Starsky & Hutch (*1/2)
review by Jon Waterman

Play-it-by-the-book cop David Starsky is getting a new partner in the do-whatever-‘cuz-I’m-laid-back cop Ken Hutchinson (Hutch to you). This mismatched pair has to find a way to work together and solve a murder. If they’re lucky, they may also make one of the biggest drug busts in history. If they’re really lucky, they may just make us laugh, too.

That last one is tougher than you may think. We got some big comedic stars in Ben Stiller (Starsky), Owen Wilson (Hutch) and Will Ferrell. There are also lesser known, but nonetheless talented comedians Matt Walsh, Patton Oswalt and Judah Friedlander in bit roles and underused. Lastly there is Todd Phillips directing. He’s also done the very funny “Road Trip” and the less successful, yet still popular “Old School.” With all of this comic gold laying around, you’d think they’d be able to shape it into something more valuable. The movie is mildly funny.

There are two extendedly funny periods in the film. One is the “Do It” character that Starsky creates to go undercover. The other is with Will Ferrell’s character in the prison. Normally, Ferrell is pretty hit or miss, so it’s nice that he was able to hit this time. The rest of the gags weren’t that great. Stiller is now establishing himself as the goofy, physical comedian and it’s getting old. Phillips tries to make us laugh by dragging scenes out until they’re funny, but it doesn’t work.

I know it’s a no-brainer comedy, but some of the scenes have no purpose at all. There’s a part where Hutch goes to meet up Huggy Bear (played nicely by Snoop Dogg) and nothing happens. It’s an excuse for jokes. Nothing furthers the plot or the story. Maybe, if I had laughed, I would look the other way, but it was dead space. A lot of the film ended up being dead space. The dance scene? Not really funny. It was alright, but I’d be okay without it.

Now, I haven’t seen the television series this movie is “based on.” For all I know, there could be tons of references to things that happened during the show’s run. But, it appeared to me that it wasn’t so much paying homage to the original show as it was paying homage to Todd Phillips. He brings back a lot of the same cast members and even references his past movies a couple times. I suppose it’s nice to put that kind of thing in for the fans or something, but choose a different movie. Don’t put it in one with an actual history, because then it just looks like you’re full of yourself.

Is seeing this movie worth it? Probably not. Maybe if you’re a huge fan of one of the actors. Otherwise, I’d stay awake. It’s mediocre comedy, which is starting to make me think that “Road Trip” may have been a fluke.

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