Mod Squad

This movie was a gargantuan disappointment on nearly all levels. Based on the late-60s/early-70s TV show, the movie could have been a hip, funny update OR a straight, reverent recreation from the period which it came from. Alas, the filmmakers botched it with a dull, hackneyed "dirty cops on the inside" plot we've seen countless times before. The direction is stiff and Character development is sorely lacking, making it impossible for us to grow any attachment to them. And for what's supposed to be an action film, there's a definite lack of energy and visual pizzazz.

Claire Danes and Omar Epps are fine (if a bit too low-key) in their roles, but Giovanni Ribisi gives one of the most highly annoying performances in recent memory. He plays his character (Pete Cochran) like some doped-up, marble-mouthed clod. Even if everything else in the film were fine, his performance here would still be a serious detriment.

What could have been a classy, fun film is rendered an unfortunate misfire. OH, what Quentin Tarantino could have done with this material!!

I was extremely disappointed with Mod Squad as a movie. There were a number of points which were never explored fully in respect to the character development. The script jumped from point to point without ever clearly explaining the real direction of the plot or the characters. Neither I nor the three people with me ranging from 18 to 85, could work out why the three young 'Mod Squad' members were recruited. We had no idea what they'd done to land themselves in hot water to begin with so they could have been murderers (no sympathy there). The action was minimal the highlight being an old car crashing through a metal door. "When was that film set?" my eighteen year old daughter asked me. The clever young actor from the "Other Sister" relied on the most basic of performance tricks such as shouting, to even be noticed. Long lingering shots of the female lead became dull. The young black actor had little to work on in his scripted characterisation. I found myself confused between the good and the bad cops and why a call to the police precinct, which had set up the criminal "bust" finale , was so obligingly received and acted on so promptly. The police were called to the scene as backup for our hero who was then an escaped felon (or was he????). The direction in my opinion was experimental to the point of distraction. One scene had our three protagonists in the front seat of a car plotting their next move. This was the bench mark. We saw the camera pan left, right, right, left, right, left then left again so continuously I became dizzy. The recording quality of the hand held reporters cassette recorder, the contents of which wrapped up the entire Mod Squad case was "studio quality" amazing!!! I see a minimum of sixty films a year. This was one of the least effective in a decade. my vote is 2 out of 10.

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.

This has to be one of the worst movies I have ever seen. With very little plot, poor acting (some exceptions), and terrible lighting, we are subjected to an extremely bad imitation of the old television series. No explanation, other than a few headlines, gives us any idea how or why these dolts were elected to be the new mod squad. Claire Danes is okay, as is Omar Epps. Giovanni Ribisi, however, doesn't know (or was not directed to know) if his character is a buffoon or a seriously troubled young man. The long pauses and takes on faces failed to engage me--they were merely irritating. This movie sometimes appeared to be a parody; at other times it took itself too seriously. Some bad lighting caused Claire Danes to have a flickering nose in one scene. The ending was ludicrous. Don't waste your money.

The DVD sleeve explains the premise: "Three problem teens are headed for jail," and are "set to do time until Captain Greer offers them a deal to work for him - undercover." The film opens with definitions of the words "Mod" and "Squad", so you won't have to look them up in the dictionary. For a visual definition of "Cool", search for photographs of the original threesome: Michael Cole (as Pete Cochran), Clarence Williams III (as Linc Hayes), and Peggy Lipton (as Julie Barnes).

One black. One white. One blonde. Once they defined cool.

The three who make up Scott Silver's version of Aaron Spelling's "The Mod Squad" are twentysomethings: Claire Danes (as Julie Barnes), Giovanni Ribisi (as Pete Cochran), and Omar Epps (as Linc Hayes). They aren't able to do much with the material given. Mr. Ribisi's portrayal is the most "far out", meaning he digresses most from the original characterization. Ms. Danes romances Josh Brolin (as Billy Waites), who looks like he could be in a re-make of "Marcus Welby, MD". You won't believe hefty Michael Lerner dancing with Mr. Epps' "Linc". He explains, "I'm not a fairy, I just like to dance!" and requests, "Spin me!"

*** The Mod Squad (1999) Scott Silver ~ Claire Danes, Giovanni Ribisi, Omar Epps