Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Undercover Antics Prove Hilarious

Review: 21 Jump Street

Surprise! 21 Jump Street is a remake that’s actually good! Hollywood reproduces old ideas so often and sloppily that it actually comes as a shock when they get it right. If only all remakes were as effective as this reimagining of the old Johnny Depp t.v. show of the same name.

The primary way 21 Jump Street actually manages to make itself feel original is that it knows exactly what it is. It doesn’t try to pretend it’s a brand spanking new idea. Rather, it recognizes that it’s a reboot, and then does everything it can to shake things up for an audience who thinks they’ve seen it all before.

This very self-aware tone is found in a number of places, in an incredibly “meta” comment in the beginning from the chief of police about the rehashing of old ideas, in action sequences when things don’t go the way movies would have us expect, and in a later surprise that I won’t spoil now, but which actually ends up being one of the best parts of the movie.

21 Jump Street also works well because of the chemistry between the main characters, played by Jonah Hill (Superbad) and Channing Tatum (G.I. Joe). And gosh darn it, somebody should throw Tatum a party, because for perhaps the first time in his life, the boy actually acted! I’m serious! Channing Tatum was funny! And both he and Hill clearly had lots of fun making this film.

Hill, too deserves lots of credit for the success of this film, having also co-written the story and serving as an executive producer. Combined with his recent Oscar nomination (Moneyball), this makes 2012 a great year for Hill.

Using a simple, 3-Act structure, 21 Jump Street not only maintains its momentum, but increases its intensity throughout the film, engaging audiences from beginning to end. The filmmakers made a great decision to make the introduction direct and to the point, which allows us to dive into the story much more quickly. Also, most of what we’ve seen in the trailers happens in that first 20 minutes, so much of the film is new and unspoiled.

Many of the jokes are surprisingly ingenious and truly funny. The action sequences are as exciting as any other cop movie out there, while still managing to incorporate humor throughout. The supporting cast of Ice Cube (Rampart), James Franco's little brother Dave Franco (Fright Night), Rob Riggle (The Other Guys), Nick Offerman (Parks and Recreation), and Ellie Kemper (Bridesmaids) each contribute moments of witty comedy. The weak link, I’d say is Brie Larson (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World), who is unconvincing both as a high-school student and as Hill’s love interest.

Directing duo Chris Miller and Phil Lord (Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs) continue the trend of animation directors switching to live action, following Brad Bird (who succeeded with Mission Impossible 4) and Andrew Stanton (who failed with John Carter, which apparently has lost Disney $200 million). They’re clearly comfortable in R-rating territory, populated by curse words and sex jokes, and in cases like the drug-taking montages, use it to their advantage.

Ultimately, 21 Jump Street is actually funnier than it should have been, duo in large part to the clever screenplay. It’s a remake that feels fresh and appealing. I’m calling it now, this will be a classic.

The Final Word: Go buy a ticket.

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