The Mod Squad

REVIEW
Though it really wants to please, this big-screen version of the early 1970s TV show about three young adults (all with records) going undercover for the police misses the mark. The writers have basically reinvented the TV characters (and for the worse): Julie (Danes) is a softie who can be hurt by romance; Pete (Ribisi) is now a lovable screw-up; and Linc (Epps) is, well, kinda bland. They uncover some sort of police corruption scheme we've seen a million times before. What a cop-out instead of finding something original. There are nods to the era, like a musical cue from Car Wash, '70s zooms, and sayings like "right on," but in the end, The Mod Squad is nothing more than a conventional '90s cop flick. Only Ribisi is able to carve some character from the criminal script. Meant to appeal to fans of the TV show and contemporary audiences, its appeal is limited.