Movie Review: Starsky & Hutch

Starsky & Hutch

Dimension Films, Warner Bros., AR-TL, Weed Road Pictures, Red Hour Films, USA, 2004.

In the 1970s drug lord Reese (Vince Vaughn) is missing one airplane full of cocaine so he murders the unlucky hoodlum who lost it. Starsky (Ben Stiller) is a over eager Bay City cop. Hutch (Owen Wilson) is a bit corrupt undercover cop. Captain Doby (Fred Williamson) assigns the mismatched duo as partners. Starsky may seem to be a bore, but at least he owns Ford Gran Torino.

Starsky

Hutch

Captain Doby

Reese's gang has developed a new type of cocaine that the police dogs can't smell. Bar owner and local godfather of the hood Huggy Bear (Snoop Dogg) informs Starsky & Hutch that there is going to be big cocaine deal in Bay City. When the cops investigate murder, they start to suspect Reese. Disguising as motorists the pair goes to get information. They also go to prison to interrogate Reese's connection dragon-fetishist Big Earl (Will Ferrell). The cops goof around so much that they get suspended from the police force, so they must solve the case alone with help from Huggy Bear.

Huggy Bear

Kevin (Jason Bateman) and Reese

Big Earl

This movie takes the 1970s series to more comedic direction. Also it parodies the movies and fashion of the era in general. Because the film is set in the 1970s there is also an obligatory disco dancing scene. Starsky & Hutch are made goofy bumblers instead of the cool characters in the original series. In the original series Huggy Bear (Antonio Vargas) was bartender and snitch, now he is depicted as stronger godfather figure. It says something that Snoop Dogg's character is one of the most serious ones in this movie. It is quite entertaining buddy cop comedy but many of the punchlines fall flat. It feels that it would have been more fun if Stiller and Wilson could have pulled it even more over the top. For example Stiller and Wilson movie "Zoolander" used a bit similar style of parody but worked much better. Also the crime plot has some oversimplifying jumps that it feels like something was left on the cutting room floor.

Ford Gran Torino

Undercover cops

Juliette Lewis has a small role as Reese's ditsy girlfriend Kitty. Original Starsky and Hutch Paul Michael Glase and David Soul make cameo appearance in the end. There are some good car stunts and the end credits show some failed stunts. As a special note the film ends with Starsky's car jumping in slow motion that results in some serious car chassis deformation.

Kitty

Original Starsky and Hutch

Rating: Average

Starring: Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Snoop Dogg, Fred Williamson, Vince Vaughn, Juliette Lewis, Jason Bateman, Amy Smart, Carmen Electra, George Cheung, Chris Penn, Brande Roderick, Molly Sims, Matt Walsh, G.T. Holme, Jeffrey Lorenzo, Har Mar Superstar, Patton Oswalt, Brigette Romanek, Paul Michael Glaser, David Soul, Dan Finnerty, Jernard Burks, Omar J. Dorsey, Pramod Kumar, Rod Tate, Richard Edson, Raymond Ma, Terry Crews, Richie Nathanson, David Pressman, Scott L. Schwartz, Judah Friedlander, Akerin Suksawat Premwattana, Amber Mead, The Bishop Don Magic Juan, Darlene Tejeiro, Harry O'Reilly, Tangie Ambrose, Sara Swain, Delores Gilbeaux, Kimberly Brickland, Minnie Lagrimas, Rachael Harris, David Burton, Larry Chang, Ton Suckhasem, Henry T. Yamada, Charles Edward Townsend,  Will Ferrell, Kathleen LaGue

Director: Todd Phillips