21 Jump Street (2012)
Brief review: Loosely based on the '87 TV series of the same name, "21 Jump Street" is directing duo Phil Lord and Chris Miller's first live-action full-length feature after their animated flick, "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs". Those comedy buffs willing to see something different than cheesy rom-coms and Adam Sandler 'funny wannabes' will be pleased, because much like last year's naughty "Bad Teacher", this film is injected with huge does of crude humor and relies shamelessly on its raunchiness and dirty jokes. Is that a bad thing? No, not at all, because it works, and also adds a delicious vulgarity to the movie. The script is fresh, smart, and fueled with flip humor and hilarious satire on high school life, however, it doesn't have many laugh-out-loud funny moments, due to its lack of genuine wit. Being about worthless cops sent back to high school on a mission, "21 Jump Street" also has some action scenes in it, but none of them is particularly memorable, except for the ridiculous, yet funny chase scene in the beginning. Due to some lame editing, there's hardly any smooth cohesion between the different scenes, and as a result the direction feels sloppy and incompetent. Hill and Tatum are a pure joy to watch as a comedic duo, Ice Cube is hilarious as the 'stereotypical' black captain, plus, the unexpected cameos by Johnny Depp and Peter Deluise are utterly fantastic.
16 comments:
I was really surprised when this one got good reviews. "Loosely based" is a good description.
Alex, to be honest, I was too. I had no idea critics love such raunchy, cynical stuff. :)
It is, isn't it? :)
21 Jump Street got better reviews than it deserved. Before it came out I thought it was going to be one of the worst movies ever - which its not.
Alex, I agree. I gave it a 6.25 out of 10 and I think it doesn't deserve more than that. It was decent, but nothing that special.
Hey George, I've been overwhelmed with this A to Z thing and haven't been here in awhile. This movie is currently playing 'on island'. I was wondering about it. I think I'll save it for one of those 'I'm all caught up on the stuff I really want to see' Netflix list. That should be about 2025. Thanks for an honest review -- as always.
farawayeyes, I had no idea that you participate in the A to Z challenge! :) I'll have to check our posts out. Don't worry about it, you're one of my most regular readers and I truly appreciate it.
I saw it in the theater, but honestly said, it's not worth-seeing on the big screen. Skip it, and wait for it to show up on Netflix.
You're welcome. Honest is my middle name :)
I LOVED this movie and laughed til I wheezed, but that may be because it caught me off guard or whatever. I agree with your points and what can I say? I was in the mood to laugh and Jump Street delivered at the time. ;)
Mel, I know you did. I laughed too, but reading all these positive reviews, I was expecting it to be even funnier.. something like Bad Teacher, which I loved. :)
I enjoyed the series back in the 90s, but I clearly have no interest in watching this re-adaptation.
Nice review, George!
btw, what I always wanted to ask you: how do I pronounce your name? George like in English, or more like "Georg" in German?
Maynard, I've never watched the series to be honest. The film is quite funny and it definitely made me laugh, but still there was something missing for me.
George in English is okay ;) In Bulgarian it sounds like Georg in Deutsch, but with an "i" at the end.
It's Georgi, but not like Georgy in English. Ah, it's complicated. LOL.
A bit complicated indeed, but I get it :) If we ever meet in person, I guess I'd still call you George in English :)
Maynard, you're a clever guy and I knew you'd get it. :)
Yep, George is fine.
Hey, what do you think of Blogger's new look? I fucking hate it!
I struggle with it. There are parts I like, and there are parts I HATE, HATE, HATE!
They turned a simple and cool-looking design into a horribly confusing mess. A shame.
Ah, tell me about it. The new look is more simple design-wise, but way more messy in terms of functionality.
Amen to the nasty new Blogger. The functionality blows for me.
Georgi, what? Have I been mispronouncing your name all this time when I refer to you as George like in English to my family and friends? Like big rude ass I never thought to ask you how to pronounce your name. I'm so sorry. :)
Mel, Blogger staff followed RT staff's mistake - they think the upgrade is awesome, but in fact it sucks big time. I'm still using the old interface.
Hon, please don't call me Georgi, because in Bulgarian, Georgi sounds nothing like George in English. Actually, it sounds more like Gregory rather than George. However, the official English equivalent of Georgi is George. So, please, just continue to call me this way. Thanks. :)
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