Movie Review

Starsky & Hutch

Starsky & Hutch, the latest Todd Philips (Road Trip, Old School) comedy starring Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson, proves to be a fun and rewarding experience. Despite a relatively slow opening stretch (with the exception of its introduction), this buddy-buddy flick delivers. Heading in, I was questioning the film?s possible impact given the friendlier PG-13 premise (compared to Old School and Road Trip?s R-status). However, as screen time progresses, the humor does too, and Philips and clan haven?t totally chickened out with the restrictions at hand; there?s some good stuff in here even if this movie probably would?ve been a blast with harsher material.

Ever since director/co-writer Philips came out with Road Trip (B), the filmmaker has won over moviegoers with his fun gross-out humor and amusing characters. Though Old School (B) avoided gross-outs, it is very enjoyable, with a few big laughs. Starsky & Hutch does have a bit in common with Old School in its style, as the actors are very tolerable and their material takes the project a notch higher. Neither film is grand in execution, as they?re just plain fun, with the plot serving as an unimportant element. Starsky is the kind of flick that fulfills a night out at the movies, as it entertains and brings out an adequate amount of laughter and breezy chuckles.

Starsky & Hutch is an adaptation of the 1970?s television series of the same name. Ben Stiller stars as Starsky, a loser cop with looks that kill (his physical appearance can easily keep chuckles going throughout the movie). His partner, Hutch (Owen Wilson), is the opposite, carrying the right mojo with women and always keeps his cool. Together they are to seek help from Huggy Bear (Snoop Dogg), a police snitch, to track down drug kingpin, Reese Feldman (Vince Vaughn).

Throughout Starsky & Hutch, it is very apparent that Todd Philips and co-writer Scot Armstrong could care less about the story woven around this film. This flick is very simplistic to the point where plot points never really make an impact; we?re simply waiting for the jokes and gags, hoping to get on the floor laughing at some point. With many movies, this approach can easily fall flat with dumb punch lines, or what is otherwise known as the Saturday Night Live spin-off syndrome. But Philips and Armstrong have played it right ? even without a real premise, Starsky & Hutch keeps the viewer in anticipation for the jokes, and they come at a reasonably good speed, with a few sequences making it difficult for me to stop laughing (as well as the audience).

Though the movie is fun and enjoyable, it?s has its weaknesses. The few cameos (with Will Ferrell in particular) do present fine moments of comedy, but co-stars like Juliette Lewis, Vince Vaughn, and Amy Smart are underplayed, requiring stronger material to make a sufficient impact. Vaughn might induce a chuckle at first sight, but the effect wears off soon, and his presence is not up to par with his delivery in Old School. As the villain, it is hard to fear him let alone care, though as mentioned before, Philips and Armstrong probably weren?t too concerned with that component.

The movie in general feels somewhat loose/tacky in its filmmaking, but it's got a certain spark to it that is irresistible. Philips has obviously done his homework on the genre and the period setting, as the set pieces and wardrobes are right on, as is the addicting and groovy soundtrack that shows up throughout the show. One scene in particular involving a dance challenge at a disco joint would probably produce audience applause with some crowds if the segment was written accordingly (and with the right tunes attached), but instead the scene is merely amusing.

The end result is a solid, entertaining flick. The lack of a real story almost makes the feature rank with more of a moderately successful rating, but given a few moments that had me laughing pretty hard, along with its array of breezy chuckles, the film saves itself. This is not exactly a movie to eagerly look forward to, but in terms of a flick to catch on a Friday or Saturday night with a packed, fun audience, Starsky & Hutch will likely please and hand over what is craved.

Lee's Grade: B
Ranked #18 of 120 between Maria Full of Grace (#17) and The Bourne Supremacy (#19) for 2004 movies.

A	0.4%
B	30.0%
C	61.7%
D	8.0%
F	0.0%