21 Jump Street

21 Jump Street

You know what?  This movie is actually very funny.  The movie not only works on as remake but a sequel to the original TV series.  After watching a bunch of Adam Sandler movies, it is a breath of fresh air to finally a see a good comedic movie.  It handles the rauchy jokes in the correct manner, while not linger on them; I am looking at you That’s My Boy.

This movie is set in the same universe as the TV series from FOX.  You will actually see characters from the old show appear in the movie while being played by the same actors.  It is a nice little treat and shows the makers of the movie are actually fans, while also parodying the franchise.  Even Channing is in on the fun by making him seem like a total idiot. 

Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum have great chemistry together.  They actually seem like brothers, one being the nerdy-fat kid and the other being the jock.  They play on these high school tropes a lot in the movie, as both characters get a second chance at school.  I really liked their views of the new type of clicks that were born after they grew up. 

Speaking of tropes and clichés, the entire movie is about spoofing and turning cop tropes and clichés on their heads. There is one gag that deals with things that should explode, but don’t.  And, another has a paragraph that pretty much sums up all these remakes and re-imagining of old shows and films. 

((Deputy Chief Hardy: We're reviving a canceled undercover police program from the '80s and revamping it for modern times. You see the guys in charge of this stuff lack creativity and are completely out of ideas, so all they do now is recycle shit from the past and expect us all not to notice.))

That was when I knew this movie was going to be good.  You see this works within the context of the movie universe and the actual “breaking of the fourth wall”.  The movie shits on its own premise, this is something Sandler and those Spoof-Movie guys could learn from.

A lot of the kudos should fall squarely into the hands of Jonah Hill, because you can see all the fanboy-isms front and center within each scene.  Things are goofy and silly, like the 21 Jump Street program, but the character comment on the goofiness.  Even the main plot seems like a lost episode from the show…with a little bit more murder and mayhem. 

21 Jump Street is a nice send up to that older show, while also paying respect to it by placing it in the same universe.  The movie does live up to its R-rating with its violence and dark humor, but it doesn’t go over the top like some movies.  I really enjoyed this movie.  Well done, Jonah Hill. 

Grade: B+

Ice Cube:  "Today was a good day mainly because I didn't have to use my AK."