I can’t pinpoint the moment when Ben Stiller went from someone whose films I anticipated to someone whose omnipresence became overwhelming and annoying. It might have been just around Starksy and Hutch. At any rate, the inclusion of Stiller in a film is no longer so exciting, so it’s tough to get any interest going for The Persuaders, an old English TV show that is coming to the big screen starring Stiller.
But wait – it also stars Steve Coogan. I can still get excited about him! He’s a fairly brilliant UK comic who hasn’t gotten the exposure in America that he deserves, and maybe this can change things for him.
The old show starred Roger Moore and Tony Curtis (frealz) as swinging playboys who traveled to exotic lands, romanced ladies and helped the helpless. Sort of like if The A-Team was invited to the Playboy Mansion.
Stiller will be filling Curtis’ shoes as a rags to riches Bronx millionaire, while Coogan will take the Moore role of an uppercrust trust fundie.