I was born in 1976, just a year after the original "Starsky and Hutch" television series debuted. As a child of the 80's, I have some distant memories of watching old re-runs of the show. Obviously, it was the supercharged red-and-white Ford Gran Torino that drew me in and countless of other fans.
Well, we finally have "Starsky & Hutch", a comedy based on that old show. And it's a good one. It's not a perfect one, mind you, and it's not even a great one. The jokes are more hit-and-miss than anything else. But, if you put yourself in the right mood, it will put more than a smile on your face. It'll make you laugh.
Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson are perfectly cast as Dave Starsky and Ken 'Hutch' Hutchinson, two Bay City cops who are the outcasts of their own police department. Their investigation of a murder leads to Reese Feldman (Vince Vaughn), a drug dealer who has a form of cocaine that cannot be picked up by police dogs.
The movie is set in the seventies and has a great time spoofing the era. Snoop Dogg plays Huggy Bear, an informant of Hutch, a character who seems to pay homage to "Superfly". In fact, Fred Williamson, star of those old exploitation films is cast as Starsky and Hutch's boss, Captain Dobey. There are also funny references to the classic movies "Easy Rider" and "Saturday Night Fever".
Juliette Lewis, Carmen Electra, Amy Smart and Will Ferrell all cameo and add to the fun. I loved the soundtrack, a terrific sound of 70's rock. Director Todd Phillips has done an admirable job of adapting the serious TV show into a funny comedy. Fans of "There's Something About Mary" and Wilson's "Shanghai" films should enjoy it.
*** out of **** (Good)
Well, we finally have "Starsky & Hutch", a comedy based on that old show. And it's a good one. It's not a perfect one, mind you, and it's not even a great one. The jokes are more hit-and-miss than anything else. But, if you put yourself in the right mood, it will put more than a smile on your face. It'll make you laugh.
Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson are perfectly cast as Dave Starsky and Ken 'Hutch' Hutchinson, two Bay City cops who are the outcasts of their own police department. Their investigation of a murder leads to Reese Feldman (Vince Vaughn), a drug dealer who has a form of cocaine that cannot be picked up by police dogs.
The movie is set in the seventies and has a great time spoofing the era. Snoop Dogg plays Huggy Bear, an informant of Hutch, a character who seems to pay homage to "Superfly". In fact, Fred Williamson, star of those old exploitation films is cast as Starsky and Hutch's boss, Captain Dobey. There are also funny references to the classic movies "Easy Rider" and "Saturday Night Fever".
Juliette Lewis, Carmen Electra, Amy Smart and Will Ferrell all cameo and add to the fun. I loved the soundtrack, a terrific sound of 70's rock. Director Todd Phillips has done an admirable job of adapting the serious TV show into a funny comedy. Fans of "There's Something About Mary" and Wilson's "Shanghai" films should enjoy it.
*** out of **** (Good)