TyT's Film of the Week : 21 Jump Street

Greeting all,

TyT in the house, coming back to you with another installment of TyT's Film of the Week!  This week, I've chosen the recently released television remake film comedy adaption, 21 Jump Street.  Let's get cracking.

Bottom line, this film is hilarious.  I had a chance to see the midnight showing of it with some friends and we all agreed about the comedy content of the flick.  It's fresh, smart writing with fits of raunchy behavior, but mostly carries that whole awkward swagger of the modern age that we've come to enjoy (originally brought about with The 40 Year Old Virgin and Knocked Up).  I know a lot of us are fed up to the forehead with remakes and reboots and "re-imagined" versions of shit we've already seen, but 21 Jump Street goes after this tired approach understanding and empathizing with the audience here.  This leads the film to blossom as a story for today's audience, based around the plot structure of 80's at home audience.

For those who don't know about the film, it is the story of two baby faced cops (Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill) who are fast-tracked into a secret police operation where they will go undercover as teenagers.  They need to find the supplier of a new brand of synthetic drug being dealt at a local high school.  Needless to say, it seemed as if Tatum would be out of place in a comedic role.  Before this, he's done action or romantic films with a few dramas thrown in.  Fortunately for us, the kid is at the top of his game here and at times overpowers Hill and the rest of the cast with his comedy chops.  That's not to say Hill is bad, he's great too and as one of the writers of the story, it clearly has his brand of comedy built in.

At it's base, 21 Jump Street, makes a case for lower budget films (it rang in at $42 million to make) that don't need shallow characters played by mega stars and senseless CGI or pyrotechnics (though there are a few fireworks) to draw a crowd.  The jokes land, the characters are well established and likeable.  The story, however been there and done it it is, is brought together by all of this and turns out to be well worth watching.  Add in a strong cameo from the one and only Johnny Depp and you've got yourself a well balanced comedy that overshadows anything Adam Sandler has come up with in the last decade (sorry Sand-man, you're lack of enthusiasm shows).

This film has taken Jonah Hill five years to find it's way onto screens and that is evident in how much care and love is put into the work.  It's a win for those of us who want more Step Brothers and less Couples Retreat.  It's also somewhat of a loss, because Hollywood won't see the content of the comedy or the high caliber care put into making 21 Jump Street work, they'll only see the box office receipts and critic buzz.  They'll see the wrong things and continue their pilgrimage down the reboot path without regard for what the world needs (fresh ideas).  We don't need more John Carter, big budget flops ($250 million cost against $30 million opening weekend) we need more thin budget films with heart and characters and plot structure and scripts that weren't written with crayon.  21 Jump Street is that kind of film and I'm glad to have it, but I don't know that Hollywood will see the same sort of victory that audiences will.

TyT's Vertict : Must See, Bitches!

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