The Nice Guys looks like a great return to form—i.e. a buddy cop film—for Shane Black (who co-wrote with Anthony Bagarozzi). The creator of Lethal Weapon (and the director of small indie film Iron Man 3) has crafted a story about a merciless enforcer (Russell Crowe) and an incompetent private detective (Ryan Gosling) in the ’70s who must join forces to solve a missing persons case. (The film also features Kim Basinger, Matt Bomer, and Keith David in supporting roles.) Of course, things are never that simple, and soon bullets are flying and cars are going through walls.
This is the second trailer for the film, as a red-band one was released late last year. But what’s surprising is how few jokes and set-ups are repeated in the two, suggesting a wealth of witty banter and fun moments between the two leads. Here’s hoping that it’s a return to the Kiss Kiss Bang Bang mold of great repartee and surprisingly effective action sequences, with a fun mystery at the heart of it all.
The Nice Guys hits theaters May 20.