DVD Review: 21 Jump Street

21 JUMP STREET
2012
Rated R
"I think I shit my pants."

I don't suppose it's necessary for me to restate how much I despise remakes, reboots, reimaginings, adaptations of previously published materials, and sequels on general principle. Every time I hear about a new one, I want to punch a Hollywood producer in the ear and say, "You hear that ringing? That's the echo of your empty head, you unimaginative, pandering dumb-dumb!" So it's safe to say I wasn't exactly thrilled when I first heard they were making 21 Jump Street, The Movie.

Fortunately for me, I have a support network. If you've been a Road To The Movies viewer, you're undoubtedly familiar with my occasional co-host, Seth. Seth is the only man I trust implicitly when it comes to movies. We don't agree on everything, but over the years the movies he has taken the time to recomended have proven him trustworthy again and again, to the point that when he says, "Gabe, you've got to see this move," I don't even question it. It may take me a while to get around to it, but I know that it's only a matter of time before I not only watch the movie, but have a great time doing so. This is not my opinion. It is empiricism, pure and simple.

If you've followed Road To The Movies for a while now, you might also recall that I'm not much for Jonah Hill. He is, in my opinion, a one-note performer. At best, his performances can be summed up thusly: Irritating, fat loser tries to act cool, falls on his ass, makes an idiot out of himself, and in the end shows himself to be a lovable guy underneath it all. At worst, just subtract the last item in that series. Same thing every time. Usually. But not here. Sort of.

The filmmakers' expectation-defying use of Jonah Hill is a perfect example of what makes 21 Jump Street enjoyable. They take the role that Hill has been typecast into, then turn it on its ear, not by changing the Jonah Hill archetype, but by changing the world around him. Suddenly, Hill isn't the outsider trying to be cool and making a fool of himself; he's the cool guy who - despite his foolish antics - finds himself making all the right moves entirely by accident!

This is 21 Jump Street's greatest strength: Its self-awareness regarding all of the overused tropes of both the past and present - mining an '80s throwback for movie material, jocks vs. nerds, unlikely buddy-cops, Jonah Hill's entire career - its very existence is reliant upon. In understanding everything that makes it one of the worst movie premises of the last several years, it dodges the trappings of such a premise and turns out to be one of the best movies I've seen this year.

There's a shining moment within the first five minutes or so, when Nick Offerman (my personal hero and owner of one of the top five mustaches of all time) says exactly what we're all thinking and sets the tone for the entire film. It's a moment when the filmmakers lean in and say, "Hey, we get it. You didn't ask for this and you don't need it, but if we can all agree this was a bad idea, maybe we can have some fun with it." And it works.

It's not a perfect world scenario. Ideally, theaters across the country would be projecting original stories that take us to new and exciting places we haven't been to before, but let's face it, this isn't a perfect world. A dollar spent at the theater is a vote cast for the type of movie we - collectively - want to see more of. The idiot masses - yeah, despite what you'd like to tell yourself, I'm probably talking to you - keep casting their vote for sequels, remakes, reboots, reimaginings, and re-whatever-the-hell-you-want-to-call-'ems, and there's nothing a guy like me can do about it. 21 Jump Street, The Movie was going to happen. Alf, The Movie is going to happen. The Commish, The Movie can't be too far off, and despite my best efforts, there's nothing I can do to stop it. The best I can hope for is a movie that knows how to kick my expectations in the crotch and - despite the familiar territory - take things in a new direction rather than simply retread the same old ground.

This is that movie. Or, at very least, it's close enough for Hollywood work.

7.5/10

-GABE

Red Band Trailer:

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31 Days of Fright, Day 22: Tucker & Dale vs Evil

Welcome to day 22 of 31 Days of Fright here at Road To The Movies! In today's episode, Jonathan can't find anything but good things to say about...

