Day 32: The Most Underrated Movie

KISS KISS BANG BANG (2005)

Sometimes it's difficult to state that a particular movie is underrated, when in all likelihood it may not actually be underrated. It's really just a matter of opinion, especially if you have just enough film geek knowledge under your belt to feel superior among other people. Underrated is the polite way of saying, "no one saw this really good movie." Why hadn't I heard of this film before it hit DVD? Because it was released to a limited number of theaters, grossing a paltry $4.2 million before disappearing into the void... of the video store.

If this had been released today, it would have been in 3,000 theaters and probably would have made $150 million easy. Robert Downey, Jr. hadn't re-established himself yet and wouldn't make himself a household name (again) until Zodiac (which got him more exposure) and then Iron Man (which made him an A-list actor).

Shane Black (Lethal Weapon) , the hot commodity screenwriter who flashed in the pan after The Long Kiss Goodnight reappears 10 years later and reminds us all that he's still got game. This film is full of fantastic dialog, lip-biting humor, and a well-structured plot that keeps you guessing until the end. A great film that should have been recognized a little more by their peers and respected a bit more by the studio that released it.

Perry: Look up "idiot" in the dictionary. You know what you'll find?
Harry: A picture of me?
Perry: No! The definition of the word idiot, which you f**king are!

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