Starsky & Hutch parody isn’t quite the joyride it could have
been
Zebra Three is back, burning rubber and breaking rules just like in the old
days in Starsky & Hutch, an amusing parody of the ’70s cop show.
Paul Michael Glaser and David Soul literally pass the car keys to Starsky’s
souped-up red-and-white Gran Torino to real-life pals Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson
in a film that’s never quite as clever or funny as it should be, but works often
enough to recommend as a 100-minute time-waster.
Two undercover detectives, by-the-book David Starsky (Stiller) and roguish ladies’ man Ken Hutchinson (Wilson), catch a case involving a dead drug dealer floating in the bay. Among his possessions is a business card belonging to wealthy druglord Reese Feldman (Vince Vaughn), who has developed a new strain of cocaine that cannot be detected by police dogs. The screenwriters, including director Todd Phillips, mostly ignore this clever plot element in favor of silly slapstick. Before the ubiquitous Huggy Bear (Snoop Dogg) provides them with vital information that leads to Feldman, the detectives follow clues to a lascivious inmate (an unbilled cameo by Will Farrell), some slinky cheerleaders (played by Carmen Electra, Amy Smart and Brande Roderick), and a barful of brawling bikers.
Despite the presence of ’70s icon Fred “The Hammer” Williamson as Starsky and Hutch’s ever-irascible boss, Phillips’ film doesn’t take enough advantage of its period or plot. Still, many of the jokes are droll enough to inspire plenty of chuckles. And Stiller and Wilson have worked together on six films and a TV pilot, so their breezy chemistry as opposites-attract cops is no big surprise.
Of course, it wouldn’t be Starsky & Hutch without the “Striped Tomato.” Gearheads will be delighted to know that Starsky’s Torino can still spin out as excitingly as ever. If Phillips could only have adjusted his story as tightly as the Torino can take turns, he might have made a classic, instead of a fitfully fun joyride.
What other critics are saying. . .
Along Came Polly [PG-13] Ben Stiller plays a man who’s afraid of risk.
But he makes his living analyzing risk, gets involved in a risky romance, and
cheats on his wife.”A movie that sets its comedy bar too low for the talents
involved.” (Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood Reporter) White Oaks
Barbershop 2: Back in Business [PG-13] Spend another day with the crew
at Calvin’s [Ice Cube] barbershop on Chicago’s South Side. “Cube is still adorable,
but the potentially poppin’ battle between the shop and big-box competitor Nappy
Cuts gets obscured by sloppy chronology and flat, cartoonish politicos.” (Laura
Sinagra, Village Voice) White Oaks
Broken Lizard’s Club Dread [R] A serial killer interrupts the fun at
Club Dread, an island paradise for swingers. ShowPlace West, ShowPlace East
The Butterfly Effect [R] Evan (Ashton Kutcher), mourning the death of
his girlfriend, finds he can go back in time and change the future. But every
change he makes goes wrong. “Dreary and overfamiliar.” (Dennis Lim, Village
Voice) ShowPlace West
Calendar Girls [PG-13] The women of the Rylstone Women’s Institute in
North Yorkshire drop everything for a good cause. Stars Helen Mirren and Julie
Waters. “A grown-up comedy that is warm, winning and sexy.” (Ray Bennett, Hollywood
Reporter) Parkway Pointe
Cheaper by the Dozen [PG] The Baker family moves from a small Illinois
town to the big city after dad gets his coaching dream job. Steve Martin and
Bonnie Hunt star in this remake. “Martin and Hunt, reliable pros though they
are, don’t stand a chance against the force arrayed against them: the bald cliches,
unspeakable dialogue, and cheap sentimentality of the script . . .” (Jim Lane,
Sacramento News & Review) White Oaks
Cold Mountain [R] A wounded Confederate (Jude Law) embarks on a perilous
journey back home to Cold Mountain, N.C., to reunite with his sweetheart (Nicole
Kidman). Based on the novel by Charles Frazier. “Cold Mountain reiterates a
universal truth, and a message of hope.” (Chuck Koplinski, Illinois Times.)
Parkway Pointe
Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen [PG] Lola’s family moves from
New York City to the burbs in New Jersey. Lola sets her sights on winning the
lead in a school play while fantasizing about her favorite rock group. When
she gets word the group’s disbanding, she pulls out all the stops to make their
farewell concert. Parkway Pointe
Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights [PG-13] An American girl and her parents
show up in Cuba just before the Revolution. She meets a local Cuban guy who
recognizes her dancing ability. The dilemma: Will she stay or will she go? ShowPlace
West
Eurotrip [R] Scotty’s German online pen pal suggests they meet. When
he discovers she’s gorgeous, he and three friends head out after graduation
to meet her. Their European trip is fraught with comical misadventures. Not
reviewed. ShowPlace West
50 First Dates [PG-13] Veterinarian Henry Roth (Adam Sandler) enjoys
dating women on vacation, but leaves his playboy life after he meets Lucy (Drew
Barrymore). Alas, Lucy suffers from short-term memory loss, forcing Henry to
woo her every day. ShowPlace East, ShowPlace West
Hidalgo [PG-13] The story of a Pony Express courier (Viggo Mortensen)
who travels to Saudi Arabia to compete with his horse, Hidalgo, in a dangerous
race for a massive contest prize. “Nothing kills my Viggo jones like a bad western
set in the Arabian Desert.” (Jeanne Aufmuth, Palo Alto Weekly) ShowPlace
East, ShowPlace West
Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King [PG-13] Final part of trilogy,
as hobbits Frodo and Sam journey to Mount Doom in Mordor. “As a model for how
to bring substance, authenticity and insight to the biggest of adventure yarns,
this trilogy will not soon, if ever, find its equal.” (Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles
Times) ShowPlace East, ShowPlace West
Miracle [PG] The story of the U.S. hockey team that beat the favored
Soviet team in the 1980 Winter Olympics, then went on to win the gold. “An effective
exercise in flag-waving nostalgia.” (Mark Caro, Chicago Tribune) ShowPlace West,
ShowPlace East
The Passion of the Christ [R] Mel Gibson’s version of the last 12 hours
of Jesus Christ’s life. “The sacrifice Gibson’s Jesus makes is purely physical.
The violence to which he is subjected is portrayed to the point of being gratuitous
and manipulative.” (Chuck Koplinski, Illinois Times) ShowPlace East,
Parkway Pointe
Twisted [R] Jessica (Ashley Judd) portrays a police detective
who finds herself at the center of an investigation after all her past lovers
start dying off. To add to the drama, Jessica’s dad was a serial killer. “Characters
get distorted and motivations warped in this police thriller in order to keep
bodies piling up and clues pointing in all directions.” (Kirk Honeycutt, Hollywood
Reporter) ShowPlace West, ShowPlace EastÂ
This article appears in Mar 4-10, 2004.
