Boredsky and Suck
Starsky and Hutch (2004) - Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson take over the roles of the original buddy-cop duo in yet another 70's television revival movie. Shockingly, the plot revolves around the heroes trying to uncover a drug ring. Completely original!
I love Owen Wilson and Ben Stiller as much as the next twenty-something, but the shtick starts to run dry in this movie. Both actors probably peaked in "The Royal Tenenbaums" and neither has anything new to offer here. Truth be told, both of them seem bored with their chemistry. At least some variation between their movies, beyond set location and costume, would be nice.
The movie itself is drab and un-clever. You've seen this movie before. It was called "Lethal Weapon," "48 Hours," "Wayne's World," "Tommy Boy" and "Shanghai Noon." Two partners and friends work together, split, re-forge their bond and triumph over a caricature of evil.
The only redeeming quality was a few references to classic movies from the era, such as "Easy Rider." It's a shame the intended audience is too shallow to get them.
FILM A LOT DARKER AND DUNNIER THAN MANY GIVE IT CREDIT FOR
Zoolander (2001) - Derek Zoolander (Ben Stiller) is an out-of work fashion model brainwashed to assassinate the prime minister of Malaysia. Owen Wilson plays the newcomer fashion rival to Zoolander. Zany fashion antics occur.
The idea behind this cult-comedy and its plot are both dumb and irritating. Fashion humor strikes me as more obnoxious than amusing. Despite that, the movie is well enough made to be enjoyable and (sometimes) simply hilarious.
Ben Stiller not only starred in this film, he directed it. Like "Cable Guy" (another Stiller-directed film), "Zoolander" did not receive the recognition it deserved. The Stiller-Wilson chemistry is perfected in "Zoolander." On the surface it might be a goofy comedy, but underneath is a darker sense of humor. A gasoline fight is pretty morbid, when you think about it.
PAY ATTENTION AND YOU'LL GET IT
The Royal Tenenbaums (2001) - When estranged patriarch Royal Tenenbaum announces to his family that he is dying, the fractured family of divorced wife and three former prodigy children reunite with uncomfortable, but heart-warming, results.
"The Royal Tenenbaums" is director Wes Anderson's third film and it is meticulously made. Every prop, costume and detail is entirely intentional down to which magazines are seen on a table. Few films are as multi-layered as this one.
Casual moviegoers didn't seem to dig "The Royal Tenenbaums," probably because the plot was less important than the relationships between characters. Anderson takes the trademark quirks of all his actors (especially Gene Hackman, Owen Wilson and Ben Stiller) and weaves them into a very legitimate, moving tapestry. Thirty years from now this film will be studied in film schools as one of the greats of its time.
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