By Other Voices voices@moviecitynews.com
A BRIEF FLASH OF TUSH
Finally we have Hope…and Crosby.
Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson are the perfect match.Starsky & Hutch is a laugh riot. Since the first time they teamed up, that I can recall, in Meet The Parents the two have a great chemistry. Stiller the guy who is just trying to get things right and Wilson as the outgoing ultra-cool dude. They did it again in Zoolander. Here was Stiller as the super model being
challenged by newcomer Wilson. Again, Stiller’s guy had “The Look” but Wilson was just “Too Cool.”
Now comes Starsky & Hutch and their act is working again. Stiller as Starsky won’t deviate from the law. Wilson as Hutch is just having a good ride. The ride mostly is in Starsky’s precious vintage Ford Torino.
In keeping with the original 70’s hit series Starsky & Hutchleave no stone unturned in their goal to catch the bad guy, played by Vince Vaughn, who has found a sure fire undetectable brand of cocaine. Drug sniffing dogs are useless and so is Starsky after he mistakes it for a coffee sweetener.
Here comes the take off of Saturday Night Fever. Actually, Stiller must be into dance lessons. He did a big Dirty Dancing number in Along Came Polly.
Wilson doesn’t dance but does a mean version of the original Hutch (David Soul) hit, Don’t Give Up On Me Baby.
Then there is Snoop Dogg as Huggy Bear. Congratulations to Dogg, who becomes an entirely different animal in this picture… the informant with a pimp daddy reputation to uphold.
Parodies are not easy. Mostly they go too far, or not far enough. Starsky & Hutch found the balance. Hell, Stiller & Wilson might have found themselves a series.
Added note. Will the target audience get it? I’m talking teens with money. You bet. This 70s spoof is going to just feed their need to know why Mom and dad just thought it was such a great time. Personally I never get enough disco music. I can’t dance, but boy was that a fun time.
In case you really need a fix the entire first season of the original series is now available on DVD. This was the year nobody complained about violence on television. It wasn’t until the third season people got on Producer Aaron Spelling’s case that the two Bay City cops should stop beating everybody
they arrested to a pulp. After the bloodshed was dropped so did the ratings.
Hey, you want violence go see The Passion of the Christ.
Goodnight, Good-luck and Good News Tomorrow.
March 10 , 2004
Bill Tush