The Mod Squad (1999) User Reviews

Broken Hip

[wes-connors · 3/10 · 30 October 2008]

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

Many problems

[SnoopyStyle · 4/10 · 13 April 2014]

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.

Not My Squad!

[Bogmeister · 3/10 · 22 July 2005]

I must preface this comment with a sort of admission: I suppose I just have a soft spot for the original 60s-70s TV series. I think the filmmakers here blew it from the get-go as far as casting: in a supposed remake, audiences would look for reflections of the hip, athletic Linc (Clarence Williams III), or the cool, with-it Michael Cole, and so forth. Instead, we get Giovanni Ribisi as a poor-little-white rich boy who comes off as just pathetic, like he is in all his roles (in the office I used to work in, I amused myself once by creating a fake movie poster, casting various actors as members of the office staff; guess who I cast as the dorky son of the company President?). Danes does OK as the new Julie, but none of the characters have much to do, as the story just sort of sits there, mired in conventionality. So it's quite forgettable, besides. What was I talking about?

The lowest expectations are still too high ...

[sychonic · 26 August 2001]

If the writers of a movie don't care about the characters inhabiting the world they create, nor the actors portraying them, or the director ostensibly creating a dynamic, well it doesn't seem realistic the audience will care either.

To call this movie slapdash is an undeserved compliment--it's likely they figured it was a lost cause and that no amount of work would improve it. That's probably true.

Omar Epps isn't a very good actor to begin with, but here he's even worse than usual, mumbling his lines without a clue as to what is going on in the movie. Giovanni Rabisi seems to have fun with his role, but playing one imbecile after another, one gets the feeling he may not be so much acting as giving a glimmer as to his real personality. Claire Danes obviously can act, as she showed in "Little Women", but here she's dreadful. Dennis Farina is good in just about anything, but here he's given absolutely no help by the director or the other actors.

The movie quickly devolves into a series of music videos with bad seventies music intermixed with more modern stuff. And this squad is not very mod--the opening sequence notes that mod means fashionably dressed, and these guys look like they've been shopping by picking up things strewn on the side of an interstate. Go elsewhere for entertainment.

Bad plot, uninteresting movie.

[john187 · 1/10 · 1 February 2000]

The mod squad gets started 'after' the formation of the 'Mod Squad' without even bothering to develop any of the characters or show us why anyone is doing what they are doing.

Moreover, most of the events in the movie seem ancillary to the plot. Without even a smack of character development, the plot meanders from Gen-X club scenes to action scenes and back again.

Plot?

[hc379 · 1/10 · 2 April 1999]

So, it's Friday night and you want to go watch a movie...all you want is something entertaining, not too artsy, or anything that might require a long night of philosophical discussions. So, you pay $10 to watch the Mod Squad. The trailer to this movie should have tipped me off, but come on...it's three of Hollywood's most beautiful people--eye candy. But that's about it...a string of moving Prada ads. And what did Hollywood producers forget? A plot. Why are these kids running around the streets after some unknown enemy? Where are they? But, don't worry, after a while, you'll just stop caring. I was on the verge of walking out of this movie, because I thought sitting in my room and staring at the wall might have been more productive (and free), but by that time, it was over (90 minutes--it's only saving grace). So, still willing to waste $10? Go, get yourself a nice hot meal.

The Vidiot Reviews...

[capone666 · 4/10 · 11 November 2014]

The Mod Squad

The worst part about employing young undercover cops is they binge drink at house parties and break cover.

Thankfully, the covert trio in this action movie are too busy tracking a killer to attend ragers.

Opting to work for the police in a new department instead of serving time, Julie (Claire Danes), Pete (Giovanni Ribisi) and Linc (Omar Epps) are trained in the art of infiltration by their mentor Capt. Greer (Dennis Farina).

But when Greer ends up on the wrong side of a drug lord's gun, the motley crew must bring his killer to justice.

A slapdash adaptation of the groundbreaking counterculture cop drama from the '60s, this 1999 version lacks the social and political undercurrent of its source material.

Instead, it's a lifeless and shoddily acted knock-off - similar to the original in name only.

Besides, immature undercover officers today can't stop posting on Twitter about being undercover.

