Starsky & Hutch Review
by Josh Gilchrist (joshgilch AT aol DOT com)March 8th, 2004
Starsky and Hutch * * * out of * * * *
Review by Josh Gilchrist
"Starsky and Hutch" enters theaters with two strikes already against it. The job of a film critic is to go into each screening with a subjective and nonbiased point of view. This is nearly impossible when the film approached yet
another parody of an old television show.
What separates this film from the other failed attempts is the fact that the filmmakers aren't intent on creating a modern revision of the premise. That was
where both "Charlie's Angels" films faltered. The only thing they had to do with the original show was the title. "Starsky" is in essence nothing more than
another buddy cop movie, but it's at times a damn funny one thanks to a number of hilarious references to both the television show and the 1970's.
It bodes well for the career of director and writer Todd Phillips that the film
does stay consistently funny. Comedy is his forte, emphasizing on the rude and crude variety. I wasn't a fan of his debut "Road Trip," yet "Old School nearly made it into my Top 10 list of 2003 thanks to brilliant turns from Will Ferrell
and Vince Vaughn. Both Vaughn and Ferrell have minor roles as baddies in "Starsky," neither being in top form.
The chief satisfaction comes from watching the rapport of the leads, Ben Stiller as Starsky and Owen Wilson as Hutch. These two are a dynamic duo, willing to subject themselves to tired jokes, most of which get a laugh simply because of their delivery. Stiller's uptight Starsky is a struggling officer trying to live up to the standards set by his late mother who just happened to be a decorated officer (this being a clever switch on the common cop film cliché and it had me in stitches.) Wilson's Hutch is the loose cannon willing to break the rules to have some fun while catching the bad guys. The bad guy they are chasing is played by Vaughn, a drug dealer who has just created an odorless cocaine which tastes like sweetener. That's all you need to know in terms of plot, because that's not why you'll enjoy the film.
Say what you will about the premise. Feel free to groan with the thought of yet
another film based on an overrated television show. Yet you may be surprised. This film benefits from a cool and breezy style, forcing some of the jokes but succeeding more often than not. It gives the satisfaction which one would receive catching up on old times with an old friend, looking back on past experiences with a warped sense of humor. This familiarity is what makes the film tick. If you don't remember the seventies, or have chosen to forget them, this is not a film for you. You'll watch Snoop Dogg ridiculing the white man's love for Jim Croce and wonder why that's funny. I am sure those who were there remember listening to Croce's "Time in a Bottle" and might ponder "What the hell was I thinking?"
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