The Mod Squad Review
by Craig Roush (kinnopio AT execpc DOT com)March 29th, 1999
THE MOD SQUAD
** (out of 4) - a fair movie
Release Date: March 26, 1999
Starring: Claire Danes, Omar Epps, Giovanni Ribisi, Dennis Farina, Josh Brolin, Michael Lerner, Richard Jenkins
Directed by: Scott Silver
Distributed by: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
MPAA Rating: R (language, violence, some sexuality)
URL: http://www.execpc.com/~kinnopio/reviews/1999/modsquad.htm
Something is horribly appropriate about THE MOD SQUAD. It lies in that confusing teenage ground between mainstream and fringe, and its cynical postmodern view is suddenly becoming very prevalent in adolescent society. However, this tiny societal revolution is nothing more than a hiccup in civilization's grand scale. And so the wave of trendiness which Scott Silver's THE MOD SQUAD rides is too meaningless to make the movie of any worth.
The plot is similarly meaningless for most of its 95-minute running time, and for a movie of such brevity, that's never good. The fast-paced feeling is nothing more than an illusion created by the liberal editing job, and it should be clear that the plot is nothing more than a skeleton to hang plot devices upon. The three writers involved (director Silver as well as Stephen Kay and Katie Lanier) have little experience between them, and that's frequently obvious: the comic relief would be nothing without Giovanni Ribisi and the suspense is never well-disguised.
Of course, with a little work, THE MOD SQUAD could've easily been premiered on primetime television, and so there's not much room for extended development. In quick succession, we're introduced to the characters, their mission, and their problems which will lead to the climactic final scene. Protagonists Julie (Claire Danes), Linc (Omar Epps), and Pete (Ribisi) are teens on their way to jail who cut a deal with police captain Adam Greer (Dennis Farina). The man says: help us and we'll help you -- that is, our heroes hold a get-out-of-jail-for-now card while they undercover-cop their way into Los Angeles' hottest hangouts. All does not go as planned, however, when Greer ends up dead with some drugs on his person, and everything stinks of setup.
It takes some time for all of this to stick in the heads of the audience, and by the time it does, the end credits are only fifteen minutes away. Most of the script is filled with trivial banter or clichéd substance, and unfortunately it isn't until the last scene that one of the characters takes a poke at the recycled plot. But when all is said, the script never helped this movie.
So instead director Silver tries to put the burden of success on the movie's trendy atmosphere: the 70's-revival dress, the racous big city nightlife, and the ease with which one can get laid therein are all themes which prevade the movie. Unfortunately the actors are too one- dimensional (Danes and Epps) or over-the-top (Ribisi) to draw the audience in, and thus THE MOD SQUAD will be dismissed as smoke and mirrors. It is possible to have fun watching this movie, but that would take far more brain power than the producers assumed the target audience would have.
all contents © 1999 Craig Roush
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Craig Roush
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Kinnopio's Movie Reviews
http://www.execpc.com/~kinnopio
Originally posted in the rec.arts.movies.reviews newsgroup. Copyright belongs to original author unless otherwise stated. We take no responsibilities nor do we endorse the contents of this review.
