Atmos track. If you already own the Blu-ray, however, this is a tough call unless it’s one of your personal favorites.