Red Light

vidiotreviews.blogspot.ca

Not a terrible film, but not a particularly good one, either...

[MovieAddict2016 · 5/10 · 9 March 2004]

60s and 70s television show remakes are everywhere. "Charlie's Angels" and "Starsky and Hutch" are just two of the more profitable franchises (the latter of the two bringing in $28 million in its first week). But both of those series tend to have fun with what they're parodying, rather than remaking. "The Mod Squad" is basically just a remake of the show of the same title, minus any real sort of substance and humor, and only a low amount of actual fun. It could have been a blast, but it's just rather mediocre.

Three young delinquents (Claire Danes, Giovanni Ribisi and Omar Epps) are recruited by a cop (Dennis Farina) to infiltrate many various operations (prostitute rings, drug circles) that police could never get into. But after their boss is murdered and they uncover a conspiracy, the three delinquents take it upon themselves to find out the truth behind the crime.

2.5/5 stars.

• John Ulmer

The plot is pretty weak, even for a 60s TV show remake. "The Mod Squad" ran from 1968 - 1973, with somewhere in the vicinity of 120 episodes. I never saw any, but I can't imagine this film adaptation does the show much justice.

The cast is considerably OK. Danes is quite enthusiastic and pretty enough for her sweet-blonde role, Ribisi is fine as a criminal and Epps is decent enough, too. Farina ("Get Shorty," "Another Stakeout") is a good actor, always very funny, but here his role is completely wasted (literally!) and short on the sort of sly humor that would have been appropriate given the actor behind it.

The dialogue is really corny, and so are the characters' actions. Television shows need not worry about smart dialogue or characters, because they're usually 30 minutes long (sometimes an hour), and we just get "hooked" on what's going on. Can you imagine if a soap opera made its way onto the big screen? It'd completely flop. People watch television shows because they like to see continuous stories with recurring characters they learn to love over a certain time period.

You can't get any joy out of watching a bunch of actors try to grow on you for 90 minutes. If "Alias" had ever started out as a big-screen movie, it might have flopped, because let's face it: the show is not exactly quality material. People watch it because they get hooked on it, and they enjoy watching the stories and the revelations, like an old woman addicted to her "General Hospital" episodes.

So here's proof that if "The Mod Squad" had originally been a movie, there probably would have been no television show. Despite some rather bad word-of-mouth, this movie isn't a terrible one. I've seen much worse, and compared to big-screen disasters like "Freddy Got Fingered," or low-budget ones like "The Blade Master," this is nothing very laughable at all.

But compared to the fun factor of "Charlie's Angels" or "Starsky and Hutch," "The Mod Squad" falls flat on its face. It's not very funny, it's not very fun, and it's not very original. It's a cash-in, which is something Hollywood is not in short supply of right now. If you miss "The Mod Squad," you're not missing anything that hasn't been done before.

The Mad Squad!

[spookyrat1 · 3/10 · 4 May 2019]

Wow! Who green-lighted this $50 million train wreck of a remake? It's a shocker with the extra sting in that you just can't see where the money went. The Mod Squad simply looks and plays out like an updated, extended episode of the original TV series. In other words it looks cheap. There's no other word to better describe it. It's dark, with an overabundance of night scenes, which are badly lit. The only thing that can be said about the script is, it's very predictable, despite the early killing off of squad leader Adam Greer (Dennis Farina phoning it in). BTW this is not a spoiler, as it's cited in all the film's plot outlines.

Eschewing any sort of origin tale, The Mod Squad pretty much opens at the start of a new case, with the 3 members firmly ensconced in, but not widely accepted by, the regular police force. The narrative played out from there is just very ordinary. None of the squad's members have much in the way of back stories of any note, though the storyline sees recovering alcoholic Julie, played by Claire Danes having boy friend troubles with an old ex-flame.

The dialogue is dire. The film was nominated for a Razzie Award for Worst Screenplay, but lost out to another television show turned movie Wild Wild West (LOL!). There are simply no big action set pieces of any note whatsoever and much of the little humour there is, comes from Giovanni Ribisi's Pete Cochran playing surprise, surprise, deliberately dumb, such as in the car wash scene.

