Starsky and Hutch (1975)

This is a tender, generous movie that likes its characters and presents them as real people, full of flaws and strengths.

This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

If only the subsequent episodes had been as good as the pilot. OK, the first season showed promise, but after that the series degenerated into a parody of itself. But the pilot for Starsky and Hutch was, at its time, the grittiest cop show that had been on TV (the pilot premiered as one of those ABC made-for-TV "Movies of the Week" during the 70s). This Starsky and Hutch is dark and violent, but not without a sense of humor. The dialog is above average, the story is actually pretty good, and Soul and Glaser both do a fine job as two tough plainclothes cops of the "cowboy" type that some big city departments have (as opposed to the standard suit-and-tie detectives). They're also believable as friends, and it's that chemistry that kept the show going even after the writers had long since run out of ideas. This pilot took it's cues from uber-violent 70s cop movies like Dirty Harry. To give you an idea, in the opening sequence you witness two hit men blow away two kids in a car..at point blank range. Even though it was the days before showing gore and blood splattering on TV was commonplace, that scene is disturbing. As things turn out, it looks like Starsky and Hutch were the actual targets. The two wade through the seedy streets (and the various shady characters and street stoolies) of the unnamed Southern California metropolis where they work, looking for answers as to who is trying to kill them and why.

This isn't any 70's cop show. It really shows how two very macho men can become the best of friends. Both Starsky and Hutch have the looks and the attitude to bring the "bad guys down". They display a great comfort in what they do. Starsky seems to be the innocent one, he's always out to have fun while doing his job. Glaser does a great job with the part. Hutch on the other hand usually is making sure Starsky is OK. Soul also does a wonderful job with the character of Hutch. There are some great episodes when you can really feel how much they care for one another and they would do anything for the other one. Both really show there emotion when they feel their pal is in trouble. The "Starsky Mobile" which is an awesome car to use in the show adds more excitement(with the burn-outs).I'm making this comment as a 16 yr old girl who loves the 70's and appreciates a great friendship.

This show rocked! Fast cars, people going over bonnets, paper blown down a side street. And the clothes. 70's ruled. TV now stinks of a smelly bin that was raided by a 90's producer who just finished film school. The characters cared, the camera was observing not interrupting, and the plot was simple, but effective. David Soul, Paul M.Glazer had style, grace, and a good sense of humour. As a film producer myself, I hope I can bring some of this old school back to the modern world. Enough said.

"Starsky and Hutch" is a very enjoyable TV series with its lovable characters and funny plots.Two of the best cops in the city, played by Paul Michael Glaser (Det. Dave Starsky) and David Soul (Det. Ken "Hutch" Hutchinson) fight the crime and try to restore peace and quietness in the streets. Bernie Hamilton (Capt. Harold Dobey) and Antonia Fargas (Huggy) are among the other principal talents. The former plays the part of a never-happy-kind-of-guy police captain and Fargas is the cool street guy which is always willing to give good tips. Those tips eventually lead to the arrest of criminals."Starsky and Hutch" might seem dated and freaky nowadays, nonetheless, it stays, in my opinion, one of the greatest cop series of all time.