The Meaning of Soul

Over the weekend, I had the guilty pleasure of watching Todd Phillip’s (Old School) remake / reimaging of the 70’s TV show ‘Starsky and Hutch’ on BBC 3.  Recommended for fans of the original series or nostalgia enthusiasts. Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson star as the title characters. Two of Hollywood's most famous odd couples that have united together for a number of projects over the years are usually always likable in their films and here nothing changes.  Owen Wilson uses his sarcastic quips to his advantage, coming across as the smoother of the two, whereas Ben Stiller is the bumbling and self-conscious idiot who is both over-protective and over-zealous

 The premise of the film is two mismatched cops: David Starsky is a strict, by-the-books cop, while Ken "Hutch" Hutchinson is more laid-back and doesn't mind crossing the line of the law every once in a while. They're brought together on a case involving murder and cocaine. With assistance with their inside man Huggy Bear (Snoop Dogg), they are determined to bust the biggest case Bay City has seen, while some bickering and clash of ideas ensues.

Vince Vaughn plays Reese Feldman, the villain in the film. He’s a rich playboy, drug dealer who creates an undetectable cocaine mixture with his associate Jason Bateman, who are both very entertaining. Snoop Dogg was also enjoyable as Huggy Bear.  Personally, not a fan of his music, but he delivered some laughs and for once wasn't a completely pointless character.  Amy Smart who played Holly in the film along with Carmen Electra who played Stacy were both good as Starsky & Hutch's love interests and great to look at on screen.  I never watched the original series, so I can’t compare them to David Soul and Paul Michael Glaser (the original Starsky and Hutch) although they did make an appearance at the end of the movie, which was cool to see.  Although, the most important element of the film is the red and white classic 1976 Ford Gran Torino.  Quality looking car!

The result is a very goofy, entertaining flick that never tries too hard and never falls too hard either.  This is the sort of movie that you just sit back, forget your worries, and watch a couple of clowns bumble their way through the '70s.  It's not the kind of movie you'll be talking about after you see it - just a simple popcorn flick. ‘Starsky and Hutch’ is well made and funny - a surprisingly simple movie that is everything it pretends to be. 

Cheers!