The original series, though never great, had some degree of cultural impact because of the era of rebellious teens during which it featured. It also had a black man in an equal lead role with a couple of whites. Flash forward 30 years and the remade (big budget) movie has all the impact of a bug slamming into the windscreen of a moving truck. Like the poor old insect, The Mod Squad is as dead and lifeless as a doornail.

Interesting....

[maconpornstar · 8/10 · 27 October 1999]

I think this was a good movie. By far not Movie of the Year. I think it would have done better but people in general were expecting to much of it. It is hard for movies to do good when they are based on something everyone already knows. Such is the case with this and other movies such as Inspector Gadget. If you watch it for pure entertainment pleasure I leave everything else aside I think you would like it.

Great fun

[The_Triad · 7/10 · 28 May 2006]

The Mod Squad is entertaining, fun and stylish film with a subtle tongue in cheek. From the outset it is made clear that this is going to be a stylised, music video esquire experience, focusing on style more than anything else. I have not seen the series on which the film is based, but it appears to me that the film has tried to appeal to a young audience, and as the original series was shown some 35 odd years ago, unless a nostalgia trip occurs, I would expect fans of the original series would miss the point. We get together three very cool young actors in Claire Danes, Giovanni Ribisi and Omar Epps. They look the part for sure and for me, they fit their characters fine. As far as plot details go, the three are young tear aways who work for the cops undercover, instead of doing jail time because as Dennis Farina's character says "They can get into a million places we can't". If you've prepared to accept this, what follows is a bit of a treat, as the three knowingly go through the motions of a clichéd plot, with plenty of close shaves, twists, humour and damage to Omar Epps character's car. I was quite surprised to see how badly it was reviewed on here as I did enjoy the film quite a bit. But I'd recommended it to anyone who likes a good fun undercover cop romp.

"So you kids are, what? Some kind of mod squad or something?"

[bensonmum2 · 3/10 · 11 July 2018]

Instead of doing jail time, three young hoodlums agree to go undercover to help the police. The idea is that they can get into places where a normal cop would stand out like a sore thumb. But when their commanding officer is murdered, the three would-be cops are immediately suspected. They'll have to work together to clear their names and find the real killer.

There's really not much to say about The Mod Squad other than it's one hot mess of a movie! The plot is a total disaster. First, the premise is ludicrous. If these three were any good at undercover work, it might have made more sense. However, they blow their cover almost immediately. Second, it's all so dull. The just over 90-minute runtime drags more than it should There's nothing that held my interest, Long stretches of tedious dialogue and lifeless action. Third, and most importantly, the script is horribly predictable. It's not very hard figuring out what's going on and who the baddies are. Plot points are telegraphed from the beginning. It's one of the more poorly written scripts I've seen in a major, theatrically released film.

Too bad, really. The Mod Squad should have set-up Claire Danes for a long, interesting career in films. Coming off Little Women and Romeo & Juliet, she was primed to be the next big thing. But if you look at her filmography, it's not hard to see what this movie did to her career. Sure, she's been successful, but she hasn't been the big star she could and should have been. As for Danes' costars, the less said the better. Epps proves he can't act and Ribisi is uber-annoying. Danes is the lone bright spot in what is otherwise a pitiful excuse of a movie.

Highly underrated Gen-X angst picture

[ehoward · 29 March 2000]

So many reviews I have read rail on the poor quality of the film. The two biggest complaints are lack of adult dialogue and lack of action. Me, I thought it was one of the best movies I have ever seen. They are kids, not adults. That's the way kids talk. As far as action, I found the emotional struggles to be far more compelling than the action scenes (which, do not, BTW, define a good film). One user even commented that there is no way kids could get around by themselves like that. I was a kid living on the streets when I was younger, and what they accomplish in the movie is certainly not the least of what I have personally witnessed on the street.

For those who think only kids like this movie, I am 24. I think this film has been judged by all the wrong standards, and that not enough credibility is given to this straightforward portrayal of kids in trouble.

If you think kids are incapable of these things, try watching the movie "Kids."

