Cast:

Julie - Claire Danes
Linc - Giovanni Ribisi
Pete - Omar Epps
Capt. Greer - Dennis Farina

Director: Scott Silver

Previews: Matrix, The Mummy

So I'm sitting there in the theater, asking myself, why am I at this movie? I think about all of the things that draw me into a movie (believe me, I had a lot of time to think in this movie, because the plot didn't require much, nor did anything very interesting, or unexpected happen to hold my attention). It didn't have any stars that would've drawn me in, Danes, Ribisi and Epps, are fine actors, but they won’t make me run right out see movie solely because they're in it. The preview didn’t really entice me, appeal to me, or produce any kind of ooh, ahhh thoughts in my head. Finally, I wasn't a fan of the original series, contrary to those who think that I am actually old enough to remember it. So I ask again, why am I here? The only answer I can deduce, is that I am here for you dear reader. I am here, so that I can spend the money, so you don't have to, or so I can tell you to hold off on that mortgage payment to see it.

The story, as much as I cared about at least, involved dirty cops, drugs, prostitution, etc etc. Boy, there’s something I’ve never seen before. The kids are trouble children, given another chance, by helping to breakup a prostitution ring by "Getting into places, that the police never could". This leads to lots of yelling, screaming, explosions and chases, all pointless I thought.

My problems with this movie outnumber my likes, by a factor of at least 10, so here goes. First of all, and most prevalent, was the lack of an interesting, or original story. The story was straight out of those late Saturday night detective shows of the late 70s and early 80s. I expected to see "A Quinn/Martin production" on the end credits here. I guess I hoped for something a bit more updated, and original, that had aged well through the years. Instead, it never really seems to get started, it just jumps right in without developing any interest, or real background into the characters (other than the cursory intro in the beginning), and basically doesn't ever let us care about who they are, and what they're doing. Danes, Ribisi, and Epps do not do too badly, with what they are given. Danes is the troubled runaway, whose wardrobe looks like something out of the Charlie’s Angels reject bin. Ribisi plays a character only slightly smarter than his Other Sister character, and he gets to carry a gun and drive a car ("Dad let me drive slow on the drive way..but never on Friday"), and Epps, plays the strong silent, sensible one of the group. As a group, they have a slight chemistry, only as much as the lame script and direction allows At times, they appear to not really believe that they have to say the lines that they do. Every cliched cop show line is thrown in here, most by Dennis Farina, as their savior and mentor, but the kids sneak a few in as well.

This script did show flashes of brilliance and potential though. A running gag about the slow destruction of Epps car by Ribisi, provided the films few smiles and laughs A few scenes where the characters seem to realize that they are in a bad spoof, of a moderately successful TV show. Lines about plot twists "The only thing missing, is if this were happening in an abandoned warehouse" and the response of "I think this is where we're supposed to say, we're gettin too old for this.." showed the promise of something better, but the rest of the script and story degrade into a really bad Miami Vice episode. Any Gen-Xer who's ever paid attention at a movie, can pickup, and follow the obvious hints, and clues, even if they can't really ever figure out this plot, which seems to be permanently stuck in the mud, and never really generates any interest. I must also give kudos to the music, it is a throwback to the 70s, Starsky and Hutch, Baretta shows, and I expected to see Huggy Bear and Fred the Cockateel to be sitting in Omar Epps hotel room.

I guess I expected something kinda satirical, and spoofing, mocking the 70s, with a hip script, cool clothes, and music, and some eye candy to make it watchable. What I got instead, was a boring, mishmash of cliches, cardboard characters, and lots of explosions, to distract me away from the monumental flaws in the film. Ultimately, this film never figured out if it wanted to be serious, or a spoof, and thus, never worked as either. This is not an idea that did not age well at all, and this should also be the reason that the 70s should be left right where they are. ($ of $$$$)

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