Starsky & Hutch
Two Boobs Looking for a Bust

The 1970s are a gold mine. Filmmakers have noted this, too, giving audiences remakes of popular television shows like "Mission: Impossible" and "Charlie's Angels." But where those shows spawned action movies, director Todd Phillips (Old School) has taken a classic cop show and remade it as a pure comedy. Starsky & Hutch is funny, entertaining, and still features the quintessential cool car: a red Ford Torino with a white stripe down the side.

Starring Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson, Starsky & Hutch follows the exploits of two cops who are ordered to become partners. By-the-book David Starsky (Stiller) and renegade Ken Hutchison (Wilson) don't like each other (naturally), but when they begin investigation of a murder that leads to possible drug ties, they put aside their differences and work together.

Sound familiar? Of course it does! It's been done a thousand times before. What makes it unique is the comic timing of Stiller and Wilson. The two men excel at playing over-the-top characters who make people laugh. In Starsky & Hutch, they bring their talent to the laughter rich setting of the 1970s, where nearly everything (from clothes to disco) leads to a joke.

Granted, the comedy is often sophomoric. A lot of the jokes revolve around sex and drugs. And for some reason I can't fathom, Phillips has forced a recurring homoerotic theme on the film, beginning with the opening song, Barry Manilow's "I Can't Smile Without You." While it's certainly not in keeping with the original series, it's still funny.

On top of it all, Starsky & Hutch also co-stars Vince Vaughn as Reese Feldman, the bad guy who wants to bring a "new coke" to Bay City's underworld. The film also features Snoop Dogg as Huggy Bear, Hutch's essential connection to the shady side of the city. Both men are excellent, and provide their own laughs to an already humorous film. Will Ferrell also makes a very weird guest appearance as a con named "Big Earl."

As romantic interests, Amy Smart and Carmen Electra also appear. Holly and Staci -- very attractive cheerleaders in tight uniforms -- are only barely involved in the investigation, but the side story is good for some laughs. Like much of the film, the "plot" is often sidetracked by vignettes of comedy that have little to do with the story.

The story itself is entirely predictable. With that in mind, it's still a fun ride. There are plenty of laughs, although I think it's funnier if you actually remember watching a few episodes of the old television show as a kid. Paul Michael Glaser and David Soul (the original Starsky & Hutch) make a cameo at the end of the film. Sadly, I think my friends and I were the only ones in the theater old enough to recognize them.

MY RATING: 7 out of 10.

RATED:
RUN TIME: 101 min.

Starsky & Hutch Two Boobs Looking for a Bust

Starsky & Hutch
Two Boobs Looking for a Bust