21 Jump Street Movie Review

21 Jump Street

Directors: Phil Lord and Chris Miller

Starring: Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Ice Cube, Brie Larson, and Dave Franco

When you think of Jonah Hill what comes to mind? For most it’s the crude and hilarious chubby guy who hit his first serious break in Moneyball opposite Brad Pitt this Oscar season. What about Channing Tatum? What comes to mind? Probably the model turned actor who often gets type casted as the perfect man in romantic comedies or dramas. Then why the hell would anyone want to team these two up together?

Perhaps because the two directors who did it are genius... literally.

In attempt to reboot the TV series from the late 80’s, Co-Directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller had a better idea. Re-imagine the whole damn thing, and make their own masterpiece. Channing Tatum gets a break at his first leading comedic role, and even outshines the experienced Jonah Hill in this reboot of 21 Jump Street. Who knew two actors from opposite ends of the acting spectrum could have such great on camera chemistry. This is certainly the biggest surprise comedy of the 2012, and it sits up on the shelf next to The Hangover for best “Bro Comedies”.

Hill plays Schmidt, a once bullied high school nerd who joins the police force years after high school to toughen up. Tatum plays Jenko, one of Schmidt’s bullies who later join the police force because muscle and power is all he knows. It’s during the police academy where these two meet again, and soon after become great friends who help each other graduate from the academy. Once they graduate, the now partners find that being an officer of the law wasn’t what they expected (especially when you have to chase criminals in a park on a bicycle). After a mishap during an arrest, both partners are moved to a secret precinct known as 21 Jump Street. Jump Street is run by the trash talking Chief (Ice Cube), who puts them on an undercover mission as high school students. From here this is where scenes get raunchy and laugh out loud as Schmidt and Jenko try to relive their high school years (Scenes of Jonah Hill dressed up like Peter Pan are hysterical).

Although Hill and Tatum consistently steal the scene throughout the movie, other notable performances help make this movie a well paced time-bomb comedy. Ice Cube is great as Captain Dickson, and Caroline Aaron is hilarious as Hill’s on screen mother Annie Schmidt. (SPOILER ALERT) You also get an unexpected cameo from Johnny Depp who reveals himself near the climax of the film disguised as an older biker.

I don’t think of enough can be said about 21 Jump Street. It’s a MUST SEE theater watch, and it leaves you wanting even more at the very end of the film. Lucky for you, it’s already been confirmed that there will be a sequel being made by the same directors and writers.

8 out of 10

Tower Heist Review

Tower Heist

Director: Brett Ratner

Starring: Eddie Murphy, Ben Stiller, Casey Affleck, and Matthew Broderick

Finally, a Ben Stiller film that doesn’t rely on cheap laughs and awkward situations! Don’t get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed Meet the Parents and Meet the Fockers. However, Little Fockers was a clear reminder of how stale some jokes can really get and how far producers can really take any box office cash idea.

The concept behind Tower Heist doesn’t sound that original either. A group of guys want payback, so they rob from the rich. Hell, that’s sort of the concept of those 3 Ocean’s movies starring Clooney, Pitt, and Damon. The difference here is the execution. It still takes itself seriously, but with a group people who are truly nothing alike. Tower Heist is a modern day Robin Hood: Men in Tights, and I haven’t seen Eddie Murphy this funny since his RAW standup special back in the 80’s.

Eddie Murphy had me almost passing out with laughter from his crude, vile comments that he throws in thorough out the film. Eddie Murphy plays Slide, a lowlife thief who grew up in the same neighborhood as the main character, Josh Kovacs (Ben Stiller). It’s the comedic chemistry between Stiller and Murphy that really makes the movie something special, and raises it above your average comedy flick.

Stiller and Murphy lead a great line-up of stars that include: Casey Affleck (Gone Baby Gone), Matthew Broderick (Ferris Bueller’s Day Off), Alan Alda (NASH), and Gabourey Sidibe (Precious). This comedy is about hard working ex-hotel personnel who seek revenge on Arthur Shaw (Alan Alda), a Wall Street swindler who embezzled all of the hotel staff’s pensions. The film gets interesting when they bring aboard Slide (Eddie Murphy) to help with the stealing portion of the crime.

When I saw the trailers for this movie I wasn’t impressed. I knew the idea wasn’t original, and I wasn’t looking forward to another disappointing Ben Stiller or Eddie Murphy comedy. It wasn’t until I got some early movie feedback from friends and fellow critics alike, that I decided to see the movie. My opinions quickly changed as the movie progressed, and it became hard for me to hold back my laughter (just ask the girlfriend). This movie is anything but a disappointment. It may not be the Hangover, but it’s certainly much better than any Happy Madison production lately.

7.5 out of 10

Black Swan Review

Black Swan (2010)

Black Swan (2010)

Director: Darren Aronofsky

Starring: Natalie Portman, Mila Kunis, Vincent Cassel, and Winona Ryder

Possibly the best psychological thriller of 2010, Black Swan delivers along every edge of reality that it reaches. Black Swan is undoubtedly the best work that Natalie Portman has delivered thus far, and I’m a huge fan of her role in the movie adaption of V for Vendetta. Backed by a stellar cast, Portman finds a way to progressively distort your view of reality down to last minutes of the film.

Nina Sayers (Natalie Portman) is a professional ballet dancer that wins the lead in the famous “Swan Lake”. Thomas Leroy (Vincent Cassel) is absolutely convinced that Nina can perform the role of the White Swan, but feels that her role as the Black Swan won’t deliver. While pushing her emotional and mental limits, Nina begins to lose her mind in the hopes of perfecting her performance. Reality becomes hallucination, and hallucination become reality as Nina fails to separate the two in her quest to master the role of the Black Swan. Inevitably, like the White Swan’s fate in the final act, Nina manages to kill herself as well in her obsession to finish with perfection.

Performances are strong from Mila Kunis (Forgetting Sarah Marshall, Max Payne) who plays a rival dancer Lily, who befriends Natalie Portman’s character and delivers an intense sexual scene in one of the film’s major highlights. Also a strong performance from Winona Ryder, who plays famous dancer Beth Macintyre that is replaced by Natalie Portman’s character and falls to a destructive demise. All in all the movie exceeded my expectations, and it left me dumbfounded when I left the theater. If you have the chance, don’t miss the opportunity to see Natalie Portman at her best.

Rating: 9 out 10

Purchase V for Vendetta with Natalie Portman and Hugo Weaving