STARSKY & HUTCH

"8 O'clock, I didn't know this place opened at 8"

Detective Ken "Hutch" Hutchinson

As a huge shipment of cocaine is about to hit Bay City, the slightly too dedicated detective David Starsky (Stiller) is partnered with the department slacker Ken "Hutch" Hutchinson (Wilson). The pair's first case is a body that has washed up in the harbour. After a background check and a conversation with local hood and informant Huggy Bear (Snoop Dog), the trail leads to local businessman Reese Feldman (Vaughn). Now all Starsky and Hutch have to do is find the evidence to connect him to the shipment.

One of the best-loved cop shows of the 1970s gets a comedic overhaul thanks to the talents of Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson.

Choosing to spoof a once serious TV programme is an inspired move, allowing the filmmakers to take us back to the era of flares, Disco and the Ford Gran Torino. Everything is recreated brilliantly from the fashion (everyone remembers Starsky's awful cardigans) to technology of the time (8 track tapes in every car) and it is all rapped up in a comedic overcoat.

Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson have great chemistry on screen. They bounce off each other so naturally you can see that they are truly great friends both on and off screen. Stiller's Starsky is overbearing but vulnerable and always the action man of the pair. This is a great role for Stiller's considerable comedy talents as he transforms Starsky from the anally retentive stickler for the rules into a likeable, risk-taking detective. Owen Wilson is his usual laid back, likable self playing Hutch as a player, looking out for number one and breaking a few rules to do this. This might not be too different to many roles that Wilson plays; especially his Roy O'Bannon role for the Shanghai… movies but you can't help but enjoy is humour and performance.

The support is also good. Snoop Dog steps into Antonio Fargas's platform shoes to spread the word on the street as Huggy Bear. This is a role that Snoop was born to play as anyone who knows the P.I.M.P. would think he is from the era anyway. Vince Vaughn is slightly underused as the villain of the piece but he hams it up superbly making a convincing 70s bad guy. There are also good turns from the beautiful Amy Smart and Carman Electra as well as Jason Bateman and a very large Chris Penn. It is Will Ferrell's Big Earl that almost steals the show however. You could never imagine that a man could love dragons and belly buttons so much. There is also a cameo treat for fans of the original show.

While the movie excels in its look and characters is does slightly lack in the plot department. It just seems that some scenes were written to just get us to the next comic or action sequence. Saying that the programme itself was never the strongest written show, relying more on shootouts and car chases to sell itself than anything else.

Starsky & Hutch is a very funny, comedic homage to the TV of a bygone era. The pairing to Stiller and Wilson make the movie worth watching alone and for fans of the show the sight of the Ford Gran Torino screeching trough the streets of Bay City should fill them with excitement.

Now where can I get myself a perm and some cheesy 70s music?

PICTURE & SOUND

Presented in 2.35:1 Anamorphic Widescreen with a Dolby Digital 5.1 surround soundtrack, the transfer is good, as you'd expect from a modern film. The picture quality isn't the greatest but before you say anything this was intentional to capture the essence of the 70s. With muted colours and a slightly grainy look this is a recreation of the TV series look to a tee. The same can't be said for the sound thankfully as this is an all singing and dancing 5.1 track. The brilliant 70s soundtrack and the screech of the Gran Torino's tyres resonant through all the speakers, capturing all of the energy of the era and the show on which it was based.

BONUS FEATURES

Commentary by Todd Phillips, Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson
Now this is in fact a big lie as Ben Stiller or Owen Wilson actually never utter a word. This is a real disappointment but Todd Phillips does his best on his own. The director talks about working with the cast, many of which he used in his previous movies Road Trip and Old School and bringing a classic TV show back to life, with a comedic twist. He calls this a love letter to the original show and he reveals that he copied the style and feel of the programme down to the zoom ins and introductions. He sees the movie as more of a prequel rather than a remake, as it shows how Starsky and Hutch came together. This is an informative and funny commentary from the director, it is just a shame that his stars never turned up.

Fashion fa shizzle with Huggy Bizzle (2.42 mins)
Snoop Dog takes use through Huggy Bear's fly 70s style as he shows you every outfit he wears in the movie.

Last Look Special (9.20 mins)
Director Todd Phillips, producers Stuart Cornfeld and Alan Riche and stars Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Snoop Dog, Vince Vaughn, Jason Bateman, Amy Smart, Carmen Electra, Molly Sims and Juliette Lewis reveal that if it wasn't for the large amount of money they were paid, Starsky and Hutch would have never got made. In this mock featurette, the cast and crew rip into each other and even some very special guest stars get in on the act.

Deleted scenes (6.32 mins)
Entitled "Starsky lectures Hutch", "Drinking on the clock", "Joyride", "Hutch's philosophy", "Manetti gets his due Part 1" and "Manetti gets his due Part 2", these seven deleted scenes could have done with a commentary track to tell you why they were removed.

Theatrical Trailer (2.23 mins)
Your chance to watch the promotional trailer used in the film.

Easter Egg (2.49 mins)
Vince Vaughn gets his own section on the DVD and has himself a 70s Brady Bunch trivia quiz.

OVERALL

The level of extra features is very disappointing. The fact that Owen Wilson and Ben Stiller are not on the commentary track, even though the menu says so only adds to the frustration. The featurettes are very short and not very informative but the deleted scenes are good even though they are missing a commentary track. The DVD is a bit of a disappointment as the film is a great comedy.

DVD

Old School

Zoolander

The Royal Tenenbraums

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2004