Of all the '70s cop shows, perhaps none was as ripe for parody as "Starsky & Hutch," thanks to its now-questionable fashions and lurid, often over-the-top violence, subject matter and car chases. So this film version already has some good will in its favor.

Of course, a little of that has to do with the pairing of comic actors Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson, who have already proven how well they work together in six earlier films, chiefly "Zoolander" and "Meet the Parents."

Your appreciation of this film may depend to some degree on your familiarity with the original series. There are specific nods to the show's style, as well as re-created material from specific episodes. Longtime fans will get it, but at least some in the audience may be left scratching their heads.

Still, the film is amusing enough to please those looking for something silly, goofy and fun.

As in the TV series, the title characters are Bay City Police Department detectives David Starsky (Stiller) and Ken "Hutch" Hutchinson (Wilson). The gung-ho Starsky and somewhat shady Hutch are paired by their exasperated boss (Fred Williamson), who really doesn't know what to do with them.

He's also unconvinced that their current case — a murder that may involve a wealthy businessman and suspected drug lord (Vince Vaughn) — is going anywhere. When an attempt to arrest the drug lord proves disastrous, Starsky and Hutch are suspended, but, of course, they go forward with their investigation anyway.

There's a huge discrepancy between Stiller's and Wilson's performances. While Stiller has totally immersed himself in the character, right down to specifically parodying actor Paul Michael Glaser's TV version, Wilson is simply doing his usual laid-back shtick. But it works.

So does director Todd Phillips' odd blending of action-thriller violence (not nearly as much of it is done for laughs as you might think) and flat-out parody. The attention to detail is nice, too (the film is set in the '70s), as is the low-key supporting turn by Snoop Dogg as informant Huggy Bear. (And, yes, Glaser and David Soul, who originated the characters on television, make a cameo appearance here.)

"Starsky & Hutch" is rated PG-13 for scenes of action violence (shootings, some brawling, a knife fight), simulated drug use (cocaine, done for laughs), scattered use of strong profanity (including one usage of the so-called "R-rated" curse word), some crude sexual humor and references, brief partial female nudity and use of some racial epithets. Running time: 97 minutes.

---

E-MAIL: jeff@desnews.com