When police officers
David Starsky (Ben Stiller) and Ken Hutchinson (Owen Wilson) are partnered
up, they don't like each other at first. But when a white collar
criminal, Reese Feldman (Vince Vaughn), starts his business on their
turf, that is, selling cocaine, they must set aside whatever
differences and
pull out all the stops, such as teaming with police informant Huggy Bear (Snoop Dogg). They also make friends with two college
cheerleaders (Carmen Electra and Amy Smart). However, Starsky and
Hutch hit some bumps along the way in their investigation (no pun
intended).
CRITIQUE
Starsky & Hutch
is a prequel to the 1975 buddy-cop TV show, and it's also a
buddy-cop comedy that we've seen before, yet this one takes place
in the fictional Bay City during the seventies. The film also puts
kind of a spin on the buddy-cop genre, but then again not really.
Actors and friends Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson play their parts
with general ease, they deliver their lines pretty straightforward
but don't go beyond their shtick.
The film's script,
by John O'Brien, and Todd Phillips and Scot Armstrong, is also
straightforward, perhaps maybe too much so. Story-wise, it works
out just fine. Yes, there are several scenes that don't really
need to be, such as the subplot with the kid from school. In terms
of jokes, the script's got them, but the film is only funny from
time to time; sure, I smiled, but never laughed out loud. The
verbal interactions between Stiller and Wilson we've kind of seen
before in their other films, although in this film their
characters seem to inhabit some homoerotic
undertones. This is especially evident in their scene with Will
Ferrell at the prison, as well as their scene in the police
department bathroom where they wear tiny towels around the waist.
Perhaps the script could've gone in a different direction that
this, and the overall outcome of the comedy and such would've been
more impressive.
The other actors in
the film do good jobs, fulfilling the obligatory supporting role
requirements. Vince Vaughn's character may not be the type of
criminal you'd expect, but he plays the part convincingly and gets
good screen time. Snoop Dogg is not that impressive as Huggy Bear,
but he fills the role well enough; his acting is improving.
Juliette Lewis also stars, playing Reese Feldman's dumb
girlfriend, and outfitting the film with some "hotness" are Carmen
Electra and Amy Smart.
Director Todd
Phillips makes several nods to 70s style cinematography (or
because it appeared in the TV show) by zooming in on various
objects and people throughout the film. The action scenes are well
photographed, but I can't say the same for some of the handheld
shots. For a buddy-cop comedy, Starsky & Hutch stands a bit
to the side. It's funny here and there, and overall offers average
entertainment.
THE VIDEO
Warner presents Starsky &
Hutch in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen. Colors are bright,
crisp, and well-saturated. Color balance looks nice, as does the
image and print quality. Sharpness and detail are clear, while
grain is very limited. There are no issues with compression
artifacts or dirt on the print. Overall, a lively-looking
presentation with many colors.
Optional subtitles
include English, French and Spanish.
THE AUDIO
Warner presents Starsky &
Hutch in English 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound. Dialogue
is clear and easy to understand at all times, there's no
problems with noise or anything like that. The front speakers
emit sound quite well, and positional audio is very good.
Surround usage is evident during some of the music, sound
effects, and natural sounds. The amount of bass in the
presentation is good enough, and dynamic range appears during
several instances.
A French dub track
is also available.
THE EXTRAS
The
audio commentary by director Todd Phillips is scene-specific and offers some good information here and
there, such as
stories from the set, thoughts and recollections on filming and
the actors, etc. Also, some of the director's comments are a bit
too obvious. Overall, an okay track.
Fashion Fa
Shizzle with Huggy Bizzle (2:41) features Snoop Dogg in
various costumes talking about the fashion and the character he
plays. I didn't care about this at all, it's filler material.
The whole "shizzle" stuff is getting old fast, too.
Starsky &
Hutch: A Last Look (9:18) is a making-of mockumentary in
the way it presents the interviews in a whole different light
than the usual documentaries. For example, Ben Stiller
jokes/admits he did it for the paycheck, and when asked about
how it was working with director Todd Phillips, he chooses not
to talk about it at first. The other actors also make general
complaints of sorts, which is all a bit different from what we
see usually - not all is harmony on a film set. Overall, this
featurette is fun in the sense that we don't always see
something like this. However, I would've also liked to have seen
an actual "making-of" the film; no bull interviews,
instead showing the process of how the film got made and so on.
Next are six
deleted/extended scenes (6:30) that don't add anything
valuable to the story. One shows Hutch taking a piss by Huggy's
store, and two scenes show Chris Penn getting punched in the
face and stomach. The gag reel (5:00) is full of adlibbed
and flubbed lines, plus a lot of laughing from Stiller. You
would suspect as many outtakes (maybe more) from a film starring
friends/professionals/actors. Mildly funny overall. Rounding out
the extras is the film's theatrical trailer (2:25).
The 100-minute
feature is organized into thirty-one chapters. There is no paper insert
inside this DVD keepcase.
SUMMARY
I'm going to give this
film and DVD a recommendation as a rental. Starsky & Hutch
presents a decent enough story and some good humor, yet it's a
buddy-cop comedy we've seen before. The extras are fine, and
video/audio is pretty good.
