It's the 1970s and Bay City is about to be deluged with "new coke," a powerful
new strain of undetectable cocaine that evil mastermind Reese Feldman (Vince
Vaughn) is ready to sell to the highest bidder. On his trail are devoted cops
David Starsky (Ben Stiller) and his laconic partner, Ken "Hutch" Hutchinson
(Owen Wilson). Two mismatched detectives who don't get along, Starsky and Hutch
try to find a middle ground in dealing with each other's work ethic so they can
bring Feldman to justice. Armed with their trusty informant, Huggy Bear (Snoop
Dogg, playing very Snoop-like), the team attempts to infiltrate Feldman's world,
using clues, witnesses (Will Ferrell, Carmen Electra, and Amy Smart), dance
contests, and the sheer power of their skills to stop the shipments of this
dangerous cocaine (which tastes like coffee sweetener) from ever hitting their
beloved city.
One of many things to celebrate in the film version of the 1970s television
show, "Starsky & Hutch," is that this is not an ugly parody. Sure, the era gets
ribbed exhaustively (cocaine, discos, permed hair), along with the timeless
standards of the show (Starsky's collar-always-up jackets, ludicrous car and
people stunts), but director Todd Phillips never nurtures mean-spiritedness, and
generally avoids explicitly pointing the jokes out. Parody is easy and
artistically economical ("Down with Love," and the atrocious "Lost Skeleton of
Cadavra"), and while "Hutch" (IMDb listing) is a comedy, Phillips has made the choice to form a
full-fledged tribute to the legendary show rather than simply make fun of it.
His film is a blast of comedy and cop-show-love that makes it one of the
better pictures of the still-youthful year.
Fans of the television series are bound to get more out of "Hutch" than the
casual viewer. Icons like Huggy Bear, the thunderous Ford Torino, and Hutch's
thick head of hair are not the stuff on the cultural radar these days. Phillips
plays off that well, turning his "Hutch" into as much of a comedy as it is an
episode of the show. Of course, the elements are heightened for the comedic
twists (you gotta love how those clues keep falling into their laps), but armed
with zooms, a funky soundtrack, and that striped tomato, Phillips comes
dangerously close to resurrecting the actual texture of the show, which silences
the instances of direct lampoon that the film sporadically aims for.
In what marks their 6th time working together, Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson
already have a proven chemistry that can't be beat. "Hutch" benefits from the
easygoing interplay of the two leads, as well as their remarkable resemblance to
their television counterparts, Paul Michael Glaser and David Soul. After
schlubbing through endless comedies recently (all which have been funny to a
certain degree), it's great to see Stiller in a more confident role. Playing the
helplessly idealistic cop Starsky, Stiller has fun with the fashions and the
hair of the character, and plays new comedic ideas perfectly, including the
character's embarrassment at being the son of Bay City's most celebrated cop:
his mother.
Stiller interacts effortlessly with Wilson's already worn out "no worries"
acting routine, but it's clear that armed with a great script, Wilson can be
something more than repetitive and obnoxious. Emphasizing Hutch's sexual
prowess, along with his singing (he performs David Soul's 1977 hit, "Don't Give
Up On Us Baby"), Wilson fits snuggly with the role. And what more can be said of
Vince Vaughn? Perfectly cast as the bad guy, Vaughn's ability to be both oily
and hilarious is used to perfection in "Hutch." He's a film highlight who
doesn't get the spotlight, but steals every scene he's in.
For those fans expecting another "Old School" level of comedy, "Hutch" might
come as a slight disappointment. While there are fields of jokes as far as the
eye can see, "Hutch" isn't a barn-burner like "Old School," or even Phillips'
other comedy creation, "Road Trip." The new film is more big-time entertainment
(at more than double the budget of "Old School"), and leaps less when it comes
to diving for the big gags. There's no doubt that "Hutch" contains some of the
biggest laughs you're likely to find all year, including classic material such
as the two cops fending off a knife attack brought on by a 12-year-old boy, and
the return of Dan Finnerty and his Dan Band as lascivious bat mitzvah
entertainment. But "Hutch" isn't quite the comedy free-for-all that "Old
School" was, which might disappoint the younger crowd.
Todd Phillips has become one of the leading young comedic directors of late with
his sensational timing and clarity of style, and "Hutch" continues his
steamrolling success even when faced with a suffocating budget and huge stars to
contend with. "Hutch" may not be as wet-the-pants funny as Phillips' earlier
films, but it triumphs where it counts the most: laughs and never degrades into a self-referential muddle. That's an enviable
achievement.
Filmfodder Grade: A
