And, in a way, something is, in that the film, as empty stylistic exercises sometimes do, offers its cast the chance to do some inspired, fast-paced riffing.
As this shaggy-dog crime story hums along, you can almost convince yourself that something interesting is going on. Black, a longtime screenwriter (most famously of “Lethal Weapon”) and first-time director, shows a lot of slick, dexterous self-confidence.
KISS KISS BANG BANG MOVIE
It’s just a movie with no particular reason for existing, a flashy, trifling throwaway whose surface cleverness masks a self-infatuated credulity. I like “Pulp Fiction” just fine, and I don’t think “Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang” is an altogether bad movie. In fact, I would say just that - if it were 1995 and I were the kind of person whose mind had just been blown by the cinematic possibilities revealed in “Pulp Fiction.” I could say that its syncopated editing, its switchback chronology, its fourth-wall-breaking voice-over narration and its hectic mixture of humor and violence represent a fresh and exciting twist on sturdy noir conventions. The movie itself, however, evokes a rather different era. The visuals are a loving tribute to the great graphic designer Saul Bass, while the jazzy sounds of John Ottman’s score summon up the easy heat of Henry Mancini in his prime. The opening titles for Shane Black’s “Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang” - based not on Pauline Kael’s collection of essays, but rather, at least in part, on a novel by Brett Halliday - evoke a bygone age of high pop style. Scott reviewed “Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang” for The New York Times on Oct. We dug up 10 of those reviews from our archives, which we’ve rounded up here, along with info on where to stream them. Others just weren’t particularly holiday-focused. Many of the holiday movies we consider classics or cult favorites today did not seem destined for such glory when we first reviewed them.
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