Critic Reviews
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Derek Adams, Time Out
Too amiable to cook up anything truly memorable...
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Peter Rainer, New York Magazine
Stiller and Wilson look bewildered.
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Andrew Sarris, New York Observer
A sterling supporting cast -- down to the tiniest bit parts -- provides enough astringent intelligence to make the slobbering sentimentality go down with ease.
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Stephanie Zacharek, Salon.com
Moves slowly and without much grace; it tries to jiggle laughs out of us instead of letting them flow freely.
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Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post
There is a comic-book devouring, Playboy-stashing adolescent male heart thumping rather sweetly at the core of this homage-spoof.
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Michael O'Sullivan, Washington Post
A scattershot cop comedy that aims its parodistic firepower not at any single target -- least of all its namesake -- but at an entire decade.
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Nell Minow, Common Sense Media
Silly, but lots of fun for older teens.
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Felix Vasquez Jr., Cinema Crazed
Hollywood continues yet again to draw its source material from television which this sub-par adaptation of a classic television show.
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Cole Smithey, ColeSmithey.com
Stiller and Wilson are far less serious than their television role models (Paul Michael Glaser and David Soul) but still drive the hell out of the souped-up Ford Gran Torino muscle car that boosted the show's visual appeal.
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Urban Cinefile Critics, Urban Cinefile
A buddy cop movie filled with genuine laughs.
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Mark Halverson, Sacramento News & Review
The film is as clever as it is silly, more warmhearted than sentimental and just as irreverent as it is nostalgic.
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Kam Williams, Princeton Town Topics
Cartoonish but clever, with the bulk of the fun coming when Wilson's wry wit meets Stiller's impatient officiousness head-on. Sophomoric, yet probably the best of the recent TV retreads.
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, Empire Magazine
Not exactly politically correct, but you'd be hard pushed to find a single mean frame.
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Jason Zingale, Bullz-Eye.com
Todd Phillips strikes nostalgic gold, squeezing just enough comedy out of the buddy cop formula to keep it afloat during its brisk 95-minute runtime.
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Garth Franklin, Dark Horizons
Had the script actually had a direction it would've helped.
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Ethan Alter, NYC Film Critic
A pleasant diversion that vanishes from your mind right after you watch it.
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J. Robert Parks, Looking Closer
Though the gags aren't always funny, I usually had a smile on my face.
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Cynthia Fuchs, PopMatters
Who could have anticipated that Snoop would be the saving grace of a major studio buddy flick?
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Tony Medley, tonymedley.com
People were laughing at my screening, but I couldn't understand what it was they were laughing at.
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James Plath, Reel.com
Director Phillips pays loving tribute to the show and spoofs buddy-cop flicks, all while trying to stay in step with the Seventies.
Read all 20 critic reviews
Featured Audience Ratings
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Always thought it was kinda funny that two undercover cops drive around in a souped up Gran Torino with a custom paint job. What's that noise? oh its the fuzz in their muscle car.
The first parody of one of the two biggest TV shows with cool cars, the other being 'The Dukes… More
Always thought it was kinda funny that two undercover cops drive around in a souped up Gran Torino with a custom paint job. What's that noise? oh its the fuzz in their muscle car.
The first parody of one of the two biggest TV shows with cool cars, the other being 'The Dukes of Hazzard'. Its nothing too outrageously original overall, a simple drug kingpin needs to go down and the cool duo are on the case.
Its not really about the plot though, this film is just about the humour and having a good time. Like many Stiller films its a sly sneaky spoof like comedy which is light hearted but not overkill with silly jokes. The casting of Stiller and Wilson is really good as they both fit the roles just perfectly, Stiller actually looking very similar to Glaser. Both guys take to the characters like ducks to water and really make the whole film very likeable and watchable.
Other casting includes 'frat pack' members Ferrell and Vaughn, both of whom raise the film giving nice performances. Loving Ferrell and his slightly creepy 'Big Earl' character. So the cast is great and really holds the film together but then I must give big kudos to the look of the film. Set in the 70's and to be honest you could easily think it really was. Very impressed at everything from all the cars driving around, street trash including those darn pesky car chase sequence cardboard boxes, the costumes, hair styles and even the way they used the cameras to get all those classic 70's TV show angles and zooms. They did tend to cram in almost every cliched 70's tune they could muster though, didn't need that, we get the idea.
Of course they do cater for the car porn folk out there, plenty of Torino action naturally, maybe too much?. Gotta expect that I guess, it is a nice looking and sounding car and virtually a character in its own right.
I think they went the right way with this as a serious attempt would have been laughable and I'm glad they didn't reduce the concept to childish smut. Its a by the books action comedy flick, but the fact its a neat little parody of a classic cop show which has actually been well thought out makes this worth your time in my view.
