Plenty of bang in top new thriller

Kiss Kiss Bang BangWritten and directed by Shane Black, “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” is a scabrous and mightily entertaining movie that demands multiple viewings to get in on all the laughs, twists and top-notch performances by, well, everyone involved -- especially Robert Downey Jr., Val Kilmer and Michelle Monaghan.

Downey plays a New York City thief who literally stumbles into an acting assignment on a big Hollywood production. In order to learn the “realities” of his character’s world, Harry is sent to Los Angeles to follow a legendary local private eye nicknamed “Gay Perry” around town. Before their first night together is through, they are in the midst of a murder mystery with an alarmingly escalating body count.

Downey charms as the heroic, and romantic, fool Harry Lockhart. Downey spends the majority of the movie getting slapped, punched, kicked, insulted, rejected and shot. And then he gets shot again. Coupled with his superb, and quite different, performance in “Good Night, and Good Luck,” Downey is at the top of his or anyone else’s game.

He is equally matched by Kilmer as the macho Perry, a man stoic as Harry is hyper. Perry is wise in the face of Harry’s stupidity. Both are hilarious.

The triangle is complete with Michelle Monaghan as the object of Harry’s lovelorn wishes -- struggling actress Harmony Faith Lane. She, too, is a delight and is as funny as her two co-stars.

If you like classic Warner Bros. tough guy thrillers such as “Point Blank” and “Bullitt,” or the works of Raymond Chandler, then “Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” will resonate in its knowingness, nastiness and silliness.

While it does stumble somewhat toward its conclusion, writer/director Black does very little wrong here in delivering an accomplished thriller, mystery, comedy and spoof (of L.A. and the movies) all for the price of a single ticket.

REEL FACTOID

“Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” takes its title from “Mr. Kiss-Kiss-Bang-Bang”, a nickname allegedly tagged onto James Bond by the Japanese media for two of Bond’s trademark actions, womanizing and killing. “Mr. Kiss Kiss Bang Bang” is also the title of the original theme song for the Bond film “Thunderball,” recorded by Shirley Bassey, which was dropped in favor of Tom Jones’ piece titled “Thunderball” after the movie itself.

* BOB HARRIS has been hooked on movies since he was 13 when his brother got a job in a multiplex and Bob saw all the movies he wanted for free.

20051109i5ukuakf(LA)Bob Harris