Starsky & Hutch (2004) Movie Review, Trailer, Film Still and Poster

USA 2004
Director: Todd Phillips
Cast: Owen Wilson, Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, Snoop Dogg, Amy Smart, Carmen Electra
Rating: PG-13
Release Date: March 5th 2004
Running Time: 1 hour 50 minutes

The Movie Review

Starsky & Hutch film still


STARSKY & HUTCH
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In Hollywood, there is this one thing that filmmakers usually don't have to think hard on how to make a movie. That is by making a movie based on popular TV-series. Somehow, movies based on TV-series mostly came out as profitable, despite its mediocre-to-bad quality. Probably because the original TV series have already had their own fan base. Several years back, Hollywood has witnessed some popular movies based on TV-shows, such as S.W.A.T, Inspector Gadget 2, Wild Wild West, and The Avengers among others. I'm not against those "based-on based-on", it's just...It would've been nice if those flicks had been made "nicer".

Well oh well, for Starsky & Hutch fans, rejoice! (or not...). In March 2004, you would have the chance to see how your fave cops being projected on the big screen. With less action and less explosive scenes, I wonder where the freakishly big budget ($ 60 million) used for.

Michael Starsky is a hot-headed uptight police officer who always works by the book, and is far from being sleazy. On the other hand Ken Hutchinson is totally the opposite of Starsky. Kenn is a laid-back and relaxed cop who has the principle of Brain before Brawl. These opposite characters are forced to work together after they blow one of the most important missions, and since their Captain Dobey realizes the fact that no one wants to be the partner of Starsky anymore. Starsky has a record of changing partners for 12 times in just four years! Now they're on an assignment for investigating a murder that might be related to the new type of cocaine. Their investigation leads to Reese Feldman (Vince Vaughn), a multi millionaire businessman. For this mission to work out, Hutch will introduce Starsky to Hutch's informant for the very first time, Huggy Bear (Snoop Dogg). However these two cops' personality is more than often clashes. Will they ever complete their investigation?

Starsky & Hutch the movie serves more like a prequel, since this comedy movie (yup comedy! not action) explains to the audience how Michael Starsky and Kenneth Hutchinson hook up for the first time. Starsky and Hutch is headlined by three members of the Frat Pack, Owen Wilson, Ben Stiller and Will Ferrell. Regular faces in the comedy world, that most of the times actually guarantee good quality comedy movies (read: funny). Note, most of the time, not all the time, as in Starsky & Hutch.

The jokes in Starsky & Hutch totally missed the targets, it tries so hard to be funny and cool in the same time, but speaking quite frankly, neither of them succeeds. The jokes are completely dry and weird and the ones that actually force me to say "Huh?" or "Duh!” This flick is not even suitable for TV movie, and it does not know how to entertain. Yeah yeah the car (Ford Grand Torino) is cool, and the outfit too, and so does the songs and the environment. But without real entertainment value, in the end, those are meaningless. Probably the real valuable value for the fans is the cameo of the original Michael Starsky (Paul Michael Glaser) and Ken Hutchinson (David Soul).

© iwan pranowo of Movielogy.com