Hollywood Homicide ** (2003, Harrison Ford, Josh Hartnett, Lena Olin, Bruce Greenwod, Isaiah Washington, Keith David, Dwight Yoakam, Lolita Davidovich, Martin Landau) – Classic Movie Review 4520

Harrison Ford and Josh Hartnett make an unlikely pair of LAPD cop buddies in co-writer/ co-producer/ director Ron Shelton’s slapdash 2003 action comedy thriller, investigating a thin yet hard-to-follow plot about the in-club murder of a promising young rap group.

To spice things up a bit and give the film a different spin, Ford (as Sgt Joe Gavilan) and Hartnett (as Detective KC ‘Kasey’ Calden) are given jokey second careers as a real-estate agent and wannabee actor, which they are not very good at. As the detectives probe the recording industry, they hope to find property buyers or auditions.

The good stars prove what we’ve known for a while, that comedy is not their strong point. But luckily, a spot of nifty action is. A grim-looking Ford does a lot of impressive running around – not bad at 61 and Hartnett is a nice little mover. Ford and Hartnett are nor a perfect match but they share reasonable screen chemistry. And the slapup Hollywood Boulevard car chase climax is one of the best in ages.

It co-stars Lena Olin, Bruce Greenwood as Lieutenant Bennie Macko, Isaiah Washington, Keith David, Dwight Yoakam, Lolita Davidovich, Martin Landau, Master O, Lou Diamond Phillips, Gladys Knight, Smokey Robinson, Korupt, Dr Dré, Eric Idle, Robert Wagner, Meredith Scott Lynn, Tom Todoroff, James MacDonald, Alan Dale and Clyde Kuastsu.

It runs 111 minutes, was produced by Revolution, released by Columbia, co-written by Robert Souza, shot by Barry Peterson and Alexander Witt, co-produced by Lou Pitt, scored by Alex Wurman and designed by Christa Monro.

It flopped; after costing a hefty $75 million, it took only $30 million in the US.

© Derek Winnert 2016 Classic Movie Review 4520

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