Starsky & Hutch

Reviewed by:
Paul Ulane

Starsky and Hutch the television show and Starsky & Hutch the movie are both shot on film—and that’s about where the similarities end. In the updated big-screen version, Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson slip into the roles of Dave Starsky and Ken Hutchinson, respectively, to remix their Zoolander shtick to a ’70s disco beat. The thing is, it’s still pretty damn funny. From the moment the comedically mismatched duo is assigned, they’re fighting crime and making perm jokes, exploiting everything from bad mustaches to even worse glasses. Vince Vaughn reprises his asshole persona, this time as a suave coke dealer, while Snoop Dogg truly comes into his own as Huggy Bear. Guest appearances include Chris Penn, the reliably strange Will Ferrell, and the grossly underused house-band singer from Old School. While plodding through gags from the ’70s is about as fresh as fish-tank heels, Stiller, Wilson, and the rest of the gang make this beat worth cruising.

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