alaynacp's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
The Nice Guys: A Movie Novelization is a very faithful novelization. It doesn’t deviate much from the script of the movie which makes it very obviously a movie novelization. With that said, if you haven’t watched the movie, you may not enjoy this book. loved the movie and wanted to see if there was any added insights into the characters. There is, but not as many as I would’ve liked. It’s a quick read and overall, I enjoyed it.
pjtt_t's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
lbrick363's review against another edition
2.0
I bought this for a dollar at the Dollar Tree. So...I guess you get what you pay for.
kfrench1008's review against another edition
3.0
I don't generally read novelizations, but I enjoyed this movie and have read other books by Ardai, so I gave it a shot. It was fun in the same way that the movie was, but Ardai didn't add much to it. I would have liked a bit more background.
thetiredmagician's review against another edition
2.0
Don't bother if you've seen the movie, the book doesn't offer anything new or any hidden depths.
writtenbysime's review against another edition
2.0
Savvy readers know, of course: never buy the book based on the film. I know, I know; I can tear you tut-tutting, muttering I-Told-You-So’s. But here we are, I bought one, and the result is as you’d expect: a tad underwhelming. You need to understand, though: this is a novelization based on a Shane Black script – the guy who wrote Lethal Weapon, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang and Iron Man 3 – which has been turned into the movie starring Ryan Gosling and Russel Crowe, The Nice Guys. Not only that, the book is published by the reputable folks at Hard Case Crime – so I expected great things. Alas, what I got is very much a novel that feels like it’s missing a vital ingredient; that special something that would elevate it above other novels in the genre.
The Nice Guys is an unabashed buddy-cop action comedy. Holland March is the always-inebriated, always-buffoonish private eye with a busted nose. Jackson Healy is the tough guy, whose tough-as-nails attitude belies a softer underbelly. They’re like fire and ice, boasting completely divisive personalities that theoretically render any sort of partnership inoperable. But of course, circumstances throw them together in a hunt for a missing girl.
Ardai captures the feel of 1970’s Los Angeles to perfection – not at all a pleasant place to live, and in my mind, barely conceivable given what the city has become, and is today. And his prose is typically stark and hardboiled: this is a writer well-versed in the genre, who knows what its readers demand. Unfortunately, the plot is fairly cookie-cutter; but whereas the film can rely on standout performances by Crowe and Gosling to overcome its formulaic structure, Ardai’s adaptation can’t quite overcome these shortcomings. I get the feeling the success of The Nice Guys film will be down to the actors’ rhythm – and while Ardai nails their patter (it’s being plucked from the screenplay, after all) he can’t (through no fault of his own) capture their mannerisms. In other words, The Nice Guys novel is fine on paper, a serviceable whodunit, but isn’t much more than that.
Readers unfamiliar with Ardai’s work are doing themselves a slight disservice by beginning with The Nice Guys. Do yourself a favour and grab yourself a copy of the stellar Fifty-to-One to see what the guy can really do, on his own, without a predetermined blueprint.
The Nice Guys is an unabashed buddy-cop action comedy. Holland March is the always-inebriated, always-buffoonish private eye with a busted nose. Jackson Healy is the tough guy, whose tough-as-nails attitude belies a softer underbelly. They’re like fire and ice, boasting completely divisive personalities that theoretically render any sort of partnership inoperable. But of course, circumstances throw them together in a hunt for a missing girl.
Ardai captures the feel of 1970’s Los Angeles to perfection – not at all a pleasant place to live, and in my mind, barely conceivable given what the city has become, and is today. And his prose is typically stark and hardboiled: this is a writer well-versed in the genre, who knows what its readers demand. Unfortunately, the plot is fairly cookie-cutter; but whereas the film can rely on standout performances by Crowe and Gosling to overcome its formulaic structure, Ardai’s adaptation can’t quite overcome these shortcomings. I get the feeling the success of The Nice Guys film will be down to the actors’ rhythm – and while Ardai nails their patter (it’s being plucked from the screenplay, after all) he can’t (through no fault of his own) capture their mannerisms. In other words, The Nice Guys novel is fine on paper, a serviceable whodunit, but isn’t much more than that.
Readers unfamiliar with Ardai’s work are doing themselves a slight disservice by beginning with The Nice Guys. Do yourself a favour and grab yourself a copy of the stellar Fifty-to-One to see what the guy can really do, on his own, without a predetermined blueprint.
darknetreads's review
funny
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
smallhandwriting's review against another edition
3.0
don’t really ask me why i read this, it’s a book version of one of my favorite movies. i’m just trying to read all the books i own so this was basically the screenplay with more details. i mean i still loved it bc i love the nice guys. go watch the movie and support ryan gosling :)
smalllhandwriting's review
3.0
don’t really ask me why i read this, it’s a book version of one of my favorite movies. i’m just trying to read all the books i own so this was basically the screenplay with more details. i mean i still loved it bc i love the nice guys. go watch the movie and support ryan gosling :)
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