Play Dirty review Shane Black's action comedy comeback is a blast

"Right around the time that Netflix changed the game by creating its own original movies, and then inspired other streamers to do the same, Shane Black released his last great action comedy The Nice Guys on the big screen. It was one of the writer-director's best, as exciting as it was amusing, but the ecosystem had changed since his 90s heyday, and a wide audience didn't materialise, the film one of the year's more frustratingly underseen flops."

"the big, star-led action comedy has become streaming bread and butter, most weeks cursed by another limp, murkily shot attempt to recall the joys of Black's greatest hits, films such as The Last Boy Scout, Lethal Weapon and The Long Kiss Goodnight. At the same time, as audiences yawned through chemistry-free, shoddily made romps like Ghosted, Back in Action and Role Play, The Nice Guys started to gain a re-appreciation, frequently mentioned online as one of the best films people might not have seen."

"It didn't feel like a coincidence, every poorly choreographed action set piece and groan-worthy one-liner making Black's effortless work seem that much more impressive, something he made look easy proving impossibly hard for those that followed. His return to the genre (2018's The Predator had elements of both but was primarily sci-fi) marks Black's first streaming movie, Play Dirty, heading to Amazon."

Netflix's move into original movies shifted the film ecosystem and left Shane Black's The Nice Guys underseen despite its quality. Over time the star-led action comedy migrated to streaming, where many recent attempts have been poorly executed and chemistry-free. The Nice Guys has gained renewed appreciation as viewers contrast its effortless balance of action and comedy with weaker contemporary offerings. Shane Black returns to the genre with Play Dirty, his first streaming release on Amazon, which, while not his best, stands out as a breezy, personality-driven improvement amid bland streaming fare. The film also adapts Donald E. Westlake's The Hunter.

Read at www.theguardian.com