Three minor delinquints (Danes, Ribisi, and Epps) are recruited by a cop (Farina) working undercover to bust a cop/drug ring. When the officer who recruited them is killed, they go above and beyond the call of duty to solve the murder; and bust the drug ring. Suffering the jibes, and ridicule of fellow officers; they struggle to save their names, and that of their deceased benefactor.
Is it possible to try too hard without making any effort whatsoever? Because that seems to be the one slim accomplishment of The Mod Squad.
– Mary Elizabeth Williams,
Salon.com,
1 Jan 2000
fresh:
A great-looking picture that zips along with grace, light on its feet but possessed of just enough gravity to allow us to take its people rather than its old TV series premise seriously.
– Kevin Thomas,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb 2001
rotten:
Plays like a 90-minute version of the old television show. That's not necessarily bad.
– Bob Graham,
San Francisco Chronicle,
18 Jun 2002
rotten:
A flawed fraud, a youth movie so disjointed, witless and condescending that it's painful to watch.
– Liam Lacey,
Globe and Mail,
25 Apr 2003
rotten:
This latest bigscreen retrofitting of a vintage TV series (1968-73) feels like the most shameless effort yet in the renewed exploitation of the youth market.