By EWAN McDONALD
(Herald rating: * * *)
Maverick, I Spy, The Mod Squad, Charlie's Angels and now Starsky & Hutch: they've only Green Acres and Gilligan's Island to go, and the roll-call of movie retreads of 60s and 70s TV shows will be complete.
Perhaps it's appropriate that this one features Ben
Stiller and Owen Wilson. It's their sixth movie together, and as American critic Roger Ebert points out, they are the 21st century equivalents of the Hope-Crosby or Martin-Lewis teams from 40 years ago, "one is hyper and the other sleepy-eyed and cool".
David Starsky (Stiller) is the cop who works strictly from the rule-book; Ken Hutchinson (Wilson) bends all the rules of the Bay City force. In fact, Hutch's only contribution to cleaning up the streets in the past few months has been stealing from dead bodies. Captain Doby (Fred Williamson) thinks the odd couple deserve to work with each other for a while, which pleases neither.
There has to be a bad guy, of course, and it's Bay City's Numero Uno drug dealer Reese Feldman (Vince Vaughn), who has found a form of cocaine that has no taste or smell.
Their best leads in the investigation will come from Huggy Bear (Snoop Dogg), typecast in this kind of comedy as the hip black dude who works both sides of the law at once. There will be cameo, or slightly more clothed, appearances from Carmen Elektra and Amy Smart as the cheerleaders that Starsky and Hutch believe their image demands.
Starsky's bright-red Ford Gran Torino is the sole remaining cast member from the original series ... unless you count the music and the clothes.
The DVD, in 2.35:1 aspect ratio, is not as colourful as you might expect from a recent release of a movie that cries for garish hues. Director Todd Phillips (Old School) offers commentary and the extras include the predictable making-of, a few deleted scenes and a fashion feature from Snoop Dogg.
DVD, video rental 18 August
