A really good not-great movie, the kind that would be classified as a guilty pleasure were it not executed with guilt-free honesty and good nature.
Starsky & Hutch (2004)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:181
Fresh:114
Rotten:67
Average Rating:5.9/10
Consensus: Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson enliven a comedy comprising mostly of sight gags.
Runtime: 1 hr 40 mins
Genre: Comedies
Synopsis: Detective David Starsky (BEN STILLER) is the most dedicated undercover cop working the mean streets of Bay City, California. Maniacally devoted to his job, when he's on duty no crime goes... Detective David Starsky (BEN STILLER) is the most dedicated undercover cop working the mean streets of Bay City, California. Maniacally devoted to his job, when he's on duty no crime goes unpunished - and he's always on duty. And that's a good thing, because he has some metaphorically big shoes to fill: his mother was a legend on the force, one of the best cops in the history of Bay City. But while his mom stuck with the same partner throughout her entire career, due to his extremely zealous brand of police work, Starsky burns through partners faster than his beloved Gran Torino goes through spark plugs. Detective Ken "Hutch" Hutchinson (OWEN WILSON) is having career issues of his own - he's a good cop, but his hazardously laidback personality and desire for a quick buck don't always get the job done. He has excellent instincts, he just needs a little bit of focus to keep him on the admittedly less profitable side of the law. Exasperated Bay City Police Captain Dobey (FRED WILLIAMSON) has found the perfect solution for two of his biggest problems: pair up Starsky and Hutch and put them out on the streets. As soon as the two mismatched crime fighters unhappily begin their first day on the beat as a team, a "floater" turns up on the Bay City coastline. With the help of Hutch's dynamite, street-savvy informant Huggy Bear (SNOOP DOGG), the two begin to unravel the mysterious murder case. Investigating their first clue, the boys meet Staci (CARMEN ELECTRA) and Holly (AMY SMART), Bay City Cheerleaders who are more than eager to help - in any way they can. All signs seem to point at wealthy businessman Reese Feldman (VINCE VAUGHN), but Starsky and Hutch just can't seem to make a case against him. Unbeknownst to them, Feldman has cooked up a plan to foil the DEA and is plotting the biggest and most lucrative drug deal of his career. The unlikely duo will use their canniest undercover skills, hardcore street smarts and striking good looks to solve the crime and make sure the criminal does the time. Because, as David Starsky says, "In Bay City, when you cross the line, your n*ts are mine." Warner Bros. Pictures and Dimension Films present a Riche-Ludwig/Weed Road/Red Hour production of a Todd Phillips movie, Starsky & Hutch, starring BEN STILLER and OWEN WILSON. Directed by TODD PHILLIPS, the film also stars VINCE VAUGHN, JULIETTE LEWIS and SNOOP DOGG. Screenplay by JOHN O'BRIEN and TODD PHILLIPS & SCOT ARMSTRONG. Story by STEVIE LONG and JOHN O'BRIEN. Based on characters created by WILLIAM BLINN. The film is produced by WILLIAM BLINN, STUART CORNFELD, AKIVA GOLDSMAN, TONY LUDWIG and ALAN RICHE. The film is executive produced by GILBERT ADLER. The director of photography is BARRY PETERSON and EDWARD VERREAUX is the production designer. The film is edited by LESLIE JONES. Music by THEODORE SHAPIRO. Starsky & Hutch will be distributed domestically by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, and internationally by Dimension Films. This film was given a rating of "PG-13" by the MPAA for "drug content, sexual situations, partial nudity, language and some violence." [More]
Starring: Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Vince Vaughn, Juliette Lewis
Starring: Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Vince Vaughn, Juliette Lewis, Snoop Doggy Dogg
Director: Todd Phillips
Director: Todd Phillips
Screenwriter: Scot Armstrong, Todd Phillips, John O'Brien
Story: Stevie Long, John O'Brien
Producer: William Blinn, Stuart Cornfeld, Akiva Goldsman, Tony Ludwig, Alan Riche
Composer: Theodore Shapiro
Studio: Warner Bros.
Reviews for Starsky & Hutch
Too much of the script relies on smug, lazy strip-mining of second-rate pop-culture sources for no better reason that to give hipsters an opportunity to snicker at disco fashions.
Forget Mel Gibson, this is the year's biggest bummer for the Jews: that their biggest box-office champ, apart from Jesus, is the image of angry impotence.
Apart from wardrobe and hair, the two heroes completely miss the spirit that made the original spark.
What do you get when you add four screenwriters, five producers, and two leads who can't work outside of their own material? Starsky & Hutch
Starsky & Hutch is funny throughout, but with a handful of really hilarious moments of a kind that most comedies just don't deliver.
Viewing Starsky & Hutch is embarrassing, like watching Hollywood eat a cadaver in order to stay alive.
All in all, the film has a certain authenticity, capturing the spirit of the series.
Starsky and Hutch is a rarity: a big-screen parody of an old television series that's actually pretty good.
Starsky & Hutch isn't conceptually clever or well-designed, but on the other hand it's well-stocked with comedy talent.
The stars give [the movie] so many knee-slapper moments you'll want to wear long thick pants to save your thighs.
Probably the most enjoyable Hollywood update of a decades-old TV series since the first Brady Bunch movie.
This S&H is only as funny as you can imagine Stiller and Wilson being. For me, that's pretty funny.
The worst thing about Starsky & Hutch is how devoid of actual jokes the movie is. It's all premise, no substance.
I like Stiller and Wilson, but they need better material than these witless mainstream flicks.
Starsky & Hutch, the movie, has no weight or purpose. But it takes its triviality seriously enough to make it feel fresh.
For every solid rib tickler, there are about three bits that make the film's brief running time seem a lot longer.
Considering how flimsy Starsky & Hutch is, it manages to deliver some big laughs and some excellent slapstick mayhem.
Although Starsky & Hutch is a movie without a sincere moment, somehow it never seems cynical.
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