Starsky and Hutch
Release Date:
March 5, 2004
On the Big Board |
Position |
Staff |
In Brief |
24/92 |
David Mumpower |
I'm told there are some homoerotics undertones to this film. They are just too subtle for me to notice, though. Now back to the scene where Stiller is slowly rubbing Wilson's shoulders. |
44/55 |
Reagen Sulewski |
Just enough... enough mining the '70s already for humor. It's been done. Vince Vaughn's laid-back suburban villain is the highlight here. |
44/48 |
Les Winan |
How do you not do anything funny with Snoop Dogg? Or, worse, Owen Wilson? |
52/126 |
Kim Hollis |
Owen Wilson singing "Don't Give Up on Us Baby" is well worth the price of admission and then some. |
132/133 |
Dan Krovich |
How did it end? no really, i left halfway through to avoid self trepanation |
There really is no greater comedy pairing working together today than Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson. From tiny antagonisms in Meet the Parents to pure, Mr. Furious-inspired angry chases in The Royal Tenenbaums to dumb but hardworking male models in Zoolander, the two actors just have an ability to play off each other that is a perfect recipe for laughter.
Based on past performance, it’s certainly easy to see why director Todd Phillips chose to once again pair up the duo in the theatrical adaptation of the ‘70s television show Starsky and Hutch. For the uninitiated, that show ran on ABC from 1975 to 1979 and featured Paul Michael Glaser as Starsky, David Soul as Hutch, and Antonio Fargas as Huggy Bear. They drove an at-the-time hot-looking red 1974 Ford Gran Torino, and drove around a metropolis named Bay City on the toughest crime cases. They rely on their street informer Huggy Bear to assist them in finding clues to solve their cases.
In the case of this movie update, although it is also set in the ‘70s, it is much more heavy on comedy than action. With the cast involved, that only makes sense. Stiller plays the role of Dave Starsky, while Wilson plays Ken “Hutch” Hutchinson, with the inimitable Snoop Dogg as Huggy Bear. The supporting cast is terrific, with Vince Vaughn featured as the main villain (after his wicked performance in Old School, he’s an excellent choice). Other players include Carmen Electra and Amy Smart as Bay City Cheerleaders (and love interests for our two heros), Juliette Lewis (Vince Vaughn's mistress) Jason Bateman (Vince Vaughn's minion), with cameos by Chris Penn and Will Ferrell.
The movie starts at the beginning of the Starsky and Hutch story, explaining how they how they met each other and hooked up with Huggy Bear, not to mention their work on their very first case togeher. Director Phillips has proven that he can appeal to a variety of demographics thanks to his work on Road Trip and Old School, and Starsky and Hutch is a perfect example of a film that crosses over to a variety of fans. With a budget in the $60 million range, Starsky and Hutch will have to rely heavily on the fantastic chemistry between Stiller and Wilson to get a quick start, but at this point, it certainly has all the earmarks of being a big hit. (Kim Hollis/BOP)
Vital statistics for Starsky and Hutch |
Main Cast |
Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Snoop Dogg |
Supporting Cast |
Vince Vaughn, Carmen Electra, Juliette Lewis, Chris Penn, Amy Smart, Jason Bateman, Will Ferrell |
Director |
Todd Phillips |
Screenwriter |
Scot Armstrong, Thomas Lennon, Ben Garant |
Distributor |
Warner Bros. |
Trailer |
Click Here for Trailer
|
Official Site |
http://www.starskyandhutchmovie.com/ |
Rating |
PG-13 |
Running Time |
100 minutes |
Screen Count |
3,185 |
|
Talent in red has entry in The Big Picture |
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Comparison films for Starsky and Hutch |
Title |
Date |
Opening |
Adjusted Opening |
Screens |
PSA |
Adj PSA |
Total BO |
Adjusted Total |
Mult |
Scooby-Doo |
6/14/02 | 54.16 |
56.31 |
3447 |
15712.00 |
15712.0 |
153.29 |
159.37 |
2.83 |
Meet the Parents |
10/6/00 | 28.62 |
32.01 |
2614 |
10949.00 |
11781.9 |
166.23 |
185.96 |
5.81 |
Cable Guy, The |
6/14/96 | 19.81 |
27.02 |
2657 |
7456.00 |
9783.9 |
60.17 |
82.08 |
3.04 |
Zoolander |
9/28/01 | 15.70 |
16.75 |
2507 |
6262.00 |
6428.2 |
45.16 |
48.19 |
2.88 |
Mystery Men |
8/6/99 | 10.02 |
11.94 |
2132 |
4700.00 |
5366.1 |
29.66 |
35.34 |
2.96 |
Royal Tenenbaums, The |
1/4/02 | 8.51 |
8.84 |
751 |
11344.00 |
11344.0 |
52.35 |
54.42 |
4.72 |
Josie and the Pussycats |
4/13/01 | 4.56 |
4.86 |
2556 |
1784.00 |
1831.4 |
14.25 |
15.20 |
2.79 |
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