Halfway through, just before the nausea really kicked in, I realized one major problem: director Scott Silver is way too young--immature enough to believe style can overcome a lack of substance. His movie proves otherwise. Not that the cast helps any. According to the opening credits, Julie Barnes was booked for assault (not prostitution, like in the TV show), but fair Danes is the meekest and most harmless of the three. Epps, playing a convicted arsonist, stands apart from the other two, often just standing around, and never sets anything on fire! Worst of all, as the spoiled rich kid busted for robbery, Ribisi reprises his mentally challenged character from The Other Sister, but plays it with more energy. Put them all together, and there hasn't been so much misplaced attitude since Corey Haim and Corey Feldman teamed up for Dream a Little Dream 2.
Because the movie is not a period piece, the creators feel the need to redefine the title for the "now" generation. From the MTV-inspired opening credits, it's clear that "mod" means "rebellious, young, and well-dressed," while "squad" means "a group of people." That which stands in for a plot is merely a mishmash of tired cop-show clichés, and it did not help when characters started recognizing them as such. Corrupt cops, an ex-boyfriend who's not what he seems, and a drug-running rock 'n' roll pedophile... it's all too much. The only reason I sat through the whole thing was because I realized it was, indeed, the worst movie of the year, and I couldn't let it beat me, which made for a lose-lose situation.
