Capably accomplishes precisely what it set out to do in the first place...which is to deliver good, goofy laughs in a light and amiable setting.
Starsky & Hutch (2004)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:181
Fresh:114
Rotten:67
Average Rating:5.9/10
Consensus: Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson enliven a comedy comprising mostly of sight gags.
Runtime: 1 hr 40 mins
Genre: Comedies
US Box Office: $88,200,225
Synopsis: Detective David Starsky (BEN STILLER) is the most dedicated undercover cop working the mean streets of Bay City, California. Maniacally devoted to his job, when he's on duty no crime goes... Detective David Starsky (BEN STILLER) is the most dedicated undercover cop working the mean streets of Bay City, California. Maniacally devoted to his job, when he's on duty no crime goes unpunished - and he's always on duty. And that's a good thing, because he has some metaphorically big shoes to fill: his mother was a legend on the force, one of the best cops in the history of Bay City. But while his mom stuck with the same partner throughout her entire career, due to his extremely zealous brand of police work, Starsky burns through partners faster than his beloved Gran Torino goes through spark plugs. Detective Ken "Hutch" Hutchinson (OWEN WILSON) is having career issues of his own - he's a good cop, but his hazardously laidback personality and desire for a quick buck don't always get the job done. He has excellent instincts, he just needs a little bit of focus to keep him on the admittedly less profitable side of the law. Exasperated Bay City Police Captain Dobey (FRED WILLIAMSON) has found the perfect solution for two of his biggest problems: pair up Starsky and Hutch and put them out on the streets. As soon as the two mismatched crime fighters unhappily begin their first day on the beat as a team, a "floater" turns up on the Bay City coastline. With the help of Hutch's dynamite, street-savvy informant Huggy Bear (SNOOP DOGG), the two begin to unravel the mysterious murder case. Investigating their first clue, the boys meet Staci (CARMEN ELECTRA) and Holly (AMY SMART), Bay City Cheerleaders who are more than eager to help - in any way they can. All signs seem to point at wealthy businessman Reese Feldman (VINCE VAUGHN), but Starsky and Hutch just can't seem to make a case against him. Unbeknownst to them, Feldman has cooked up a plan to foil the DEA and is plotting the biggest and most lucrative drug deal of his career. The unlikely duo will use their canniest undercover skills, hardcore street smarts and striking good looks to solve the crime and make sure the criminal does the time. Because, as David Starsky says, "In Bay City, when you cross the line, your n*ts are mine." Warner Bros. Pictures and Dimension Films present a Riche-Ludwig/Weed Road/Red Hour production of a Todd Phillips movie, Starsky & Hutch, starring BEN STILLER and OWEN WILSON. Directed by TODD PHILLIPS, the film also stars VINCE VAUGHN, JULIETTE LEWIS and SNOOP DOGG. Screenplay by JOHN O'BRIEN and TODD PHILLIPS & SCOT ARMSTRONG. Story by STEVIE LONG and JOHN O'BRIEN. Based on characters created by WILLIAM BLINN. The film is produced by WILLIAM BLINN, STUART CORNFELD, AKIVA GOLDSMAN, TONY LUDWIG and ALAN RICHE. The film is executive produced by GILBERT ADLER. The director of photography is BARRY PETERSON and EDWARD VERREAUX is the production designer. The film is edited by LESLIE JONES. Music by THEODORE SHAPIRO. Starsky & Hutch will be distributed domestically by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, and internationally by Dimension Films. This film was given a rating of "PG-13" by the MPAA for "drug content, sexual situations, partial nudity, language and some violence." [More]
Starring: Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Vince Vaughn, Juliette Lewis
Starring: Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Vince Vaughn, Juliette Lewis, Snoop Doggy Dogg
Director: Todd Phillips
Director: Todd Phillips
Screenwriter: Scot Armstrong, Todd Phillips, John O'Brien
Story: Stevie Long, John O'Brien
Producer: William Blinn, Stuart Cornfeld, Akiva Goldsman, Tony Ludwig, Alan Riche
Composer: Theodore Shapiro
Studio: Warner Bros.
Reviews for Starsky & Hutch
Like countless other flabby, winking studio comedies out there, this movie plays like a series of sketches begging for commercial breaks.
Starsky & Hutch has moments of hilarity a little greater than you might expect of a movie that is just out for a lazy good time.
The actors are at the top of their comedic game, and their chemistry is undeniable.
Satirically, there's really nothing here that can't be found in Spike Jonze's video for the Beastie Boys' Sabotage, but that doesn't mean it's not a fun ride.
Stiller and Wilson are becoming the most memorable comedic duo since Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon.
Keeps you laughing or winking enough to keep from thinking about the thin story.
Wilson-Stiller comedy revamps a 1970s TV show for a few laughs -- but just a few.
No one involved with Starsky & Hutch actually seems to care about the movie.
The laughs are spotty and feel like a stitched-together series of sketches, but the highs outweigh the flatfooted lows, and the duo definitely works the comedic beat.
As tremendously stupid as it is unavoidably funny, Starsky and Hutch is one of those slop-job, slapstick movies you can’t help but laugh at.
It's often diverting, and if you're nostalgic for the '70s you'll probably have a good time.
Todd Phillips is the succubus of filmmakers. I can only assume that’s how he keeps getting jobs. By giving them.
The closest thing I see to being a revival of the two-man comedy team is the pairing of Stiller and Wilson.
Starsky & Hutch is guilty pleasure fun that just rolls along having a grand old time.
I wish that director/co-writer Todd Phillips...could have come up with something a little smarter than this nonsense.
Though Stiller and Wilson may be today's most overexposed actors, they have infectious chemistry here.
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