Plot
Two streetwise cops bust criminals in their red-and-white Ford Torino with the help of police snitch called Huggy Bear.
Release Year: 2004
Rating: 6.1/10 (67,091 voted)
Critic's Score: 55/100
Director:
Todd Phillips
Stars: Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Snoop Dogg
Storyline Set in the 1970s in a metropolis called "Bay City," this is the tale of two police detective partners, Ken "Hutch" Hutchinson, and Dave Starsky, who always seem to get the toughest cases from their boss, Captain Dobey, rely on omniscient street informer Huggy Bear and race to the scene of the crimes in their souped-up 1974 Ford Torino hot rod, telling the story of their first big case (as a prequel to the TV show), which involved a former college campus drug dealer who went on to become a white collar criminal.
Writers: William Blinn, Stevie Long
Cast: Ben Stiller
-
David Starsky
Owen Wilson
-
Ken Hutchinson
Snoop Dogg
-
Huggy Bear
Fred Williamson
-
Captain Doby
Vince Vaughn
-
Reese Feldman
Juliette Lewis
-
Kitty
Jason Bateman
-
Kevin
Amy Smart
-
Holly
Carmen Electra
-
Staci
George Cheung
-
Chau
(as George Kee Cheung)
Chris Penn
-
Manetti
Brande Roderick
-
Heather
Molly Sims
-
Mrs. Feldman
Matt Walsh
-
Eddie
G.T. Holme
-
Bartender
Filming Locations: 1050 Arden Road, Pasadena, California, USA
Box Office Details
Budget: $60,000,000
(estimated)
Opening Weekend: $28,103,367
(USA)
(7 March 2004)
(3185 Screens)
Gross: $88,200,225
(USA)
(27 June 2004)
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Did You Know?
Trivia:
Dedicated to Elliott Marks, the Still Photographer, who died on the last day of principal photography.
Goofs:
Continuity:
When Starsky and Hutch (and the Torino) get shot at by the Korean gunman, Hutch frantically grabs the radio mike and calls in the license plate number of the gunman's car, then hurriedly throws the mike into the Torino and pursues the gunman. Moments later, after the gunman escapes, the dispatcher radios back with the license info and we see the radio with the mike neatly hung up on the clip.
Quotes:
[first lines]
Kitty:
Don't stress. Just relax. Reese Feldman:
I don't understand man, I don't understand. You can lose keys, ya know, you can lose your wallet. How... how do you lose a plane? Terrence Meyers:
Reese, come on. What do you want me to do? You got three out of four planes in. That's still a lot of coke. Reese Feldman:
Now, see that? That's the kind of winning attitude that's gonna take this enterprise straight to the top.
User Review
Great melding of traditional 1970s flicks and Stiller/Wilson
Rating: 9/10
David Starsky (Ben Stiller) is a by-the-book cop who thinks nothing
about destroying thousands of dollars of property to apprehend a mugger
who has stolen only a few dollars. Ken Hutchinson (Owen Wilson) is the
complete opposite--it seems the only reason he has become a cop is that
it makes a life of crime much easier. Captain Doby (Fred Williamson)
can't stand either of them, but hits upon the brilliant idea of pairing
them. When they begin investigating a murder that has ties to a
prominent millionaire, the best qualities of each just might start
influencing the other.
Although I always wait to read others' reviews and comments until I've
seen a film and written my own review (I do not want to be swayed or
influenced in any way by other opinions), I can imagine that quite a
few people would not like Starsky and Hutch. To really enjoy it, one
would have to alter their expectations to what director Todd Phillips
has chosen to deliver instead--a clever film that is both an absurdist
spoof and a respectful, faithful homage at the same time. Creating that
combination is a difficult feat, but Phillips was largely successful.
The combination means that Starsky and Hutch is not aiming to be
over-the-top hilarious, and it's also not aiming to be overly
consistent with the characters and tone of the original pilot film and
series. Viewers expecting either are likely to be a bit disappointed.
However, if you're a fan of gritty 1970s films as well as a fan of
Stiller and Wilson's usual material, you should find much to love here.
Phillips has remarkably captured the look and feel of a typical 1970s
film. The costumes, hairstyles, and overall production design are also
perfect for a subtle spoof on the 1970s, and given the source material,
even the plot has the slightly formulaic, slightly hokey, almost
made-for-television feel that is appropriate for this genre. You know
they're on the right track when Fred Williamson--star of such
blaxploitation masterpieces as Hammer (1972), Black Caesar (1973) and
Mean Johnny Barrows (1976)--has a prominent supporting role. The 1970s
spoof/homage aspect is far more understated and reverential than you'd
normal expect from a Stiller film, but easy to like and understand.
Other outstanding supporting roles are played by Vince Vaughn, Snoop
Dogg, Will Ferrell and Juliette Lewis, all except Dogg slightly out of
character, but just as enjoyable and funny as always, as they're all
somewhat faithfully filling traditional 1970s roles. Dogg is the most
in character, as he has long been deferential to that era, anyway.
The film hinges, of course, on Stiller and Wilson, and true to form,
Stiller is still a somewhat oblivious buffoon with Wilson as a hipper,
more streetwise buffoon. Grafting their comedy personae onto the
Starsky and Hutch characters was more easily done and natural than
anyone might have thought, and provides a highly amusing 100 minutes,
even if it's a bit of an acquired taste and not likely to be understood
quite as well by future generations.
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