Spoiler alert: Neither of these films looks all that great…but both have Ron F#^&ING Swanson (aka Nick Offerman) in them. Interest level jumps a solid 20% based on that alone.
It’s that time again for TGITDNMAR, which (obviously) stands for Thank God It’s The Day New Movies Are Released.
21 Jump Street
I’m sure this is a fine and dandy, fun little action comedy. So take what I’m about to say in the spirit in which it’s intended.
I can’t think of a ton of examples off the top of my head, so it’s entirely possible that I’m talking out of my ass, but what in the hell is the deal with turning TV dramas into action comedies? Is it just a demographics thing, ensuring that the “male 13-25″ group shows up to see something that they weren’t aware of when the show in question originally aired? For Jump (full disclosure: a show I was aware of but never cared about), the base concept of cops posing as high schoolers seems to have been lifted but little else.
But how often does this tactic end well? There aren’t many that would argue that Starsky & Hutch is some great cinematic treasure. Land of the Lost wouldn’t be called a great TV show by many, but the adaptation was atrocious. (What’s the deal, Ferrell?) Is it so hard to take something seriously? Hasn’t history shown that doing so results in the better films?Michael Mann’s Miami Vice might have had its share of issues, but it did almost the opposite, taking a cheesy action drama and making it even more serious than its source material. The Fugitive played with a straight face and was fantastic, even going so far as to winning Tommy Lee Jones an Oscar. Mission: Impossible took a straightforward spy show and turned it into four (and counting) straightforward spy movies.
But you go ahead, 21 Jump Street. Go ahead and assume that just because John Q. Depp was young and a DeLuise was involved that the film version should be a hokey comedy starring a notoriously bad actor and the formerly-fat-kid-that’s-fat-again. Best of luck to you…you’re gonna need it.
Dylan’s Chance of Viewing (in the theater): 41%
Casa de mi Padre
My analogy is unfortunate given the, shall we say, heritage of both movies in question, but doesn’t it seem like a good chance that Casa is Machete waiting to happen all over again?
What I mean is, Machete came down from the heavens to us – er, the trailer, that is. The Grindhouse faux trailer for Machete was two minutes of brilliance: a 70s-tinged wannabe Mexploitation flick starring the baddest ass of badass Mexican-Americans, Danny Trejo, filled out with a roster of lovable B-movie stars like Jeff Fahey, Cheech Marin and Steven Seagal. It had many (myself included) drooling for a feature that might never come.
And then it did. Be careful what you wish for and all that.
Honestly, I’m exaggerating. The feature Machete was not bad for what it is, and I know several people who loved it (and I’d probably watch it right now if I were in front of a TV and it came on – on an uncensored station, of course). But the expectations were so high for it – and the concept so thin, really – that the feature couldn’t do it, or us, justice. It was bound to fail, on those terms, from the start. Like the Star Wars prequels.
Now, I’m not sure who was really demanding something like Casa de me Padre, but it feels the same nonetheless. Watch the trailer and you can’t help but respect the chutzpah it takes to make a multimillion-dollar budgeted film starring Will Ferrell…in all Spanish…and attempt to wide release it. It, too, is destined to fail, and yet that’s what makes it so compelling.
Dylan’s Chance of Viewing (in the theater): 50%
Andrew (8)
Wayne (8)
John (6)
Josh (6)
Justin (5)
Lauren (5)
Steve (5)
Dave Enkosky (4)
Jessica (4)
Sir Phobos (4)
Twitter: agracru
March 14, 2012 8:29 pm
The thing about 21 Jump Street is that it’s well aware of a) the culture of laziness inherent in remaking and adapting old media into new cinema, and b) the inherently silly premise of the original program on which it’s based. This isn’t about taking a bad idea and making it serious and gritty or hokey; this is about taking a bad idea, tearing it several new assholes to make it more aerodynamic, and telling the same sort of raunchy, sweet narrative central to films we love a’la Superbad. (All the while maintaining a healthy barrage of self-aware satire.)
