Shane Black as a young man wrote the screenplay to the hard boiled buddy cop action film, Lethal Weapon.

Black has since messed about with the formula making hard boiled mismatched buddy cop comedy action films laced with sleaze.

This is a retro comedy drama set in Los Angeles of 1977. A young washed up private investigator Holland March (Ryan Gosling) has been hired to find Amelia by her aunt. Amelia has got muscle for hire Jackson Healy (Russell Crowe) to stop him which he does by breaking Holland's wrist.

When two hoods break into Healy's place, he hires March to find what is going on. Accompanied by March's bright and ethically centred daughter, they stumble on a conspiracy that involves the Justice department, the auto industry, the death of a porn actress and reel of a porn movie that exposes a scandal.

The Nice Guy's comes across as an unpretentious fun film. There are nods to Black's previous films, it can be crude in places, the story can be a bit vague but it did make me laugh a lot. Although set in 1977 it is rather anachronistic in places.

Jackson Healy (Russell Crowe) has a reputation for beating people up. He does it for a living and enjoys punching out vermin. Holland March (Ryan Gosling) is a private detective and has had a drinking problem since his wife died. He is raising his 13 year old daughter Holly (Angourie Rice) on his own. When porn star Misty Mountains (Murielle Telio) dies in an wild automobile accident, it sets off an investigation for Amelia (?) who may or may not be Misty and may or may not be dead. A mystery develops for our quirky characters to decipher while we get to enjoy likable characters with humorous dialogue.

The film takes place in 1977 and contains anachronisms, perhaps the most recognizable was the KISS song off their iconic 1979 album, a rookie error anyone under 40 could make. Enjoyable for those who love their indie films.

Guide: F-word, nudity

It's 1977 Los Angeles. Porn actress Misty Mountains crashes into a house and dies. Mrs. Glenn is certain that her niece is alive and hires private investigator Holland March (Ryan Gosling) who starts tracking Amelia. Amelia hires professional muscle Jackson Healy (Russell Crowe) to stop her stalker. Jackson breaks Holland's arm assuming resolution to the case. Then, two other thugs break into his place. He partners with Holland and his sassy daughter Holly to save Amelia. In the process, they discover a labyrinthine conspiracy involving a porn movie.

This is lots of fun. Shane Black takes us on a wild, irreverent ride. The cherry on top is the connection between Gosling and Crowe. They have great chemistry. Gosling is comically broad without being too broad. The little girl is fun, too. Shane knows this genre and is able to twist it in interesting ways. The story is engaging enough to follow and this is simply fun.