Red-band The Nice Guys trailer looks like a solid ’70s-themed romp
Shane Black‘s upcoming comedy/noir/action/slapstick movie looks great, and The Nice Guys trailer just dropped in an appropriate red-band format. The movie looks like a solid return to form for the director as well as a chance to let loose for the film’s stars. Return to form may be an over-used phrase, but, personally, I think Iron Man 3 was a bit too big for Black, and I’m excited to see him step away from tentpole summer blockbuster territory. Ryan Gosling and Russell Crowe star as two Odd Couple-type unwilling partners, a staple of most of Black’s movies, and the pair are bound to be compared to the Val Kilmer/Robert Downey Jr. coupling from Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, if not the now-iconic partnership of Mel Gibson/Danny Glover from Lethal Weapon. The Nice Guys trailer paints a picture of a violence-infused comedy of errors, and fans of Black’s earlier work will get a kick out of the film’s first preview.
Watch the red-band trailer and check out the first poster for The Nice Guys after the jump. By nature, red-band trailers are NSFW, and this one has some language/nudity, so keep that in mind before you give it a watch.
The director and cast are a can’t-miss, in my opinion, but the title “The Nice Guys” is unfortunate. Maybe it’s intentional, maybe it’s Black continuing his contribution to the genre he helped create while attempting to make a commentary, but the title is less subtle and more meta/silly than expected. Especially given the existence of the Mark Wahlberg/Will Ferrell-starring parody movie The Other Guys, The Nice Guys seems pretty nail-on-the-head in regards to the (again) Odd Couple character dynamic we’re familiar with. I’m guessing Crowe is the no-nonsense hard ass and Gosling is the happy-go-lucky almost-bumbling sidekick of sorts. As sure as I am that I’ll be seeing this one, I’m also hoping the layout is less paint-by-numbers than it seems on the surface.
The Nice Guys trailer gives us enough to go off of, but here’s a plot synopsis for the movie in case you wanted more:
“The Nice Guys” takes place in 1970s Los Angeles, when down-on-his-luck private eye Holland March (Gosling) and hired leg-breaker Jackson Healy (Crowe) must work together to solve the case of a missing girl and the seemingly unrelated death of a porn star. During their investigation, they uncover a shocking conspiracy that reaches up to the highest circles of power.
The Nice Guys stars Russell Crowe, Ryan Gosling, Margaret Qualley, Matt Bomer, Kim Basinger, Ty Simpkins, Keith David, and Beau Knapp. The movie hits theaters May 20, 2016.
