21 Jump Street

When I first heard about this particular production, I was skeptical.  Once again, Hollywood was re-using an old property to milk it for all it was worth.  Since I had no attachment to the 21 Jump Street TV series, I wasn't worried about them ruining something I cared for.  At the same time, I also didn't care about it at all.  It was a bit before my time.  I knew the basic premise and that Johnny Depp had been in it way back when.  Imagine my surprise when I started hearing great things about the movie.  I'm glad to report that the positive reviews and word of mouth are warranted.

Let's start with the involved actors.  The more I see of Channing Tatum, the more I like him.  I love an actor that seems to realize what works best for him and isn't afraid to mock it.  Jonah Hill turns in a solid performance, and the two have good chemistry.  When you add in small appearances by actors from Parks & Recreation, The Office, and New Girl, I get even more excited.  I did spend part of the movie thinking the one guy looked like a younger James Franco only to find out he was indeed James Franco's younger brother.

The movie spends a great deal of time mocking traditional stock pieces from movies and TV, another characteristic that I am a big fan of.  Frankly, there were times that they were directly talking to us.  The only thing that kept you from realizing it sooner was that they didn't look straight into the camera when they did it.  They made it a part of the movie, which kept it from being cheesy.

There are some items I can not discuss without giving away plot details, but there are scenes in the movie that are worth the price of admission.  Mark and I laughed throughout, which isn't always easy.  When someone's mom tells me a movie is good, I question whether I will enjoy the humor presented.  In this case, someone's mom was right, but so was that kid that stopped into the bank today to open an account.  It seems that this film appeals to a wide range of people.  There was only one joke throughout the entire film that would have made me squirm had my mom been sitting next to me.  Otherwise, it's just good comedy.

After a friend of mine criticized people for quoting a movie they had just seen, I tried to stop doing it.  My family was big into movie quotes, and I have gotten away from it in recent years.  Tonight, that all went out the window.  Mark and I kept quoting all the parts that we found funny.  It says something about a movie where just repeating a few words can bring on laughter, especially when it is between Mark and I.  We can be pretty cynical, which can make certain things less funny.  21 Jump Street was above all of that.  I am so tempted to just describe all the things we found hilarious with one work descriptions, but it's too likely to spoil something for you.

It doesn't look like anything good is opening this week, so go see The Cabin in the Woods.  If you've already seen that, go see 21 Jump Street.  For being a movie inspired by an 80's TV show, it's awesome.