Chix Chat on Film review: So much more than the TV show.

Rating: 8/10 (18 March 2012)

I had low expectations for this film, which is very typical for me when a movie is made based on an old television series, especially so many years after the show is off the air. There have been some successes like Star Trek, and the complete antithesis in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. But, I just figured that the funny scenes from the trailer were about as good as it gets. I was so misguided. There were so many zany happenings throughout 37 Jump Street (you'll understand when you see the film) that I realized I was laughing out loud or had a smile on my face pretty much from the Slim Shady beginning to the plug for a sequel ending. This film painted a picture of how a friendship developed for Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) from within the Police Academy to being partnered for the Jump Street project and it only took a few scenes for the audience to know exactly who these characters were and their history together. I liked that the development of their relationship to present day was not drawn out or made more important than it really was because once they became partners the story just got funnier and funnier. The overly exaggerated angry Captain Dickson (Ice Cube) aided my understanding of embracing stereotypes, the running joke of an impending explosion was both funny and exhilarating, and the whole Peter Pan play made for some of the funniest scenes in any comedy lately. Even though I knew from the trailer that there would be a mention of how old Jenko looked to be in high school, it was still funny when delivered in the film, since the real joke is that in many High School themed movies the actors are too old to play teenagers, here rather than ignore that fact it was embraced. There must be some very potent thespian DNA in the Franko family, Eric Molson (Dave Franko) was played to a tee as an overindulged neglected teen, but with the sensibility of today's biggest plight which is conserving our ecology. The revelation of how much High School has changed was also interesting to say the very least. I have to say until viewing the film I did not even realize DeRay Davis (Domingo) was in it, and before he said or did anything I was cracking up over his tats, you have to really be a bad, bad guy to have a bucket of tears. The only expectation I went into the film with was to see who would return in a cameo, that expectation was met and then some, especially to learn that someone could be right under your nose and you not even know it. I give 21 Jump Street a green light.