I don't spend much time with new comedies simply because they are more mean-spirited than funny and I get tired of non-stop dick and poop jokes. I can watch a Horror movie or gritty crime drama and not be put off by the cruelty, but I know those are going to be nasty going in. I want to laugh at something funny someone said or did and not because an uncomfortable sexual, racial or political situation makes you squirm with a nervous release of a giggle or two. So I took a chance on wasting a couple of hours on "The Nice Guys" based on some pretty encouraging recommendations. It was a wise choice.

"The Nice Guys" is an odd couple sort of tale. I like that it's not a cop movie but just a couple of guys that are wannabe detectives. I'd heard a lot about Ryan Gosling being great in this and he was as a bumbling, drinking stooge that accidentally helps solve the case. But Russell Crowe was really the center of the film. His character hates what he is. He's brutal, but his heart is golden. His interactions with Holland's (Gosling) daughter Holly are touching. Crowe isn't a straight-man to Gosling goofball, though. Jackson Healy (Crowe) is a screw-up in his own right. He just happens to be street-smart and tough as nails.

There is some nudity and violence in this but it never got gratuitous. The story was entertaining and there were some other small supporting characters that gave Crowe and Gosling plenty to play off of.

Maybe they caught lightning in a jar when they coupled these two actors together. Given this is a Shane Black film, maybe it'll span a sequel or two much like "Lethal Weapon" did. But even if it doesn't, I'd bet this movie will become more popular in the coming years. It seems like it will be endlessly re-watchable and quote worthy.