6 Monday March 8,2004 arts.michigandaily.com artseditor@michigandaily.com ARTS 8A 4 Mortensen falls short of victory By Justin Weiner Daily Arts Writer Why does Hollywood always mess with success? The story of Frank Hopkins, the famed horse- man, endurance racer and subject of the film "Hidalgo," needs no modification or addition to become an excit- ing film. Yet, the Hidalgo At Quality 16, Showcase and Madstone Buena Vista ever-wise execu- tives at Buena Vista added many fictitious events and characters to "Hidalgo," doing it much more harm than help. So many different plots are jum- bled into this film that it's difficult actually to describe the story. In Yippee-kl-yay. part, it's a recreation of Frank Hop- kins's (Viggo Mortensen) race across the Arabian Desert upon his ra--- ---- --- ---- - EveryT t Colle I I I I I I a One Hour Soak for TWO' Sunday-Thursday Not valid on holidays or weekends. Not valid with any other offer. Coupon required. Expires 4-15-04. Must be 18 with 1D. 11 .1 ----.--.-..! .1M. ..11. Tuesday Is Calming and 9e Night! restorative, the soothing surroundings of a well-tended garden setting... spacious and private, a sparkling clean hot tub and the great outdoors! Call for reservations. horse. This tale alone would make for a very compelling film, but it seems pushed aside by other plot elements. Short interludes of Hop- kins wavering on his horse in the desert heat are interspersed between longer, less interesting scenes. Most of the movie's two hours and 15 minutes focuses on the many subplots. Attempts by director Joe Johnston ("Jurassic Park III") to explore the character and motiva- tions of Hopkins are too heavy- handed and often boring. A complicated (and silly) adventure with a sheikh's daughter further detracts from what should have been the main adventure - the race across the desert. This part of the story would have been mildly entertaining were it not for the fact that it stereotypes Arabs and the Islamic faith. For a film that claims to be based on a true story, "Hidalgo's" mischaracteriza- tion of Arabs is downright offen- sive. It's odd that this sort of material appears in the film, given that its ample screen time is used in part to show how Native Americans were miscast as villains at the turn of the century. Amidst all of this, there is a film about a man courageously riding his horse to victory in a daunting race. These portions of "Hidalgo" are shot beautifully and do manage to create some drama. Adding to this is the character of Hopkinsr who seems to be custom built for a Dis- ney drama. Mortensen does a great job of portraying Hopkins. His subtle cow- boy mannerisms and slow drawl make him quite endearing. Mortensen walks, talks, and acts like a cowboy hero, and, in doing so, he nearly saves the film. It's too bad that Mortensen is sur- rounded by a cast of over-actors and burdened with cliche dialogue. The most engaging scenes of the film are often overshadowed by the mindless ones. "Hidalgo" has all the makings of a classic adventure story but, unfortunately, it too often falls short of the lofty expectations of great historical epics. Courtesy of Warner Bros. I: Sweating to the oldies. By Ryan Lewis Daily Arts Writer . W.. _.....W..... _......y ..............w......_..... _.._... .. .. ._W ... ... W._.. . ..... _.._..w ._.................._.. w .... ....... . _.... S it w emu, .? x G' * 4 104- Jumo DYNAMIC DUCE OF STILLER AND WILSON REUNITES I i. OAsS HoT Tun GAQDE N m .. . . - .... .. - .. - m (734)L663-9001 MOVIE REVIEW Oh, what could have been! The setup was perfect and ready for a knockout punch line. Just the idea of Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson in the seemingly custom-tailored roles of "Starsky & Hutch" brought on many giddy chuckles. But the joke is an old one, hindered by its own repetitiveness, and the punch line falls flat. Starsky & Sadly, director Todd Phillips's ("Old Hutch School") latest bit of shenanigans, At Quality 16 and though at times funny, proves only one Showcase thing: The well of shtick that made Warner Bros. Stiller and Wilson so endearing to audiences has been drawn from a bit too often. The recy- cled comedic interplay between the duo is less the refresh- ing dose of dry wit than a poor attempt at a Letterman impersonation, using the same joke again and again. However, thanks to Phillips and his creative team, Stiller as David Starsky and Wilson as Ken Hutchinson still have a bit of spark left over, and the supporting cast somewhat revitalizes the feature version of the hipster, disco-era cop show. Starsky is your average anal-retentive cop. The son of one of Bay City's most cherished blues, he is the enemy of any perp. After chasing a purse snatcher halfway across town, and discharging a semi-automatic en route, Starsky's punishment is to be teamed up with Hutch, a lackadaisical, all-nonsense, work-the-system cop. As they begin to grow on each other, the rumblings of a record-breaking drug deal surface, courtesy of Hutch's informant Huggy Bear (Snoop Dogg). Rampaging through- out town, they come across a new, untraceable and unscent- ed brand of cocaine, and standing at the center of their investigation is business mogul Reese Feldman (Vince Vaughn). The requisite chases and explosions of "Starsky & Hutch" ensue. Where the plot is overly formulaic, the cameos, along with Snoop and Vaughn, have all the quirkiness audi- ences have come to expect from Stiller and Wilson. Vaughn and Phillips accompany each other perfectly, as their styles mesh once again after Vaughn's comedic resurgence in "Old School." Snoop's character is the most enjoyable, with an off beat style and suave intelli- gence that are a welcome retreat from the overarching comedic atmosphere. Other notable bit players include the always impressive Will Ferrell, Carmen Electra, Amy Smart, Chris Penn, Juli- ette Lewis and Jason Bateman, with David Soul and Paul Michael Glaser (the original Hutch and Starsky) providing a special little passing of the torch. Yet, what most redeems "Starsky & Hutch" are the set pieces, especially the signa- ture 1974 Ford Torino with racing stripes. Usually, in this type of film where the plot is underdevel- oped and the subplots riddled with holes, the laugh-out- loud slapstick and chuckle-worthy satire make the trite story forgivable. But this humor just doesn't hit when it should. Most of the 97 minutes are spent waiting for that punch-line that never comes. Unfortunately, the remake that once seemed so promising can't fall back on the laurels of its stars, and that makes all the difference. ... a, 0 d l M " w A