An imaginative and witty action thriller (hold the presses!), Kiss Kiss Bang Bang sees returns to form from both Val Kilmer and Robert Downey, Jr - they play a gay detective and a thief who pretends to be an actor and gets "detective lessons" from the other.  Funny, stylish and smart, it's a good film directed by Shane Black, who wrote Lethal Weapon and some of its sequels and some of its imitations.  Composer John Ottman has been elevated to the curious position of apparently being Danny Elfman's heir as the composer-of-choice for superhero movies (mainly thanks to his association with director Bryan Singer), but his style is most resolutely not suited to those films; and neither, to be honest, does it seem to be suited to the horror films he seems to spend the rest of his time scoring.

Strangely (and I don't really know why this is the case), what he certainly is very good at scoring are slightly offbeat thrillers.  His stylish and sassy scores for things like Goodbye Lover, Cellular and Cruel Intentions are his best work and I'd be far happier seeing his name associated with more of those than with Fantastic Four or Superman Returns.  His music for Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is a case in point, highlighting his strong melodic gifts and a talent for arranging a small orchestra in a way which ends up masking its lack of size with inventive orchestration for a stylish result.  That is a far more satisfying end to me than the 120-piece orchestras which crop up in the superhero scores but which seem to expose a certain lack of flair at orchestrating the real big-budget stuff.

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang is based around a couple of attractive themes, an almost lullaby-like piece usually heard played by a gentle ensemble, and a sexy piece often highlighted by saxophones which slightly recalls James Horner's wonderful Sneakers.  They're both terrific and work very well at establishing the mood for the film, which wouldn't have been an easy one at all for the composer.  Also on offer are some terrific pieces of action music; "Saving Perry" is a particular treat.  "Harry's Rage" is a top-notch piece, with some Goldsmith-style piano writing accompanied by brass and string work which is pure Ottman.  It really is a very entertaining and enjoyable score.  At 55 minutes, perhaps La-La Land's album is a little over-long, but that's a minor complaint.  The package also features generous notes from both director and composer.  Recommended.