A travelogue of Hollywood’s touristic points of interest (along with Beverly Hills, San Pedro, Santa Monica, and Venice) is a bonus in Hollywood Homicide, directed by Ron Shelton. We even get to see Hollywood’s Honorary Mayor Johnny Grant officiating at a ceremony in which Robert Wagner is about to put his handprints in a cement bloc in front of Mann’s Chinese Theatre (and a newscaster twice refers to the former name, Grauman’s Chinese Theatre). The story begins with a shootout at a rap music nightclub in Hollywood, leaving four dead bodies. The case is assigned to Joe Gavilan (played by Harrison Ford) and K. C. Calden (played by Josh Hartnett), partners whom we are told fouled up on their latest homicide investigation. Before the routine investigation, the chase, and the final capture of the two bad guys, we learn about the personalities of the two cops. At first, there are makings of a comedy, but neither character provides comedic line delivery or the New York accents to make sardonic lines credible, so we are instead gently amused by their idiosyncrasies and part-time employment aspirations. Gavilan, who is paying alimony to several former wives, has sunk his assets into a Mount Olympus mansion, which he is trying to sell with his real estate license. Ruby the Psychic (played by Lena Olin) decides to shack up with him, coincidentally after his partner ribs him for not having had a lay in a long time. Meanwhile, Calden cannot hit the target at the police shooting range, possibly because he really wants to be an actor. Calden also collects $20 per head for conducting a yoga class, consisting of pretty women, so he has a never-ending supply of bedmates. Gavilan’s idea of lunch is a cheeseburger with a pickle but no lettuce or mayonnaise; Calden prefers a cucumber sandwich with beansprouts. Another story theme is an investigation of Gavilan by Bennie Macko (played by Bruce Greenwood) of Internal Affairs; since Gavilan is living at the edge financially, Macko suspects that he is on the take. After interviewing suspects, the crimefighting duo eventually concludes that the murders were ordered by a Mr. Sartain (played by Isaiah Washington), an agent for music groups with an office at Hollywood & Vine. Sartain, in turn, hired a cop to arrange the hit, off duty of course. Sartain’s motive is to deter novice clients from breaking their contracts if they later become popular. Yet another subplot involves the unexplained death of Calden’s father, who was an LAPD cop. But the circumstances of his death are revealed as Gavilan and Calden get closer to the truth in their investigation, and many loose ends are then tied up. In addition to rap music in the nontalking, cinematic parts of the film, Hollywood Homicide offers cameos by Gladys Knight and Martin Landau, and the movie has all the earmarks of a television series pilot. The social commentary, however lame in what is intended as a big-star action film, is that LAPD officers are not paid enough and hamper one another as rivals for promotion. MH