A little snippet here that shows the American muscle car isn't really what you'd think hehe. They look good yes and have HUGE engines with tonnes of BHP but at the end of the day they are still slow bricks I'm afraid.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=fvwp&NR=1&v=GiAE0VzTQTM
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Starsky and Hutch is a diverting and inventive waste of time. No attempt was made to create a serious take (like Michael Mann's horrendous Miami Vice film version) on the iconic TV show, but instead to use it as fodder for frothy, pointless retro fun, jam packed with some of… More
Starsky and Hutch is a diverting and inventive waste of time. No attempt was made to create a serious take (like Michael Mann's horrendous Miami Vice film version) on the iconic TV show, but instead to use it as fodder for frothy, pointless retro fun, jam packed with some of the 70's cheesiest pop classics, (Afternoon Delight, That's the Way I Like It and the David Soul classic 'Don't Give Up on us Baby, sung by the musically challenged Owen Wilson).
Talented comedy director Todd Phillips shows his directing chops here pre-Hangover. Phillips knows how to direct a scene for laughs, he's one of the best out there right now.
The star studded cast are all welcome visitors to the party, including Snoop Dogg as Huggy Bear, bad ass blacksploitation veteran Fred Williamson, the always welcome comedic anarchist Will Ferrell, and Vince Vaughan as the fu manchu-ed drug kingpin. Starsky's red stiped Gran Torino is used to comic effect here. Owen Wilson and Ben Stiller employ their generic personas very effectivelyl (i.e. laid back amoral California dude, uptight stupid Jewish dude who takes himself WAY too seriously).
I watched this with my teenaged nephew, who loved it. It's a good suggestion for guys who are looking for something funny to watch with their male kids that's edgy enough to be cool, but ultimately harmless. Look out for original TV pair Paul Michael Glazer and David Soul at the end. On the depressing side, they look like old grandpas, but are still in good shape, and seem to be having fun.
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The story sometimes feels like its a bit flimsy and it certainly doesn't provide much action or the man-childedness of Hot Fuzz. But it benefits from chemistry between Stiller and Wilson and it did make me laugh.
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Starsky & Hutch is a fairly decent comedy with nothing too special or memorable going for it. The film loses its fire after a few repeated viewing, but for what it is, Starsky & Hutch is a fun comedy. I enjoyed this film even though it's nothing remarkable. The comedy is… More
Starsky & Hutch is a fairly decent comedy with nothing too special or memorable going for it. The film loses its fire after a few repeated viewing, but for what it is, Starsky & Hutch is a fun comedy. I enjoyed this film even though it's nothing remarkable. The comedy is good, but never quite excellent. There are quite a few good laughs in this film, and there's a few laugh out loud moments, but it never becomes real good for that matter. The film is decent and manages to be entertaining, but the film is one that you can watch only a few times, and forget about it. For what it is, Starsky &Hutch can be seen as a guilty pleasure almost. There are a few very funny moments in the film, but the film could have been done better than it is. This is a fun film to watch, with plenty of mindless humor to enjoy, just forget the TV show, and you might like it. I did, but after a while, the film got old and I didn't enjoy it as much. Will Farrell's cameo is what made the film funny, if only he had more screen time. Starsky & Hutch is a funny film for the most part, but it definitely isn't a strong one at that. The film could have been much better than it is. For mindless comedic fun, Starsky & Hutch is a good view, but for the die-hard fans of the show, they definitely should skip this one as it has barely anything similar to the classic show.
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Starsky: In Bay City, when you cross the line, your nuts are mine.
"Crimebustin's a joint effort"
What a fun movie Starsky & Hutch is. When this movie came out I had to be dragged into seeing it, but I ended up loving it. Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson have great… More
Starsky: In Bay City, when you cross the line, your nuts are mine.
"Crimebustin's a joint effort"
What a fun movie Starsky & Hutch is. When this movie came out I had to be dragged into seeing it, but I ended up loving it. Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson have great chemistry on the screen together. Vince Vaughn is a decent villain and I really liked Jason Bateman in his limited role. I have never seen the original series, so I can't comment on how this is as an adaption of the tv show. All I can say is it is one hell of a fun ride.
The movie is made-up of some really well made and hilarious scenes and some pretty mediocre scenes. But there's more good scenes then bad. A few come to mind. The dance club scene is awesome with a great cameo by Patton Oswalt. The Nearly There benefit is really good. Some bad scenes include the guitar scene with Owen Wilson and even the scene with Will Farrell. The Will Farrell scene should have been one of the best, but it just isn't executed well at all.
On a whole, I enjoy this movie every time I watch it. I've seen it numerous times now and I'm beginning to find that it doesn't lose it's entertainment value. Starsky & Hutch is a better than average comedy with a really fun and cool plot.
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As film versions of classic Television shows go, this happens to be one of the most appealing from "The Hangover" director Todd Phillips. The appeal comes from the fact that it sends up it's original, rather than try and replicate it.
Detectives David Starsky (Stiller)… More
As film versions of classic Television shows go, this happens to be one of the most appealing from "The Hangover" director Todd Phillips. The appeal comes from the fact that it sends up it's original, rather than try and replicate it.
