The best thing to admire in a buddy cop action comedy is chemistry between the two leading roles. If the plot, performances, directing, etc is up to par, it obviously only helps the film. Knowing ahead of time that Shane Black wrote “Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang”, I knew the two leading actors, Robert Downey Jr. and Val Kilmer, would not only have chemistry but develop a hilarious love/hate relationship.

Harry Lockhart (Downey Jr.), a petty thief from New York, escapes from the police after a robbery gone wrong. He stumbles into an audition of a casting call and gives an over the top spontaneous performance.

Dabney Shaw (Larry Miller), a big time producer sees him as the next big thing and invites him out to Los Angeles. At a party, Harry meets Gay Perry (Kilmer), a gay detective, hence, his name.

Also at the party, Harry runs into his childhood crush Harmony Lane (Michelle Monaghan), an aspiring actress. Gay agrees to coach Harry, who does not how to act like a real cop, by taking him to solve a murder of a young woman. 

During a series of adventures where people turn up dead and clues are found, Gay becomes more irritated by Harry’s absent mindedness. Also, Harry is prone to accidents and loses his own finger, not once, but twice.

I knew Downey Jr. and Kilmer would have chemistry, because Black has written Hollywood’s funniest action comedies (e.g. the Lethal Weapon Trilogy and The Last Boy Scout) where the chemistry between the two leading actors would carry the movie. Also, in his directorial debut, Black’s use of cinematography shows that he is competent behind the camera as well as writing. He captured action scenes with the ease of a seasoned director.

The next best thing of “Kiss Kiss, Bang, Bang” is the screenplay. Word by word, line by line, you can’t help but to chuckle, and at times, burst out laughing. I know I did.

For example, during an argument, Gay says, “If you looked in the dictionary next to the word ‘idiot’, you know what you’ll find?” Harry cheerfully replies “A picture of me?”

  Typical Hollywood discourse would respond with “Yes”. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang defies that logic by having Harry up the banter between the two characters by saying, “No, the definition of the word idiot’.”

Black, knowing Hollywood’s clichés and movie standards, embraces them and insults them simultaneously. For example, when Harry is about to interrogate a suspect by using the Russian roulette method (he empties a revolver, leaving one bullet in the chamber and spins it).

Other films would have Harry ask his questions while pulling the trigger with no bullet being fired. But in this film, the bullet is fired on the first try, killing the suspect. To top it off, Harry is shocked and ponders the question, “Don’t I have like an eight percent chance of the gun being fired?

Another great line by Black, while insulting Hollywood, comes towards the end when Harry says “Don’t worry, I saw Lord of the Rings. I’m not going to end this 17 times.”