TUCKER & DALE VS EVIL
2010
Rated R

Let me start off by saying this movie is phenomenal. I know that’s a bold statement, and a bold way to start a review, but it really is that good. It’s your classic hillbilly horror story turned on its ear (with hilarious results). It follows the hillbillies, rather than the college campers, who happen to be two normal guys making an innocent trip to restore an old lake cabin together. Once there, they go fishing and witness one of the college kids falling off a rock and nearly drowning. They save her, but all her college buddies see is their friend getting taken away into dark territory by two weird men.

I won’t go any further into the plot, because that’s the point where things get awesome… in a BIG way. It’s hard to call this movie "horror" because it’s so damn funny, but it also takes it all the way. It’s gory, violent, funny, weird… everything I want in my horror. The story is great too, as is the (sometimes hilariously ridiculous) dialogue, which is, in my opinion, flawlessly written. The characters were absolutely off the wall and extremely cliché (in a great way) but the hillbillies were deep and sensitive. While the writing was amazing, the acting was even better. Each character was based on a specific type of person, and all the actors pulled them off perfectly. There is little room for error when making a movie that completely exposes the ridiculousness of a certain genre, and this movie did it perfectly.

This is normally where I’d talk about what I didn’t like about the movie. But, honestly, there really isn’t all that much to dislike. I won’t go too into detail because of spoilers, but the end does get a little convoluted and starts to drag, but that really fits in with the genre they’re parodying. Actually, all the things I didn’t like I also don’t like about other movies in the genre. Obviously, I don’t have much of anything but good to say about this movie. You might not want to watch it if you’re uncomfortable with blood and guts (and a lot of it) or a ton of swearing, but if you’re a horror, action, or comedy fan, this is one to watch. I would go so far as to say it’s an instant classic among horror and comedy buffs alike.

10/10

-JONATHAN


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31 Days of Fright, Day 15: Shaun of the Dead

Welcome to day 15 of 31 Days of Fright here at Road To The Movies! In today's episode, Jonathan shares a pint with...

SHAUN OF THE DEAD
2004
Rated R

So we’re halfway there, and I really wanted this one to be an epic review of an epic movie. So I decided to review my FAVORITE zombie movie of all time (yes, of all zombie movies) Shaun of the Dead. If you’ve never seen this movie, stop whatever you’re doing and go watch it right now. It’s that good.

There are many things that make this movie great, and hardly anything to complain about. The story is perfect, the acting is perfect, the gore is perfect…man, this movie is just plain perfect. Just for a little background, Shaun of the Dead is a British horror movie released by the crew responsible for Spaced (also one to check out). It’s about a man whose life is so drab and repetitive that when everyone in his neighborhood is turned to zombies, he doesn’t even notice! So we are immediately plunged into what looks like a straight up comedy. Not the case. There are moments of genuine peril and fright in this movie, and the makeup is phenomenal. The zombies are awesome looking (and quite convincing) and the gruesome death scenes are surprisingly believable. Most zombie comedies don’t put so much effort into makeup and such, because it adds so much to the comedic elements, but this movie stays authentic, which makes it even funnier.

Anybody who’s seen anything with Simon Pegg or Nick Frost knows that they’re phenomenal actors and comedians, but I saw this movie with no knowledge of that. I went to the theater simply because I was bored and I paid for and saw the first title on the board that looked interesting. That happened to be opening day for Shaun of the Dead. I had never seen Spaced and there was no Hot Fuzz or Paul to influence my decision, and I was blown away by the acting in this movie. The relationship between Simon Pegg and Nick Frost is so effortless, it flows the whole movie, and the comedy doesn’t ever feel out of place. It’s obvious these two have been working together for quite a while. Even the supporting cast is hilarious. A lot of care and time was definitely put into these characters, and it resonates on the screen. It’s not just the actors, though. The directing really pushes this movie forward. Edgar Wright has such an eye for chaos, even in the calmest of situations. Someone simply flushing the toilet or putting jam on their toast goes from a boring, everyday act to an intense work of art. This style only adds to the peril and severity of everything going on around the protagonists throughout the movie.

