Warning: Spoilers ahead. If
you plan to see Hollywood Homicide, then read my
review for it after doing so.
In my review for National
Security, which came out earlier this year, I said that I
wished that
Hollywood would stop making
buddy cop movies. I take that back. I wish that
Hollywood would stop making
buddy cop movies, without Josh Hartnett and Harrison Ford.
This pairing brings such a fresh and wonderful spice to such a
dull and clichéd genre, it’s hard to not like their latest
film Hollywood Homicide. Another positive feature
working towards this films advantage is that director Rob
Shelton, who also made the year’s Dark Blue,
knows how to bring out Ford and Hartnett’s charismatic
presence onto the screen, in just the right way.
Hollywood Homicide brings humor back the buddy cop genre,
and I was pleasantly surprised by its every move.
Joe Gavilan (Ford) and K.C. Calden
(Hartnett) are partnering L.A.P.D. detectives, who are
assigned to investigate the murder of an up-and-coming rap
group. Neither of these guys cares much about his job as a
detective. Gavilan also sells real estate and is obsessed with
trying sell a particular house, and needs to do so
desperately; he even negotiates a deal on a home during a
giant police chase. Calden wants to pursue a career as an
actor, and get out of the police business; he makes Galivan
run lines with him when driving to places on the job. But,
they still do manage to fit being detectives into their
schedule. Galivan is a veteran to police-work, and thinks he
can handle the entire murder case by himself. Calden, a
rookie, is anxious to be working with him, and obviously has a
lot to learn about being a member of the P.D. You know the
formula—the two hate each other from the start, but then once
the murder case begins to unravel the rookie cop learns a few
things, and the veteran cop warms up to him; after it’s all
solved, the two are great friends. Oh? Did I just spoil the
end of the movie? I guess I just assumed you’d already guessed
it, hadn’t you?
It’s good that Ford and Hartnett
perform well, because without two persevering stars,
Hollywood Homicide (and every other decent buddy cop
movie) would be dead in the water. These two men are the only
actors in the entire film that provoke laughs, try hard to
portray the character that they’re playing in the very best
way possible, and attempt to lead the rest of the cast. Almost
everyone in the flick else walks through their role, and you
can noticeably tell that the only reason they worked on the
project was to receive a big, fat paycheck in the mail. But,
Hollywood Homicide is worth looking at because of
the two stars, who ultimately save it from being an unabashed
disaster. Another thing that I find quite amusing about their
pairing in the movie is that both of their characters
experience as detectives is very similar to the stages they’re
in, in the movie business. Ford has been acting for a very
long time, and is beginning to wind down from his career.
Hartnett is a young, likeable, and a bit of a clumsy guy—but
has potential to be a great actor. Hollywood Homicide,
unintentionally (I imagine), resembles this in an inventively
metaphorical way.
Hollywood Homicide is
an enjoyable formula flick that symbolizes the reason we go to
see summer movies—to have fun. Ford and Hartnett are pitch
perfect together, and help us feel relaxed when watching the
picture, making it a much more enjoyable ride.
Hollywood Homicide succeeds on comedic, charismatic, and
inventive notes, which allows me to deem it as one of my top
picks of the summer so far. Just when I thought that we were
in for a grim summer, another quality movie pops up out of
nowhere, and makes me consider otherwise. 90% of the films
I’ve seen in the last two weeks have been enjoyable, which is
a sure improvement over previous periods of time, earlier this
year. The fact that Hollywood Homicide is one of
those enjoyable flicks makes me elated. Ford has chosen yet
another winning screenplay to add to his resume full of
masterful performances. I hate to finish this review in such a
flat way, but I really only have one thing left to say—Hollywood
Homicide rocks!
-Danny, Bucket
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