Shane Black, the writer/director of "Kiss Kiss, Bang, Bang," created the Mel Gibson "Lethal Weapon" character and wrote all four "Lethal Weapon" movies. This is Black’s directorial debut and Robert Downey Jr. delivers his usual quirky performance, which, of course, is anything but usual. The characters here share the same sort of good-natured goofiness and banter as "Lethal Weapon." This colorful comedy is not as violent as "Pulp Fiction" but the tone of both movies has a lot in common. For those looking for a twisted adult comic thriller, your dreams have come true.

George Singleton: Your career in film has been focused until now on writing, acting and producing. What motivated you to become a director?

Shane Black: I got restless; writing was laborious. It might come up on the screen in a form that I don’t like or not agree with. I’ve been eating all my vegetables but skipping the dessert. Directing, as compared to solely writing, is a more social experience; it’s not solitary. Directing brings out more parts of who you are.

GS: What’s the difference between wanting to be a director and making it happen for a big budget film that gets distribution?

SB: Mel Gibson suggested to Joel Silver (his partner in the "Lethal Weapon" movies) that Downey be in the film. They vouched for him being clean [Downey has a history of substance abuse]. His behavior during the film was unimpeachable. The studio wanted a recognizable box office star, like $20 million actor Harrison Ford. Eventually Joel and I looked at each other and agreed that we could make the film for $15 million. Downey and Kilmer [sometimes known as a party animal] aroused a little anxiety as the leads in the same movie. With it being so low budget, the studio stayed out of the way. The only person I had to please was Joel. We shot the film in 35 days. Downey and Kilmer totally committed to each and every scene. They are very intelligent actors and they elevated the material.

GS: Because the action is so over the top, it clearly was not an easy movie to film. I’m thinking of the car chase toward the end. How do you make it look convincing without going over budget?

SB: If you have enough angles (on camera) and the actors give the needed performance, we can get either what we want right now or later in the editing room. There was not a lot of improvisation. For the six months leading up to filming, I worked very hard to be prepared. I knew what changes could be done without affecting my plan.

GS: You are considered a pioneer when it comes to writing modern day action films. What are your thoughts on the direction of this genre?

SB: I would like to see the action more character driven with the focus on suspense versus action.