The Great Mistake

[Quicksand · 3/10 · 27 March 2000]

This movie had great production values, good lighting, costumes, set, cinematography and acting. But someone, somewhere, took the script, and replaced all the dialogue with grade-school level barely literate writing. I felt my IQ dropping points any time any character spoke.

Did they do this on purpose? Was this just an accident of Brain Dead Studio Executives? At this point, we don't know.

All I know is, this movie was one great mistake from beginning to end. We don't even get to see how the Squad became cops, so instead of any character development, we get what feels like a bad TV-movie leftover from the 60's. Or whenever.

Find the screenwriters, beat them with a sock full of quarters. Everyone else, nice work, but read your scripts next time.

3/10

TERRIBLE! I WALKED OUT OF THE THEATER AND GOT MY MONEY BACK!

[eighties · 1/10 · 29 March 1999]

OK, Number one-this "film" is a "90's" version of a crappy show from the 70's that no one remembers! Number two-As soon as the movie started, I was confused, it was like I walked in halfway through the movie! There was no plot! it was very annoying! Horrible wardrobe! Call me crazy, but It's just not believable to me that little skinny Omar Epps can chase down a big grown man, without a gun, and scare him into talking! It's a ridiculous "plot". I'm sorry, but to me, kids these days can't even put their pants on one leg at a time, let alone catch some "evil, underground, killers". I walked out of the theater and demanded and got my money back! I do not reccomend this movie to anyone over 12 years old!

A tedious exercise

[Walls Of Jericho · 3/10 · 30 March 2001]

I'm not one of those folks who bemoans everytime a film based on an old TV show comes out. Rather, I usually run out and see it (If I had watched the show) and try to get nostalgic. But if anyone feels like running down films based on old shows, this is exhibit A (So you can actually say something more than just "McHale's Navy"). "Mod Squad" is dreary, tiring, and lethargic. At least the original series was angst riddled long before anyone knew teens could be so glum, making it groundbreaking. This is just tedious. Claire Danes is nice to look at, but does nothing else but mood swing and sneak around spying on the baddies. Giovanni Ribisi's acting extent in this flick is that Droopy the Dog look for an hour and forty five minutes. And Omar Epps looks like he wants to flee the set, but the script's chlostraphobia has trapped him. Sure, the production is nice, with the now seemingly obligitory "rave" nightclub opening action sequence and shootouts galore. Oh, and the kids yell and get mad at each other and their superiors a lot too. It's kind of like deciding to use the Scooby Doo Mystery Machine to go on a family vacation to Hollywood with your teenage kids who you and your spouse know need heavy therapy and prescription drugs. I really wanted to like this movie, and there were promising moments, but the next scene would suck the life out of it. You can knock another Spelling remake, "Charlie's Angels", all you want, but at least that film knew it wanted to have fun with itself. "The Mod Squad" makes you wonder where the inspiration from the original series went.

Bad... not good bad... bad bad

[merlin-54 · 1/10 · 2 April 1999]

Being a fan of the series I thought, how bad can the movie be? Well I got my answer. Some movies should never be made. Why call it a remake of the series when the only similarities are that there are three main characters. The Pete character in the series wasn't a whiney little baby as portrayed in the movie. The only good thing in this movie besides the music and that Clare Danes is pretty was that it was short. What's with that dance scene??? The only reason I didn't walk out of this film was because it was so bad it got funny. Maybe that was the plan! It's really bad when a cheap 60's TV show is better then a 90's 20 million dollar film. El Mariachi cost only $7000 and is a much better film. Don't even waste your money when it comes out on tape, it's not even worth renting.

Stylish and Charming, but Weak.

[kjguhl · 6/10 · 29 March 1999]

While the new "Mod Squad" boasts style and some likable characters, the plot and premise are as sound as ice-skating in the bathtub.

Some vintage 1970's cars, funky music and flashy chase scenes highlight the picture and the characters do have a unique sense of dress. While Omar Epps is cool and in charge as Linc and Giovanni Ribisi is quirky and comedic as Pete, Claire Danes plays a pretty plain Julie. Unfortunately, the characters' histories are glazed over and the film is negligent in their absence, such as how Julie knows the older man from her past that she is seeing. Furthermore, Linc seems pretty level-headed for a former arsonist with a message. While a wonderful scene with Pete encountering his parents was touching, the audience is left to wonder what came before.

