Giovanni Ribisi is a horrible actor, and in this movie he adds an extra layer of spaced-out mongoloid to his repertoire. Omar Epps just grimaces through the whole movie. He just does the minimum to collect his check. Claire Danes is the only reason to watch, but even that gets old fast. James Brolin and Dennis Farina don't add much either.
This movie is just some kind of bad idea that got financed, and everyone involved just wanted to get paid, get it done, and move on to something better.
Plot summary
Three youthful delinquents escape conviction for their crimes by teaming with the LAPD.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
June 14, 2016 at 08:36 AM
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Top cast
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The Broke Squad
The 70's Is Calling...
"Mod Squad" the TV series was before my time, but that's no reason that the movie itself had to be so unrelatable.
Julie (Claire Danes), Pete (Giovanni Ribisi), and Linc (Omar Epps) were the Mod Squad. They were three felons given another lease on life by Captain Greer (Dennis Farina). They weren't paid informants nor were they police officers, yet they worked in a police capacity under Greer. They were on a case when Greer was killed and they were determined to find out the whos and the whys.
This movie was too cookie cutter. It was Los Angeles, drugs, dirty cops, and a bunch of other cliché material. This movie didn't move the needle. I couldn't get behind any of the characters and the story was one that had probably been rejected fifty times before. I can appreciate wanting to revive a familiar product for the 70's crowd out there, this one just didn't work.
Many problems
Three young petty delinquents Julie (Claire Danes), Pete (Giovanni Ribisi), and Linc (Omar Epps) are recruited by detective Greer (Dennis Farina) to work undercover where cops can't normally go. They are sent in to a club to investigate. When they find Greer murdered, they set off to find his murderer even though they are ostracized by most of the police. Meanwhile Billy (Josh Brolin) from the club is interested in Julie.
The lighting is way too dark for most of the movie. I understand the underground sensibility of their investigation. However it makes it hard to watch. Ribisi is good playing the jokey jittery guy. Epps is way too stiff of an actor. Danes is probably miscast here. I've never seen the TV show, and the movie is probably trying to copy Peggy Lipton. It seems better if they go more white trash for the role like a Juliette Lewis kind. Dane is way too nice and sweet. I don't know what the original TV show is like. So it's hard for me to compare and judge the movie. There is some good music but by itself, the movie is kind of boring.