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21 Jump Street
The surprising chemistry between Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill actually makes 21 Jump Street, 2012 satire of the crime drama that ran on Fox from 1987-1991, worth a look. This review is coming from someone who did not watch the television series.
In this film, Schmidt (Hill) and Jenko (Tatum) are introduced as guys who went to high school together where Jenko was the most popular guy in school and Schmidt spent the entire four years being the butt of everyone's jokes. Flash forward a few years and we find that both guys have enrolled in the police academy where Schmidt is the star and Jenko only graduates because of Schmidt's help. The guys are then assigned to a special force called 21 Jump Street because of their youthful appearance to take down a high school drug dealer and his supplier.
Hill was one of three screenwriters on this slightly complux but always engaging comedy that, for some reason, this reviewer senses didn't have a lot to do with the television series, but was used as a basic canvas for an idea of Hill's, who, at the time, had the juice to get a passion project greenlighted. Be forewarned that if you're looking for a movie that has any connection to anything resembling realism, you've come to the wrong movie.
Co-directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller are not looking for anything but straight-up laughs, with the possible exception of the relationship between Schmidt and Jenko. I liked the fact that Schmidt was miserable in high school but with this second crack at high school, he finds himself shining and Jenko is the one struggling and even finding himself a little bit jealous of Schmidt. The scene where Hill auditions for the school's production of Peter Pan with his rendition of "I've Gotta Crow" had me on the floor as did the pair's final rendition of the Miranda Rights.
Hill and Tatum create terrific chemistry and get solid support from Dave Franco, Oscar winner Brie Larson, Rob Riggles, and Ice Cube steals every scene he's in as the boys' boss. And it goes without saying, like most films of this ilk, there are cameo appearances from the stars of the original television series. This film was a lot more fun than I expected.
The surprising chemistry between Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill actually makes 21 Jump Street, 2012 satire of the crime drama that ran on Fox from 1987-1991, worth a look. This review is coming from someone who did not watch the television series.
In this film, Schmidt (Hill) and Jenko (Tatum) are introduced as guys who went to high school together where Jenko was the most popular guy in school and Schmidt spent the entire four years being the butt of everyone's jokes. Flash forward a few years and we find that both guys have enrolled in the police academy where Schmidt is the star and Jenko only graduates because of Schmidt's help. The guys are then assigned to a special force called 21 Jump Street because of their youthful appearance to take down a high school drug dealer and his supplier.
Hill was one of three screenwriters on this slightly complux but always engaging comedy that, for some reason, this reviewer senses didn't have a lot to do with the television series, but was used as a basic canvas for an idea of Hill's, who, at the time, had the juice to get a passion project greenlighted. Be forewarned that if you're looking for a movie that has any connection to anything resembling realism, you've come to the wrong movie.
Co-directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller are not looking for anything but straight-up laughs, with the possible exception of the relationship between Schmidt and Jenko. I liked the fact that Schmidt was miserable in high school but with this second crack at high school, he finds himself shining and Jenko is the one struggling and even finding himself a little bit jealous of Schmidt. The scene where Hill auditions for the school's production of Peter Pan with his rendition of "I've Gotta Crow" had me on the floor as did the pair's final rendition of the Miranda Rights.
Hill and Tatum create terrific chemistry and get solid support from Dave Franco, Oscar winner Brie Larson, Rob Riggles, and Ice Cube steals every scene he's in as the boys' boss. And it goes without saying, like most films of this ilk, there are cameo appearances from the stars of the original television series. This film was a lot more fun than I expected.