RED ENVELOPES: Dust Off the Gran Torino

It was Stupid Movie Time at the homestead, and Netflix obliged with a copy of Starsky & Hutch. Hmm. A movie version of a 70s cop show, starring two post-ironic comedians. Yeah, that oughta work.

We're quickly reaching the point where Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson have their shtick down so pat, they really can't fail. They won't necessarily blow the roof off the dump, but they're going to be amusing by doing their thing. Stiller is over-the-top intense, a tightly-wound ball of emotion who thinke's he's keeping his cool. Wilson is relaxed to the point of catatonia, watching the world run while he strolls. They know what to do. Director Todd Phillips sets them loose, and off they go.

The temptation is to call them a new Crosby & Hope, plugging their personas into whatever plot the screenwriters choose to throw at them. But they're really part of some new comedic Rat Pack, since they could very easily be substituted with the same pool of actors who populate these films. You know, like their names got pulled out of a hat, and who ever didn't get picked was handed a supporting role. Vince Vaughn? You can play the smug villain. Will Ferrell? How about dropping by for a cameo as a key informant? It's Movie Lotto. Vaughn & Stiller: Dodgeball. Vaughn & Owen Wilson (with Ferrell): Wedding Crashers. Luke Wilson & Ferrell (with Vaughn): Old School. Stiller & Owen Wilson (with Ferrell) as models: Zoolander. Running a movie studio has never been so easy.

There's a supporting cast, but they main serve as cardboard figures for Stiller & Wilson to weave through on their way from situation to situation. Hey, there's Juliette Lewis! She was nominated for an Oscar. Hey, there's Jason Bateman! He sure looks silly in those glasses. Hey, there's Fred Williamson! What do I know him from? The only supporting character who stands out at all is Snoop Dogg, who is...well, Snoop is Snoop. Laid back, drawling because enunciating is too much of a hassle, and loving him some wacky tobacky. It's casting by Mad Libs. "And Huggy Bear, played by...and I need a celebrity." "Snoop Dogg!" "Alright! Huggy Bear, played by Snoop Dogg." It's a triumph of typecasting.

But what about the film? Well, it's cute. The film is essentially the imagined first meeting of the two titled heroes, so we've got the whole meet-cute angle. And there's the thread of a plot about Vaughn trying to move a shipment of undetectable cocaine. But none of this really matters. It's the Stiller & Wilson Show. If you like them, you'll probably like this.

This all has the air of backhanded compliment. But the fact is, there's little point in reviewing these movies like movies. They're really the product of the most expensive sketch troupe in history. So you roll with it. Even if they don't hit a homer this time, there's probably another one coming up.

The original Starsky & Hutch, Paul Michael Glaser and David Soul, make a charming cameo appearance. Typically, Wilson is friendly but not fawning, while Stiller is ruthlessly apathetic. But the deleted scenes reveal that the cameo originally went longer, with Glaser & Soul getting a chance to do their thing one more time. It's no surprise that the scene got the axe. After all, the film isn't really about Starsky & Hutch. It's about Stiller & Wilson. So hop in the Torino, or get out of the way.