Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Starsky & Hutch

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Posted by Jason Black (Member # 684) on 02-22-2004, 12:52 AM:

Screened our Sneak Preview tonight with our paying audience seeing that we didn't get the print until 4pm today.

All in all, a decent film, taking into consideration what it is meant to be. I really wanted to see the film whe nI first saw the banner. Then I saw the trailer which pretty much changed my mind.

Overall, the acting typifies what one would expect from both Wilson and Stiller. Snoop is, well, he's simply Snoop.

I'd give this a 2.5 out of 5. Not a must see by any stretch of the imagination.

Posted by Nick Engstrom (Member # 2100) on 03-05-2004, 03:27 AM:

agreed, I pretty much gave it 2 out of 5, while I laughed a ton, for the most part, I thought it was dry and dull [Frown]

I was sadly disappointed, especially by how much they played off Old School

Posted by Jennifer Pan (Member # 2035) on 03-05-2004, 12:33 PM:

This movie SUCKED!!!! [thumbsdown]

Anything remotely funny was already in the trailers. It's not worth the money or the time to watch this stupid movie.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 03-05-2004, 01:47 PM:

The 2004 Suck-A-Thon continues with Starsky and Hutch. Bad, bad, bad.

Posted by William Leland III (Member # 1400) on 03-05-2004, 04:13 PM:

i like Vince Vaughn, but he couldn't save this sucky movie, it sucked

Posted by Mike Heenan (Member # 392) on 03-05-2004, 05:27 PM:

I rather enjoyed this one but not as much as Old School. I found it funny about the "homage" to Old School during the Bat Mitzvah scene.

Posted by Dennis M Dow Jr (Member # 1970) on 03-05-2004, 11:22 PM:

I thought this movie was ok.... First off it was nothing like the original series nor was it meant to be.... the costumes and hair styles were way over the top as was some of the acting.
Overall 2 out of 4

Posted by Aaron Sisemore (Member # 145) on 03-10-2004, 01:45 AM:

The movie itself was not too bad, I have seen far worse so far this year...

What was bad was the GIGANTIC CRAP code that had HUGE orange dots in a pattern that was half the screen width wide! and almost all of it in bright light colored scenes in the film! [Frown]

And this coming from Technicolor Hollywood, not DeLuxe!! [Mad]

-Aaron

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 03-10-2004, 04:04 AM:

Aaron, you might want to reject that reel. None of my prints had cap code like that.

Posted by James Leon Rockett Jr (Member # 2140) on 03-11-2004, 01:45 PM:

I can't be the only one who liked it..

Todd Phillips directing Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson? You can't expect more than a laugh riot, and that's what I got out of it.

Posted by Darryl Spicer (Member # 711) on 03-11-2004, 01:56 PM:

When are they going to give it up. Stop making movies based off of TV shows. They just do not work. I didn't like Mod Squad I didn't like Charlis angels and I didn't like Starsky and Hutch. Owen wilson was being himself stupid and numbing to the senses. I did like Ben Stiller doing Starsky especially when he went under cover.....Do it! Do it!.....Wilson's humor is so stale in movies and you can't look at him without having to brake your stare from that screwed up nose he has.

I give this one *1/2 stars out of four.

Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 03-11-2004, 02:46 PM:

I have not seen the film and have no intention of ever seeing it after I saw the trailer a couple of times. Can anyone tell me what was so funny about the scene showing a horse or a pony being shot to death at a child's birthday party?

-Claude

Posted by Brian Michael Weidemann (Member # 2243) on 03-11-2004, 04:53 PM:

Stiller's undercover bit was a blatant reprise of his "Do it Man" character from the Ben Stiller Show ten years ago. Yes, it's a funny bit, but it's the fact that he used it at all that made me cringe. They must have run out of ideas.

I was walking through the auditorium last weekend as a full audience viewed the film, and they were laughing hysterically at things like poking a corpse in the crotch with a stick. What, that was funny? I'm so out of touch with today's movie-going public. (Or, perhaps, I've just developed taste ... well, that can be argued, too.)

Posted by Darryl Spicer (Member # 711) on 03-18-2004, 01:04 PM:

I guess it makes it more funny when you have never seen the Ben Stiller Show.

Claude, that whole scene involved a shoot out the pony was inside a tent. Nobody new it was there.

Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 03-18-2004, 01:32 PM:

Darryl,

Yes, I know the shooting of the pony was unintentional in the movie but I still cannot understand why it should provoke people to laugh when that happened. Being an animal lover, my heart ached when I saw that scene in the trailer and I knew I was not going to spend my hard earned money on a movie that makes fun of a killing of one of God's innocent creatures.

-Claude

Posted by Dave Williams (Member # 299) on 03-18-2004, 01:56 PM:

It was a moment of very dark humor that did seem rather displaced in this movie, which was more lighthearted in nature. Personally as I know that the ASPCA verifies that no harming of animals ever takes place in these movies, I did not take such personal offence to the depiction, feeling that most normal people would not go and try to recreate this for fun.

As for cruelty to animals in general, I am not for it. Movies quite frequently depict all kinds of horrendeous cruelty to animals without reprisal from anyone. I think that the reason that this gets any kind of negative review is that it is done without any kind of remorse and with a level of callousness. Even in comedy there can be consequences, however in this film it was kind of the entire subplot that there never were any real consequenses for any of thier behavior. I think that was the running gag to make fun of the series that these two seemed to do no wrong as they kept coming back week after week.