In short? It’s hilarious. If we had a contest to see who is more surprised by that than me, I would win, because none of you are more surprised by that than me. This is like trying to argue that the sky is purple. I am more surprised than everyone else. Period. This movie almost made me choke on my own sputum. It’s that funny.
More surprising than the fact that Jump Street is quality: Channing Tatum is the best thing about it. He crushes every single line and beat he has and makes the slew of battle-tested comedic actors he’s put on-screen with look like chumps by comparison. Sure, Rob Riggle’s still awesome, but Tatum just…I don’t know. He just works. Hill’s also the best he’s been in a while here, which helps immensely, and they have fantastic chemistry together.
Seriously. Watch this movie. I will shun you if you do not. Schrute style.
…
I have less of an opinion on Casa de Mi Padre, though my feeling on that film is that it’s either going to turn out brilliant or just be a catastrophe. Early word suggests it’s incredibly weird but hysterical and beautifully made. I’m seeing it tomorrow night, so, we’ll see.
Twitter: manilovefilms
March 20, 2012 9:41 am
I never watched the 21 Jump Street tv show, and I’ll admit that it appeared to be a bit hokey, but to call it an “inherently silly premise” is way off base. The idea of cops going undercover at a high school seems pretty far from silly to me – it’s pretty brilliant, actually. The movie may be funny and may get mileage out of poking fun at itself – all the while earning the audience’s trust and admiration for doing so – but I don’t think it should be too celebrated for it.
That said, if it’s hilarious – and by your word and several others’ it is – then I’m all for it and definitely intrigued.
But I still don’t approve of the overall format change, regardless of the result. For further evidence, go watch that Dark Shadows trailer. Or, if you’d prefer to keep those 3 minutes of your life and use them better, don’t.
Glad ya dug Casa. Strange, I thought it was going wide, but it opened really small in only about 200 screens, so I doubt I’ll check it out before it exits local theaters.
Twitter: agracru
March 22, 2012 6:46 am
I think the idea of young-looking cops going undercover in high school is basically the definition of silly. It’s a constant joke throughout the movie that as youthful as Hill and Tatum look, they still look ridiculously out of place in a high school, and from what I remember of the actual TV show, they’re not far off. Depp might be a perpetually youthful-looking guy, and he was in his 20s around the time the show aired, but passing off a 20-something cop as a teenager is basically cheese personified. Maybe that has as much to do with the fact that the show is incredibly hokey as anything else.
Regardless, the film’s outstanding, so if you didn’t see it you should for sure! And Casa too, though my feelings on that one are less forceful.
I’m totally seeing 21 Jump Street. My man Red is dropping into town so we will be checking that out on Sunday morning. It seems like Casa de mi Padre is getting lambasted in terms of reviews, that’s too bad… I really wanted it to be good.
Twitter: agracru
March 16, 2012 7:35 am
Casa‘s actually pretty good. It’s ruthlessly bizarre and absurd, but very funny, and it knows that its central joke is one that can only be stretched out so far, which I think movies of its type– and I’d argue that Casa is very much kin to Machete and Rubber tend not to grasp.
Twitter: manilovefilms
March 20, 2012 9:43 am
Wait – you allow people to see you? What if he sneaks a pic with his phone when you’re busy with something? He could use it as blackmail at a later date. Will you be searching him immediately upon meeting him face-to-face?
Twitter: ftstweets
March 15, 2012 12:00 pm
I’m excited to see both of these. I’m super jealous because Rob & Lindsay caught a screener of 21 Jump Street which they loved. At the same time Nick & I saw Jeff Who Lives At Home so I can’t really complain because I loved that too. It was just really damn good and funny and endearing.
Twitter: manilovefilms
March 20, 2012 9:44 am
Yeah, I can’t say that I feel bad for you – I had the choice between 21 Jump and Jeff yesterday and chose Jeff. I’ll probably still see Jump, but I think I made the right choice for me.