The Nice Guys Review: 4 Ups And 1 Down

The Down:

1. The Script Is A Bit Predictable

As so much of The Nice Guys is imbued with cinematic convention, that can sometimes mean a sense of having seen it all before creeps in. At various points I found myself ahead of the story, guessing upcoming plot turns and spotting seeded clues a mile off. This is the sort of thing that can really hurt a "smart" movie, letting the audience in too much.

I can get why Shane Black didn't want to make an overly twisty film - it doesn't quite fit the genre he's trying to emulate here, unlike Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (and the last time he went for full rug-pull got a rather polarising response) - but when everything else works so seamlessly, for a screenwriting element to stumble is a bit of a shame.

Thankfully, even in the stretches where you have sussed what's going on ahead of time, there's still the barrage of strong physical laughs, sharp, witty dialogue and perversely likeable performances to still keep you engaged, so this doesn't come anywhere close to breaking the film.

The Nice Guys is in UScinemas now and UKcinemas from 3rd June.