Action movies that show a real interest in characters and their quirks are so rare that you might be ready to forgive this one its sins of cliché and poky pacing. There's a lively wink in Harrison Ford's performance as Joe Gavilan, a homicide detective who moonlights selling real estate to support his three ex-wives. Josh Hartnett co-stars as his hunk partner, K.C. Calden, who earns money teaching yoga to bed-able babes and is trying to make it as an actor. K.C. has nabbed a role in A Streetcar Named Desire, and Joe helps him rehearse. To hear Ford play Blanche to Hartnett's Stanley is a kick.

Credit the colorful dialogue to director Ron Shelton (Bull Durham, Dark Blue). He co-wrote the script with former LAPD cop Robert Souza, who knows the turf. Shelton doesn't care much about the plot — the murder of a rap star — and neither will you. But in a summer of slick buddy flicks, Hollywood Homicide is escapism with a human touch — it feels lived-in.

“Time to Pretend”

Listening to MGMT’s breakthrough song, one might interpret it as being about the excesses of rock stardom, but it’s actually about the duo’s pet praying mantis. Ben Goldwasser and Andrew VanWyngarden told Rolling Stone they got the idea from the insect's jerky movements. The mantis died, but the two bandmates kept the egg sack and allowed the hundreds of eggs to hatch. “We tried to name them all, but they died after a day,” said Goldwasser, with VanWyngarden chiming in, “But the praying mantis dance inspired us.”