Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

Starsky & Hutch Blu-ray Movie Review

"No, seriously. Come on, do it. Do it."

Reviewed by Kenneth Brown February 6, 2025

I was -3 years old when Starsky and Hutch first hit the ABC airwaves in 1975. It would go on to run for four successful seasons, with a pilot movie and ninety-two action-packed episodes viewers lapped up with abandon. It also came at the peak of buddy cop TV, with Sergeant David Michael Starsky (Paul Michael Glaser) and Sergeant Kenneth "Hutch" Hutchinson (David Soul) chasing down the bad guys almost a full decade prior to Crockett and Tubbs brought law and order to Miami. It's influence could be felt throughout the '80s, so much so that Todd Phillips, Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson penned a love letter to the series with 2004's aptly titled action comedy, Starsky and Hutch, a reimagining of the duo as much a joke-a-minute send-up as it was a faithful nod to the show proper. Twenty years later, not every gag lands as precisely as it was meant to -- the movie meanders at times and has waaay too much fun with disguises -- but there's still a good bit to enjoy, with Stiller, Wilson and their band of merry misfits milking the most out of every scene. They certainly had a blast on set, and you'll certainly have a blast watching them rip into each other as they put down baddie after baddie in pursuit of justice.

"Hey! Hotshot! What do you think you're doing? This is a Ford Grand Torino. It's not some crappy camper slash apartment. There are rules. You do not bang on the hood. You never under any circumstances drive. And you will certainly not put your coffee mug on the roof of the car. In fact, no coffee in the car whatsoever. Coffee goes on the ground, you get in the car, we go."

Bay City, California. 1975. Two hot-shot detectives, tightly wound gristled cop David Starsky (Stiller) and loose-as-a-goose lady's man Ken "Hutch" Hutchinson (Wilson), are forced to partner up on a tough new case involving drug lord Reese Feldman (Vince Vaughn), who's keen on getting an untraceable new type of cocaine on the streets. A murder leads the detectives straight to Feldman and his chief lieutenant Kevin Jutsum (Jason Bateman), both of whom deny any involvement. Turning to an informant named Huggy Bear Brown (Snoop Dog), Starsky and Hutch dig in and dig deeper, much to the continued irritation of their captain, Doby (Fred Williamson). Is it enough to stop this pair of Bay City dicks? Hell no. Officially on the case or no, the duo press in harder, determined to nail Feldman for his crimes. Directed by Todd Phillips and written by Phillips, John O'Brien and Scot Armstrong, the film also stars Will Ferrell, Carmen Electra, Amy Smart, Juliette Lewis, Molly Sims, George Cheung, Chris Penn, Terry Crews, Brande Roderick, Jeffrey Lorenzo, Patton Oswalt and Richard Edson, with special appearances by Paul Michael Glaser and David Soul.

The charm of Starsky and Hutch is, of course, Stiller and Wilson, whose oil-and-water interplay brings the biggest laughs. Cameos are abundant but wholly hit-or-miss, with Ferrell killing scene after scene but the likes of Carmen Electra sucking the life off the screen. (Vaughn treads waters somewhere in between.) It's all in good fun, though, and Phillips obviously has given his actors leave to play in a wide open sandbox, improvising and riffing off one another to great effect. Like Anchorman and other similar comedies, it's a toss-up as to whether a joke lands, but as soon as one fumbles, another appears to distract from whatever duds lie in its wake. Stiller and Wilson's antics give them plenty to do as well, donning disguises like they're going out of style, squirming and squeezing into whatever crime-ridden locale, dive bar or gala they can squeeze into. Stiller plays it hard and straight, Wilson fast and loose, with Phillips and his co-writers finding ample ways to smash the two together like mismatched action figures. Car chases and shootouts soon follow, as do interrogations, captain chew-outs, inadvertent drug use, and every sliver of protect-n-serve cliche you can think from 1970s cop shows.