My favorite part of this movie, by far, is the story. It’s told flawlessly and it flows so unbelievably well. The story is genius to begin with, but they took it up another level (or five) with the foreshadowing. There are so many things hinted at in this movie, it’s almost impossible to catch them all the first time through. Sometimes you won’t get a joke or two until you watch it another two or three times. And that’s the beauty of it. It’s so insanely re-watchable. I’ve seen it about a hundred times, and I’ve never gotten sick of it. There’s always something small you missed, some little quip that pops up out of nowhere at the end, or a story that’s told at the beginning gets proven in the end. That’s what really makes a great movie, in my opinion, something that remains timeless because there’s so much to be explored.

If you’ve seen this movie, watch it again. If you haven’t, what the hell are you doing still reading this?! GO!!

10/10

-JONATHAN



Thanks for riding along! Be sure to click on the banner below to check out our YouTube channel, where you can watch our videos, "like" them, subscribe to the channel, leave a comment or a question, or even suggest a movie for future review. And don't forget to check back every day in October for a new installment in our 31 Days of Fright!

31 Days of Fright, Day 11: Lo

Welcome to day 11 of 31 Days of Fright here at Road To The Movies! In today's episode, Jonathan falls in love with...

LO
2009
Not Rated

I’m a sucker for horror comedies. There’s something about the mixture of these two completely opposing genres that really intrigues me. Now, I’m not talking about horror movies that are so un-scary that they’re funny, but actual horror comedies. Shaun of the Dead, anything by Sam Raimi (before he forgot how to make movies), and Fido are excellent examples of what I mean. I could watch these movies hundreds of times (and I have) without getting the least bit sick of them. So when I saw Lo on my Netflix queue, I knew I had to watch it. And as with any horror comedy, my expectations were fiercely high. If you’ve read any of my previous reviews, you know they’re not that easy to meet. Lo met my expectations in about ten minutes, and then introduced expectations I didn’t even know I should have for this hybrid genre. Now that’s saying something.

It’s about a man who’s girlfriend has been taken to Hell by a demon, so he summons another demon named (take a wild guess) Lo to help bring her back. This spirals him into a surreal and sometimes genuinely scary journey through his memories with the demon as his guide, and opens his eyes to a world he never knew existed right under his nose. That’s all you’re gonna get for plot, because this is one of those movies that deserves to be watched rather than simply described. The whole film takes place in one single spot, a small pentagram made out of chalk that our protagonist must sit in (lest he desires to become demon fodder). This type of filmmaking can be largely hit-and-miss, depending on how well it’s executed, and this one nails it right on the head. It maintains its intrigue and mystery despite the lack of mobility for the main character which is largely attributed to the talent of the actors involved. It’s obviously an indy film with a limited budget, but they completely embrace this as opposed to letting it hinder the film. The way they portray the main character’s memories is ingenious and absolutely hilarious (again, you’ll have to watch it to find out exactly how).

Most importantly, to me at least, this movie looks and feels like a genuine piece of art. It is well-crafted, well thought out, well-written, and directed superbly. It’s so unique that, even if you don’t find the storyline interesting, I’m confident you’ll be blown away by its refreshing originality. And it really fits all types of people. It will have you laughing, scared silly, and extremely emotionally involved.

Even if you’re not a horror fan at all, this is one to watch.

Part horror, part comedy, part romance, this movie has a little something for everyone. And a lot for people who consider themselves seasoned film buffs. It’s one of those movies that will instantly become a cult classic, and inspire young filmmakers everywhere to do the best with what they have. This, my friends, is as close to perfect as it gets…so give Lo a chance, and you’ll be extremely happy you did.

10/10

-JONATHAN

Thanks for riding along! Be sure to click on the banner below to check out our YouTube channel, where you can watch our videos, "like" them, subscribe to the channel, leave a comment or a question, or even suggest a movie for future review. And don't forget to check back every day in October for a new installment in our 31 Days of Fright!