Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson's latest effort, "Starsky and Hutch," is a light and comical film, yet it fails to deliver anything truly exceptional. The lead actors are funny but only sufficient. The supporting cast, which includes Vince Vaughn, Will Ferrell, Snoop Dogg, Carmen Electra and Amy Smart, steal the show.
I must admit that I have never seen the original 1970s show, but just by watching the exaggerated mannerisms of Wilson and Stiller, the original feel and personalities of the show are apparent. It is also obvious that these two actors are not simply remaking the television series. They are embracing its characters and poking fun at the situations.
The film opens with Reese Feldman (Vaughn), a rich man who has discovered a new form of cocaine that is undetectable by dogs. Therefore, it can be sold easier and more effectively without the risk of being caught. This simple idea is basically the premise of the entire movie.
Starsky and Hutch become partners for the police department, and they immediately dislike each other. Starsky (Stiller) is overly serious about his work and the police procedure. Hutch (Wilson), on the other hand, is more relaxed and unethical. For instance, when they discover a dead body washed ashore on the river, Hutch would rather set it back in the water and let it float to another district, but not before stealing the corpse's money. He doesn't want to deal with a "Floater case," which is, apparently, extremely hard to solve.
Huggy Bear (Snoop Dogg) plays a good friend of Hutch, and also serves as an underground informant. Huggy shares important information with the cops about impending drug deals and is the one that leaks the information that this undetectable cocaine will be sold in mass quantities in the near future.
Eventually, Starsky and Hutch decide that they are a pretty good team, especially when they decide that they'll use their contrasting charm to score some horny cheerleaders (Electra and Smart). Also, with their newfound teamwork abilities, they discover that the dead man in the river is actually related to the drug deal. This essentially is the entire plot development of the entire film.
The main problem with "Starsky and Hutch" is that it falls victim to its trailer and television commercials. For every -- and I mean every -- funny situation that happened in the movie, I felt that I had either seen it already or read about it somewhere else. An extreme sense of déjà vu infiltrated the movie, and the jokes and gags seemed tired and overused.
For instance, Starsky and Hutch believe that Reese is stashing all of the cocaine in his garage during his daughter's bat-mitzvah. In order to open the garage, Starsky shoots through the lock only to discover that he has shot the daughter's brand new pony -- a present from her father. I knew this was coming, and the entire audience knew it too. We had all seen it before in the previews. Therefore, the comedic aspect of the scene was completely lost.
Stiller and Wilson definitely have a comedic presence, and their contrasts work nicely together. Their last film together, "Zoolander," also exuded this charisma, but for some reason, I felt they played off each other better then. This might be because the audience has gotten used to this pair and expect a certain type of comedic performance. Overall, though, the two are more than adequate.
That being said, the supporting cast easily outshines Stiller and Wilson. Snoop Dogg is absolutely hilarious as Huggy Bear. His first scene with his cohorts is great, and it is very funny to see him interact with the uptight Starsky. Ferrell plays Big Earl, a convict that has information regarding the drug dealer. His role and his questionable interests are a welcome addition to the movie. One scene in particular shows Big Earl in control as Starsky and Hutch try to interrogate him. The result is, let's say, amusing, if not disturbing.
All in all, the film does have its moments, and you will find yourself laughing out loud. Just realize that before you buy your ticket, you have probably already seen most of "Starsky and Hutch."
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