Detectives David Starsky (Stiller) and Ken "Hutch" Hutchinson (Wilson), have a lead on a new type of undetectable cocaine which takes them to the door of businessman and philanthropist Reese Feldman (Vaughn) who they become determined to bring to justice with the help of street-savvy informant Huggy Bear (Snoop Dogg).
The styles (complete with cardigans), the cars, and the haircuts are all here and they are all exagerated to fine comedic results. Wilson and Stiller are a fine comedy duo and this is probably the most suited for their double-act. They are both perfectly cast as the crime fighting duo with excellent support from a handlebar mustachioed Vince Vaughn as their arch rival, along with furry mustachioed partner in crime Jason Bateman and a perfectly cast Snoop Dogg, with some sharp lines, as the eponymous informant "Huggy Bear". Already an iconic character, here he's re-imaginned to delighful results. Although, I'm not a massive fan, the cameo appearance of hair-netted convict Will Ferrell, with an affection for belly-buttons and dragons is hilarious as he displays a "Midnight Express" desire toward Wilson. The film itself is not entirely laugh out loud material but it is mildly amusing and maintains it throughout its entirety. The main goal here, seems to be fun and that exactly what it achieves, throwing in an enjoyable cocaine-fuelled disco dance-off scene.
Not normally my type film but its a good buddy-buddy cop movie that's nothing more than light entertainment and works well, for what it is.
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if you remember the original teevee show, then you remember the times it was made in ... faux kewl hadn't been tin plated yet, was still in the experimental stages (rap music would steal and seal that donut). stiller and wilson therefore have fun, and so do we, sending up the… More
if you remember the original teevee show, then you remember the times it was made in ... faux kewl hadn't been tin plated yet, was still in the experimental stages (rap music would steal and seal that donut). stiller and wilson therefore have fun, and so do we, sending up the cool that we tried to be being, yo, flared collars and bell bottoms. vaughn and bateman are the friggen bad guys, yoiks, and, in a bit of inspired casting, snopp dogg IS huggy bear! chill out dude.
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Its an entertaining enough movie, that is funny and fun to watch!!
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Funny, but it's missing something!
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A perfect comedy that brings together one of the best teams ever, Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson. That alone makes this movie worth while, but is an extremely good movie aside from that fact. The plot is really interesting and Todd Phillips always makes a great efoort in directing.
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A fucking awful film version of a much loved classic TV show. They got everything wrong, just so a bunch of infantile friends could have a little fun and make a little cash. Hollywood at its worst!
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<i>"They're the man."</i>
Two streetwise cops bust criminals in their red-and-white Ford Torino with the help of police snitch called Huggy Bear.
<center><font size=+2 face="Century… More
<i>"They're the man."</i>
Two streetwise cops bust criminals in their red-and-white Ford Torino with the help of police snitch called Huggy Bear.
<center><font size=+2 face="Century Schoolbook"><b><u>REVIEW</u></b></font></center>
The tale of two oddball police detectives who have a habit of getting stuck in awkward situations even with the best of intentions. Starsky (Ben Stiller) is very much by-the-book ? embarrassingly so ? whereas Hutch has a laid back rather ?hippy' approach to the rules. One of the films great strengths is that it plays on satire and keeps the action secondary. The two main characters are ably aided and abetted by Huggy Bear (Snoop Dogg) and, although there is a big-drugs-bust plotline, the movie's main intention seems to be to make a homage to the style and clichés of certain 70s filmmaking (and the original TV show); car chases, for instance, focus on tongue-in-cheek action rather than adrenalin, and the cops' love of empty-headed curvaceous women combined with a homophobia towards each other and gay men is portrayed laughingly as an echo of the attitudes of the times rather than appealing to those sentiments. Not the sort of comedy I expected to enjoy so much personally, but I quickly warmed to this movie and found the feelgood factor continued unabated till the end.
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A deliciously bad movie that was a lot of fun. It's borderline unwatchable in places, but so too was the old TV show. It's clear that the actors involved had a great time making this movie, and while it appears to have been a vanity project, there's nothing really wrong… More
A deliciously bad movie that was a lot of fun. It's borderline unwatchable in places, but so too was the old TV show. It's clear that the actors involved had a great time making this movie, and while it appears to have been a vanity project, there's nothing really wrong with it: it's hard to be too disappointed when expectations are low. There were a few good laughs, that's about all I can say about it.
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This had so many funny moments in it like when they had to do the dragon stuff! Cracked me up. Owen and Ben are great partners and look great together!
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Wilson and Stiller have a great supporting cast.
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Pretty funny. Another Wilson/Stiller hit.
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It was funny..like all Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson pairings. But Zoolander was better.
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good film. Ben and Owen work well together.
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A reasonably funny action comedy. Fans of the series might not like it but if you're a fan of the actors other films, you know what to expect. Has some hot babes in it to, Carmen Electra and Amy Smart for two.
Read all 20 featured audience ratings
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