The premise of this movie is a bit limited, as the authority the kids don't have but pretend to stretches credibility. Three young convicts working off their time through undercover assignments for the police can only do so much, and it's not plausible that many would respect their commands as one individual does in this film. Even if one can suspend disbelief, the story is predictable, sometimes incomprehensible and has a few holes.

There are some bright spots in this film besides the style and characters, such as how alone the characters realize they are in solving the case. These alone make the film worthy of watching on TV.

Too hip for it's own good

[asac · 3/10 · 27 March 1999]

I really wanted to like this movie, but I just couldn't. It had the potential to be a really cool, hip remake of a cool show, but that's where it fell apart. It was too hip, too cool. First of all, all the cool lines and scenes were showcased in the preview trailers, which I'd seen lots of times. And the editing was very disjointed, so that the scenes didn't seem to flow together and they all seemed out of place. Claire Danes, who I love as an actress failed to make this her break through to the beyond high school acting roles. The only bright spot was Giovanni Ribisi as Pete. His slightly stupid, yet actually smart style was funny and refreshing. Overall though, I'd recommend just watching the previews instead of seeing the movie and wishing it was more.

a movie reinventing the word 'cool'

[herkemer · 8/10 · 30 March 1999]

this is a remake of the popular old series. with the help of subtle but necessary acting interpretations, it is a great directoral piece. the screenplay is above par, and the actors are as well. it is a trend setting sort of film. the fashion and lifestyles will be mimicked by those who see the cutting edge hipness. go and see it, don't expect anything like you are expecting, and you will leave with a fulfilled two hour investment. go see it today.

Not too bad-- Slick Flick.

[Harding-2 · 7/10 · 26 March 1999]

I thought this film did just what it set out to do-- entertain with style. There may have been some dialogue of questionable integrity and a slightly muddled plot, but all in all this was an entertaining movie. Unfortunately, at 21 I am a bit too young to remember the original series, but I think this film was successful in maintaining the "outsider" character trait. One of the best aspects of this film was the wardrobe (great job Arianne Phillips). The 70's/ 90's clothing looked great on these three great looking actors-- they looked slick. If you're looking for deep, dramatic story line, this probably isn't for you, but if you want some good comedy (Ribisi), action, and some up and coming young stars, this is for you.

Wait for this flick to come out on cable.

[colinj · 3/10 · 27 March 1999]

This is an astonishingly bad action film. I'd say its primary flaw is that it's BORING. Arghh! Funky wardrobes, retro chic set design, and decent cinematography cannot prevent this flick from being a snoozer. Mod Squad's second (major) flaw is its lack of character development--underscored by the actors' lack of talent. I tend to like Claire Danes's work so I was quite surprised by her non-existent performance in this film. Giovanni Ribisi is woefully miscast: how could his cotton-mouthed, bumbling acting style possibly fit into an ACTION flick? As for Omar Epps, well, he needs to take a few acting lesson to learn how to emote. The man had the same facial expression for the entire film! My suggestion is to save yourself a few bucks and wait to see this turkey on cable.

A confusing screenplay, disappointingly directed, with performances only as good as the writing allowed.

[max-127 · 23 July 1999]

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.

The film which almost killed Josh Brolin's career

[jackasstrange · 3/10 · 12 November 2013]

Mod Squad is a horrible film. Wow. How it's producers could make so little with a budget of 50 million dollars is beyond me. Beginning with the script, that it's plain awful. Everything in this film makes absolutely no sense. There is no continuity in the sequences, the character development is one of the worst that i've ever saw, and nothing in it is explained in a clever way or whatever. And yes, it's boring, because is so slow, 'cause there is no decent conflict at all. That factor is the worst for any action film, of course. The jokes are the lamest you can think of, and... yeah. The actors were not that bad though, and the soundtrack is actually decent... probably the two main reasons to not give this film a 1 rating. So, Mod Squad, in the bigger and most optimistic of the expectations, will be remembered as the film which almost killed Josh Brolin's career. 2.6/10

The Broke Squad

[Johnny_West · 1/10 · 9 July 2022]

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.