Anthony's Film Review - Hollywood Homicide (2003)

Supposed to be a comedy, but I didn't laugh all that much...

I hate it when a movie is advertised as having a clever and original premise, especially for a genre that has so many movies already, and I find myself disappointed after seeing it. Consider the typical cop buddy movie. In other words, the kind involving two cops working together. Now give each one a second job they have outside of the police force. Let Harrison Ford be a realtor/cop while Josh Hartnett takes the role of a yoga instructor/aspiring actor/cop. You can imagine what you could do with an idea like this.

You can also develop a good movie with a plot that involves murder in the entertainment business. Specifically, the killing of several hip-hop musicians. It can lead to a good movie, because it could be part of ongoing rap music rivalries or something else. People do like cop movies. People do love Hollywood. How could a plot like this go wrong?

But let's remind ourselves that Hollywood Homicide is also supposed to be a comedy. However, I didn't really laugh that much during the whole movie. In the beginning, I was paying attention to the story to see the context in which I would see the humor. After seeing the hip-hop music performance in a club, the shootout that followed, and Ford and Hartnett investigating the crime scene, I wondered where the film would lead and whether I would laugh.

From that point on, you have scenes that move the investigation along, but they are interrupted by scenes outside the case. There are some romance scenes here and there that I thought were forgettable. There are also glimpses into the two cops' moonlighting moments. One is showing a new house to a potential buyer while the other is teaching his yoga class. Throw in a few action scenes that were not that exciting, including the final one in the climax. I take that back. I mean the final action scene in the movie, because it didn't really feel like there was a climax to begin with.

The movie left me confused and disappointed. The attempts at humor failed. Not even the scene with Harrison Ford finalizing a real estate deal on his cell phone during a car chase made me laugh. The action wasn't exciting. I was simply staring at the screen wondering when the movie would end. I just hope they don't keep making movies like this one. The last thing I need is a dull one and a half hours of my time.

Anthony's Rating:

For more information about Hollywood Homicide, visit the Internet Movie Database.