Starsky and Hutch

Based on the television series that ran from 1975 to 1979, Starsky and Hutch follows the undercover detectives on their first assignment together as they attempt to crack a cocaine ring. Rather than updating the story to the 21st century -- or plopping the characters in a world that has progressed without them as in The Brady Bunch features -- the creators have wisely set the film in the 1970's.

Director Todd Phillips has also stayed away from the trendy crime films of recent years, renouncing high-tech gadgetry and superhuman acrobatics. Our heroes, therefore, must rely solely on their (sometimes bumbling) wit and savvy.

Ben Stiller as Dave Starsky and Owen Wilson as Ken "Hutch" Hutchinson make a dynamic team; then again, Wilson seems capable of making any pairing work, be it Eddie Murphy in I Spy or Jackie Chan in Shanghai Noon/Knights. Wilson's boyishness and nonchalant style are appealing, and make the perfect foil for the angst-ridden Stiller. Their rapport is vintage comedy.

Unfortunately, there are few hard laughs to be found. Although every scene is relevant, the formulaic script plays like episodic television and offers but a handful of clever moments. Nevertheless, the subtle art direction and costuming give the film an abundance of atmosphere, making one nostalgic for the simpler times of the disco-era. Yet, what could have been a groovy soundtrack seems poorly planned and laid down as an afterthought.

So, too, does the pathetic appearance by original duo Paul Michael Glaser and David Soul -- most of the target audience will be too young to recognize them anyway. Lanky rapper Snoop Dogg plays the flamboyant police informant, Huggy Bear, but his performance is forced and flimsy. Juliette Lewis is no better as the mistress of villain Vince Vaughn; both seem to have accepted their roles merely for the cash. Only Will Ferrell as a gay convict with a dragon fetish makes any effort to create a memorable character.

Overall, Starsky and Hutch is a flawed film that fails to zoom ahead like Starsky's beloved red-and-white Ford Torino. Ultimately, this buddy-cop movie will be remembered as yet another poor attempt to mine gold from television's past. Rating: 4 out of 10.