No one wants to see the reputation of a classic '70s television show defiled when brought to the big screen. The memory of series such as "Charlie's Angels" and "Mission: Impossible" have been tarnished in the hands of directors such as McG and John Woo, respectively.
Comedic director Todd Phillips, however, who has helmed such gems as "Road Trip" and "Old School," takes the wheel of the infamous red and white 1974 Ford Torino in "Starsky & Hutch," respecting the nostalgic grooviness of the original while at the same time making the story his own.
Dave Starsky (Ben Stiller) and Ken Hutchinson (Owen Wilson) are two mismatched detectives fighting crime using less than traditional methods. After receiving a tip from Hutch's informant, Huggy Bear (Snoop Dogg), the two detectives attempt to crack down on a multi-million dollar drug deal lead by aspiring drug lord Reese Feldman (Vince Vaughn).
Instead of dramatizing the film, Phillips spoofs the series and decade in a hilarious and tasteful manner. He, along with co-writers Scot Armstrong, Stevie Long and John O'Brien, effectively take the ridiculous aspects of the show, such as the over the top fights, chases and climactic gunplay situations, and adds the element of slapstick to increase the hilarity tenfold.
Stiller and Wilson bring their distinct comedic styling to the film, and much like the hijinx of their on-screen alter egos, the two comics' personalities conveniently and effectively clash. Wilson's Hutch is charmingly idiotic while Stiller's Starsky is twitchingly uptight. The incompatibility works well in this buddy-buddy style comedy, as the pairs' petty fights and insults draw laughs from the audience the way a successful interrogation draws a confession.
Unfortunately, there is not a moment in which it's not obvious the viewer can say her or she isn't watching a "Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson Movie." The two are heavily typecast, never backing off from playing their aforementioned characters. This especially holds true for Stiller, whom Hutch calls a "tight-ass partner," the type of character that he will again - and most likely, forever - be cast.
This could have spelled disaster for "Starsky & Hutch," if not for the fantastic supporting cast. The underrated Vaughn is superb as smug crime boss Feldman, a ladies' man who is ruthless in his business, yet vainly paranoid about issues such as getting an uneven suntan.
Snoop Dogg was born to play Huggy Bear, a smooth-as-silk criminal befriended by Hutch. He perfectly personifies the style of '70s blaxploitation that few actors today would be able to grasp. The cars, clothes and atmosphere of the film compliment Snoop in ways that would make anyone else look laughable. Fans of the rapper will love his big scene in a golf course, revealing his knowledge of grass.
And who can forget Will Ferrell, easily the most hilarious of all the characters in the film? Ferrell is Big Earl, a recently convicted associate of Feldman, who has lost his mind in the confines of prison. He lets his bizarre sexual fetishes known to the two detectives, showing reactions of ludicrous lust that only a comedic genius such as Ferrell could generate.
In the final chase scene, Starsky admits to Hutch that his mother - a legendary police officer - didn't want him driving the Torino because she said he "couldn't handle the V8."
Thankfully, Phillips has shown he can handle the Torino as well as the series. Like a driver who knows exactly how to balance the usage of the gas versus clutch, Phillips perfectly implements his trademark humor with just the right amount of nostalgia in "Starsky & Hutch" to cater to both newcomers to the series and hardcore purists.
Photo: Meredith Forrest Kulwicki
