21 Jump Street
3.5/4
Starring: Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Brie Larson, Dave Franco, Ice Cube, Rob Riggle
Rated R for Crude and Sexual Content, Pervasive Language, Drug Material, Teen Drinking and Some Violence
The trailers for "21 Jump Street," a movie version of the cult TV show starring Johnny Depp, make the film look like a fairly generic R-rated raunchfest. They don't do the film justice. At all. This is a hilarious movie that occasionally had me holding my sides to contain the pain from laughing so hard. The story is well-thought out and not as thin as is usual for a comedy, and directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller cleverly send up the "cop movie" and "buddy comedy" in unusual ways.
Geeky Schmidt (Hill) used to be tormented by Jenko (Tatum) the big dumb jock in high school. When they both end up in the Police Academy, Jenko is forced to rely on his new friend to help him pass the exams while he helps Schmidt with the physical training. Of course, when they graduate, neither one of them turns out to be the least bit competent (their first bust gets thrown out because they didn't know the Miranda warning). They're then sent to an undercover program that will have them pose as high school students to find the supplier and dealers of a new synthetic drug.
The script, written by Michael Bacall from a story by himself and star Jonah Hill, is carefully written and constructed. It knows the popular conventions of each genre and has a lot of fun with them. Consider the scene above where they attempt to take down a bunch of bikers smoking pot. Lord and Miller employ film and music techniques that are used in traditional cop movies to increase the adrenaline, but the joke is that Schmidt and Jenko are on bicycles against a bunch of burly guys who might very well be in the Hell's Angels. It's not the funniest send-up, not by a long shot, but it's the kind of thing that this movie is filled with.
As the protagonists, Hill and surprisingly, Tatum, are in top form. Hill is his usual reliable self. We expect him to be the funny geek, and he delivers. He's also adept at the "drama" the role requires, although all of it is with the tongue planted firmly in cheek. I've never been convinced of Channing Tatum's acting skills. From what I've seen, he's basically a hunk cast in movies for the girls to go gaga over. To my surprise, he gives a very good performance. It's hardly Oscar-worthy, but it's surprisingly effective. Also of note is Dave Franco, James Franco's kid brother is very good as Eric, the popular kid dealer. And of course there's Ice Cube (always nice to see him) as the foul-mouthed Captain. There's also a very funny cameo from an uncredited, but obvious, star (whose scene is surprising and hilarious).
I wasn't expecting this movie to be this inventive and hilarious. Sure, the laughs get thinner as the movie goes on, but there's always something clever happening. And I found the plot to be surprisingly involving. Don't judge the movie by its trailer. It's a lot funnier than it would have you believe, and while a nudge lower than "This Means War," it may very well end up on my Top 10 list.
Starring: Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Brie Larson, Dave Franco, Ice Cube, Rob Riggle
Rated R for Crude and Sexual Content, Pervasive Language, Drug Material, Teen Drinking and Some Violence
The trailers for "21 Jump Street," a movie version of the cult TV show starring Johnny Depp, make the film look like a fairly generic R-rated raunchfest. They don't do the film justice. At all. This is a hilarious movie that occasionally had me holding my sides to contain the pain from laughing so hard. The story is well-thought out and not as thin as is usual for a comedy, and directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller cleverly send up the "cop movie" and "buddy comedy" in unusual ways.
Geeky Schmidt (Hill) used to be tormented by Jenko (Tatum) the big dumb jock in high school. When they both end up in the Police Academy, Jenko is forced to rely on his new friend to help him pass the exams while he helps Schmidt with the physical training. Of course, when they graduate, neither one of them turns out to be the least bit competent (their first bust gets thrown out because they didn't know the Miranda warning). They're then sent to an undercover program that will have them pose as high school students to find the supplier and dealers of a new synthetic drug.
The script, written by Michael Bacall from a story by himself and star Jonah Hill, is carefully written and constructed. It knows the popular conventions of each genre and has a lot of fun with them. Consider the scene above where they attempt to take down a bunch of bikers smoking pot. Lord and Miller employ film and music techniques that are used in traditional cop movies to increase the adrenaline, but the joke is that Schmidt and Jenko are on bicycles against a bunch of burly guys who might very well be in the Hell's Angels. It's not the funniest send-up, not by a long shot, but it's the kind of thing that this movie is filled with.
As the protagonists, Hill and surprisingly, Tatum, are in top form. Hill is his usual reliable self. We expect him to be the funny geek, and he delivers. He's also adept at the "drama" the role requires, although all of it is with the tongue planted firmly in cheek. I've never been convinced of Channing Tatum's acting skills. From what I've seen, he's basically a hunk cast in movies for the girls to go gaga over. To my surprise, he gives a very good performance. It's hardly Oscar-worthy, but it's surprisingly effective. Also of note is Dave Franco, James Franco's kid brother is very good as Eric, the popular kid dealer. And of course there's Ice Cube (always nice to see him) as the foul-mouthed Captain. There's also a very funny cameo from an uncredited, but obvious, star (whose scene is surprising and hilarious).
I wasn't expecting this movie to be this inventive and hilarious. Sure, the laughs get thinner as the movie goes on, but there's always something clever happening. And I found the plot to be surprisingly involving. Don't judge the movie by its trailer. It's a lot funnier than it would have you believe, and while a nudge lower than "This Means War," it may very well end up on my Top 10 list.
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