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This is the standard cop thang, down to every plot detail; the film's basically a spoof played dead straight by the cast. Well not entirely straight. Ford has so much fun with his character that it's infectious--his cheeky, bracing performance single-handedly makes the film work, because the over-complicated plot certainly doesn't. Hartnett does his best to keep up with the pro, and succeeds nicely, especially when engaging in his side obsessions with acting and zen-tantra-yoga. Meanwhile, Olin is wonderfully sexy, while Davidovich is surprisingly underused. And there are lots of thoroughly entertaining cameos (Idle's is wickedly hilarious!).

Shelton has great fun playing with Hollywood stereotypes--glamour, money, sex, violence, acting, self-help, real estate, fake emotion. Even the film's big skirmishes are a twist on typical movie nonsense, poking fun at stunts and action cliches. And it's not just the movies; there's a lot of Motown and rap going on, from cast members to character-defining mobile phone ringtones. So it's a pity the story is so unfocussed, choppy and ultimately silly. In the end there's no real point to the film at all, beyond a bit of fluffy entertainment. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but with this cast and filmmaker you expect a lot more. The best line is uttered by a helicopter news reporter during the big climax in and around Grauman's Chinese Theatre: "I've never seen such drama in Hollywood before!"