Intermission: 'Homicide' puts new twists on parner cop routine

Jim Wunderle is a Springfield free-lance writer and musician.

After an early summer run of movies that were little more than two hours of car chases and crashes ("The Italian Job," "2 Fast 2 Furious") I was looking forward to "Hollywood Homicide."

Writer/director Ron Shelton is always a good bet. His "Bull Durham" was an all-around great baseball story that actually was more about human nature than the sport itself.

"Blaze" took a look at Governor Earl Long, a member of the family dynasty that ruled Louisiana for decades, and his relationship with stripper Blaze Starr.

While his old cop/young cop, mismatched partner scenario is certainly not a new idea, Shelton's writing and directing and a cast headed by no less than Harrison Ford, "Hollywood Homicide" promised to be a movie to be reckoned with.

While not as good as expected, it's a strong effort loaded with subtle humor and grounded in the "crooked cop" formula.

Ford is Detective Joe Gavilan, an aging cop with several alimonies to pay, a hefty mortgage and a house that he can't unload in a suburb called Mt. Olympus. You see, besides being a full-time cop, Joe also is a real estate agent. Joe takes real estate related calls on his cell phone at all hours, even when involved in a high-speed chase. If he doesn't sell this property, he's headed for debtor's prison.

Joe's partner is a young cop named K.C. Calden. K.C.'s dad was a cop killed in the line of duty, and while K.C. entered the field as a matter of course, his heart isn't 100 percent in it. What he really wants to be is an actor.

Their latest case involves investigating a multiple homicide that took place at a hip-hop club. Just after the band H2OKlick left the stage, the members were gunned down. At first it seems this may be just another chapter in the East Coast/West Coast rivalry.

Further investigation leads Gavilan to believe there's something more going on here. A puddle of urine at the crime scene makes him think there's a (very scared) witness hiding out somewhere in L.A.

Besides Joe's money problems, something new rears its ugly head. Internal Affairs begins an investigation into Joe and K.C.'s personal lives. It seems they wonder how Joe can get by on a cop's salary and pay all his alimony, mortgage and the money he owes on the house in Mt. Olympus. Heading the investigation is Benne Macko, a cop that holds a personal grudge against Gavilan. As the character of Ruby, a radio psychic played by the ever-classy Lena Olin, is introduced, Macko has even more reason to wage a personal vendetta.

Shelton delves into the world of hip-hop and the widespread corruption plaguing the music business with a studied eye. He juxtaposes this new music with classic soul and R&B.

Besides loading the film with great music both new and old, Shelton goes one better. Playing roles in the film are rappers K-Rupt and Master P, as well as old-schoolers Gladys Knight and Smokey Robinson.

Also making brief appearances are Dwight Yoakam, Monty Python's Eric Idle, Robert Wagner, Frank Sinatra Jr., Dr. Dre and Lou Diamond Phillips (in drag!)

"Hollywood Homicide" is the best of the "summer" films so far this year.