That said, like most of these comedy resurrections/reboots, Starsky and Hutch is prone to episodic plotting that almost makes it feel like a string of sketches stitched together with a plot that's been stretched to the point of snapping. Invisi-cocaine is cute but light on stakes, at least insofar as the filmmakers are concerned, and sequences involving cheerleaders and accidental doping get tired fast. The PG-13 trappings lack the edge of films Phillips is shooting for (Beverly Hills Cop and 48 Hrs. springs to mind) and the more juvenile silliness works... until it doesn't. It's hard to get mad at Stiller and Wilson, though; the two are so diametrically opposed yet so perfectly bound together that theirs is a pairing that surpasses those of other like-minded comedies. Hot Fuzz is clearly the action-parody king of the hill but don't count Stiller and Wilson out until you've sampled their brand of policing.

Starsky & Hutch Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Warner Archive brings Starsky and Hutch to Blu-ray with a solid 1080p/AVC-encoded video transfer that, while a touch soft overall, stands the test of time pretty well. Colors are bright and richly saturated, with vibrant primaries and deep, inky black levels. Skin tones are a touch warm at times, but it's sunny (albeit fictional) Bay City, California, so it gets a pass. Delineation is decidedly decent, though there is a dip in shadow detail when lights are low, and contrast is dialed in nicely. Edge definition isn't razor sharp (presumably a fresh remaster would resolve the matter) but it also doesn't exhibit any artificiality, favoring filmic naturalism over ugly sharpening. Fine textures are a bit of a mixed bag, though grain and other facial and fabric details are reasonably revealing, and there isn't any significant banding, blocking or errant noise to speak of.

Starsky & Hutch Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

I wasn't completely impressed with Warner's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround track either, although it delivers just enough oomph to get a solid grade. Dialogue is clear and intelligible, prioritization is spot on, and music is bright and blustery, as it's meant to be. But the mix is surprisingly front-heavy at times, leaving action riding shotgun when it could be in the driver's seat. LFE output is good, all things considered, and car chases, hill hops, gunfire and other hefty elements are given suitable power. Likewise, the rear speakers get in on the game with plenty of ambient support, despite the fact that it almost always sounds a tad too subdued. Still, the soundfield is relatively immersive and the mix seems faithful to the film's original sound design, so it's hard to come away too disappointed.

Starsky & Hutch Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The Blu-ray release of Starsky and Hutch includes all of the content that was issued with the film's DVD. It's a fairly standard package; appreciated but less-than-thrilling, undercutting the fun of the movie with a blink-and-you'll-miss-it lineup of twenty-five minutes of video extras.

• Filmmakers' Audio Commentary - Director/Co-writer Todd Phillips is on hand for a comprehensive commentary but does a lot of narrating, filling silences with descriptions of what's happening on screen without many entertaining anecdotes or deep dives. It's a decent track if you really love the film I suppose, but Phillips is best when he has someone to work with, and neither Stiller nor Wilson are anywhere to be found.

• Last Look: Making-of-Mocumentary (SD, 9 minutes) - Key members of the cast and crew gather to have fun with this send-up of the traditional behind-the-scenes featurette. There are some laughs, which is all I was looking for. Still, it's a shame there isn't a more engaging glimpse into the production, especially since Phillips' commentary isn't all that great.

• Deleted Scenes (SD, 7 minutes) - Six scenes are included, though none are of particular note.

• Gag Reel (SD, 5 minutes) - Goofs and mistakes abound.

• Fashion Fa Shizzle Wit Huggy Bizzle (SD, 3 minutes) - Snoop Dog offers a tour of his best outfits.

Starsky & Hutch Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

"A floater. Nothing harder to solve than a floater. No prints, body's usually bloated, it's next to impossible. All right, I say we push it out and hope the current pushes it down to the next precinct."

Starsky and Hutch joins the likes of Zoolander as a fun time at the movies with Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson, the two of which play off one another with perfectly punchy ease. The rest of the cast isn't quite as funny (except Ferrell, who gets me every time), but there's such a deep love of '70s TV cop dramas pulsing beneath every scene that it more than makes up for the less reliable bits. Warner Archive's Blu-ray release is a more than decent release too, with solid video and audio (despite a few minor issues) and a smattering of extras.