I did find it a bit humorous, but that is probably because I got kicked in the head by a pony when I was a kid, so maybe for me it was payback time. [evil]

Still, loved the movie, very campish on a high school level.

Ciao

Dave

Posted by Michael Schaffer (Member # 1204) on 03-18-2004, 02:33 PM:

Claude, don`t be so hypocritical. You like to watch movies, so you have seen thousands of animals "killed". Whether for humor or drama, it is always for entertainment.

Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 03-18-2004, 03:36 PM:

I resent what you said very much, Mike!!!!

Without even knowing me and the kind of movies I enjoy, how dare you call me a hypocrite.

Just because I watch a lot of movies, what makes you think I enjoy seeing animals killed or tortured? Do you know my sister and I always try to avoid movies that depict animal cruelty? When ever such scenes are depicted on the screen, IT IS NO LONGER ENTERTAINING! [Mad]

-Claude

Posted by Darryl Spicer (Member # 711) on 03-18-2004, 03:48 PM:

quote:
Yes, I know the shooting of the pony was unintentional in the movie but I still cannot understand why it should provoke people to laugh when that happened. Being an animal lover, my heart ached when I saw that scene in the trailer and I knew I was not going to spend my hard earned money on a movie that makes fun of a killing of one of God's innocent creatures

Claude I didn't laugh. I didn't laugh at much of anything ion this movie.

Posted by Michael Schaffer (Member # 1204) on 03-19-2004, 02:11 AM:

quote:
Whether for humor or drama, it is always for entertainment.

Are you going to tell us that you never watch any movies in which animals (or people) get killed?

Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 03-19-2004, 03:10 PM:

Mike,
To be very honest with you, yes, I have seen many films where animals have been killed. Classic examples included two Disney films. The first one I saw when I was a child that had made me cry was when Bambi's mother was shot and killed by hunters. To this day, I have never forgotten the sadness I felt at that scene when Bambi's father told the little fawn, his mother can no longer be with him. The 2nd film was when Simba's father in "THE LION KING" was also killed. I was already an adult when I saw the movie and although the film was excellent, the death scene was not entertaining at all. Another film I saw involving a death of an animal was Jean-Jacques Annaud's "THE BEAR". I really looked forward to seeing it and when I did, I was broken hearted when the little bear's mother is killed in the opening scene , I only stayed and watched the rest of the movie because I wanted to know what happens to the little cub. Although "THE BEAR" is an excellent film, I did not find it entertaining at all. Because I knew what happens at the end of Walt Disney's 1957 film "OLD YELLER", I have not seen the movie because I refuse to watch it. The only redeeming things I see in films involving a death of an animal or a person when it is done well with a purpose is the important lesson it convey about life itself and how to accept the inevitable faith that awaits us all after we become old or terminally ill. When a death of an animal is a very important part of the plot in movies such as "BAMBI", "THE LION KING", "THE BEAR" and "OLD YELLER", I have no problem at all with such scenes but I would definately not consider that tragic part of a film entertaining.

I do however have a problem with the shooting of the pony in this current movie just for laughs. If you consider it entertaining, so be it but do not call me a hypocrite when I do not agree with you.

-Claude

[ 03-20-2004, 12:14 AM: Message edited by: Claude S. Ayakawa ]

Posted by Andy Muirhead (Member # 712) on 03-30-2004, 07:35 PM:

Claude, I just read your review of 'Dawn of the dead' where you seemed to quite enjoy the film. That film has many shots of 'humans' having their heads blown apart for comedic value.

Whats the difference? and why didn't that upset you?

Posted by Claude S. Ayakawa (Member # 1401) on 03-31-2004, 12:11 PM:

Andy,

You bring up a very interesting point. Because I have grown up seeing people getting killed in many movies including many war films and westerns, I have become accustomed to seeing people getting killed on the screen. Yes, I have rejoiced when I saw Germans and Japanese soldiers get killed in the war films I saw when I was a kid. It was the same when Gary Cooper killed all the bad guys in "HIGH NOON". This was the same reaction I got when I recently saw "THE DAWN OF THE DEAD". However, I did not feel the killings were funny at all but only necessary so the people who are still living will have an opportunity to survive. This was also the same feeling I had when I saw war films and westerns as a little boy. As much as I had accepted the necessary deaths of the bad guys in films, I have never enjoyed seeing ANY animals get killed in films. I recall a time when I was little when my grandfather killed a live chicken for dinner and I just could not eat it because I used to feed the unfortunate animal every time my parents visited my grandparents little farm.

-Claude

Posted by Matt Manalis (Member # 2367) on 04-17-2004, 06:22 PM:

i Thought Starsky & Hutch was a well done movie over the top at times but the people are lovin it i would give it a 6 ot of 10

Posted by Peter Berrett (Member # 672) on 04-21-2004, 09:59 PM:

Hi all

I'll swim against the tide here a bit and say that I got some value out of the film. The film is really a parody of 70s culture (dig the afro on the young boy) as well as all those 70s cop entertainment shows eg CHIPS, Starsky & Hutch, Charlie's Angels etc.

For me a highlight was when Wilson starts to sing "Don't give up on Us" which was really having a dig at David Soul.

By no means will it win an OSCAR but it was worth a saturday afternoon viewing. Lighten up guys.

cheers Peter