R | 1h 56min | Drama, Comedy, Crime, Mystery, Thriller | 20 May 2016 (USA)
In 1987, Shane Black wrote the screenplay for “Lethal Weapon” and effectively reinvented what is now referred to as the “buddy cop” movie. Mixing comedy, action, drama, crude language, and realistic violence into a hard “R” rating, Black followed it with multiple sequels which spawned hundreds, if not thousands, of mostly inferior imitators.
While the two leads here aren’t cops (one is a private eye, the other a quasi-bounty hunter), “The Nice Guys” finds Black (also the director) overhauling the “Lethal Weapon” formula and augmenting it with some Mickey Spillane, Elmore Leonard, a splash of “L.A. Confidential,” and a lot of “Boogie Nights” needle-drops….