3 stars out of 5
Ah, OK, it all makes sense now: Director/co-writer Shane Black wrote the original Lethal Weapon. Because this is totally, totally the Lethal Weapon formula: mismatched buddies fightin’ crime and crackin’ wise. It’s 1977 in Los Angeles. The movie tries a little too hard to tell us “hey it’s 1977!” (The Waltons are on TV! Someone’s playing Pong! etc.); Everybody Wants Some!! evoked a similar era in a more subtle manner.
Ryan Gosling is a bumbling private eye and single dad. Russell Crowe punches guys who prey on teenage girls; he’s gruff but lovable! Shockingly, their paths cross and they team up on a case.
For about an hour, this movie is a ton of fun. The opening action set piece is thrilling and funny, and it takes off from there. The lion’s share of credit goes to the lead actors — their chemistry is excellent, really playing off each other well with sharply written dialogue. And Ryan Gosling knocks it out of the park. He proves himself to be a truly gifted physical comedian; Gosling does an extended Lou Costello-inspired bit that was brilliant. And they’re just so likable together. You know, nice guys.
Unfortunately, the movie is close to 2 hours long, which is about 30 minutes more than needed. And the culprit: Way too much plot. There’s a missing girl, and the porn industry, and the Department of Justice, and mysterious deaths, and bad guys (not nice guys) from out of town, and it all could’ve been tightened a lot. The movie drags in its second half, and then picks up a bit, but then drags again…. Angourie Rice, as Gosling’s daughter, is for a while a rare not-annoying child actor but then gets kind of annoying. Kim Bassigner as head of the justice department is shot in very soft focus; this ain’t L.A. Confidential. Margaret Qualley, who I like very much as the daughter on The Leftovers, basically spends this whole movie suddenly dashing away. And I’ll give the filmmakers a couple of points for casting Gil Gerard, a.k.a. Buck Rogers, in a small role.
Still, it’s pretty entertaining, and Gosling and Crowe are almost worth the price of admission. Maybe you didn’t make plans for Memorial Day Weekend — you could go see a discount matinee of this. Or on a plane it would be really good. Or Netflix. And if they make a sequel, I’m totally there.
Jack Silbert, curator