News Taffy

Hey guess what? I’m on spring break and it is much needed. Never have I ever wanted to lie around and do nothing in all my life as much as I want to this week. Lifetime movie marathons…oh yeah! Staying in my pajamas all day…you know it! Pigging out on food that I don’t have to pay for…what could be better! And speaking of spring break greatness, what better way to start off the week than with an absolutely hilarious movie like 21 Jump Street?

21 Jump Street is the film adaptation of the hit '80s TV show of the same name that made Johnny Depp a star. This version stars Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum in what may be one of the best on-screen pairings since Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman in Shawshank Redemption. That might be stretching it a bit, but I just want to make the point that they work together exceptionally well. Before I tell you my rating, let me first give you the rundown on the plot. The movie begins in 2005 when Morton Schmidt (Hill) and Greg Jenko (Tatum) are in high school. Schmidt is rockin’ the Slim Shady look (platinum blonde hair, white T-shirt, neck chain) but is kind of a social outcast complete with braces and Jenko is your typical dumb jock. Fast-forward a few years and the two run into each other at police academy, become friends and help each other with their weaknesses (Jenko’s brainlessness and Schmidt’s lack of athletic ability). The two expect to experience car chases and explosions, but instead end up on park patrol ticketing people for feeding the birds. Their luck seems to change when they encounter a gang of drug dealers and even get to arrest the gang leader, but he is soon released because Jenko didn’t read him his Miranda rights, which he doesn’t know at all. The two get reassigned to a division on 21 Jump Street at an old Korean church where they meet the very angry Captain Dixson (Ice Cube). He tells them that they are a part of a division that uses young looking people to infiltrate high schools and uncover the crimes.

Jenko and Schmidt are told that they will go back to their old high school to find the dealers and suppliers of a new drug that has already left one student dead. So they go undercover as brothers, but find that high school has changed a lot since they were there. Being tolerant and artsy is cool and being a dumb jock is just dumb. As it turns out, the head of the artsy-tolerant environmentally conscious popular kids, Eric (James Franco’s little brother Dave Franco) is the main drug dealer. Due to a little transcript mix-up and Jenko’s continued idiocity (not a real word), they end up with swapped schedules, so Schmidt ends up in drama with one of the popular girls (Brie Larson) who is also Eric’s kinda sort of girlfriend and Jenko ends up with the nerds in AP chemistry.

I’ll spare you all the little details, but Jenko and Schmidt throw a party as a way for them to get information, but things get way out of hand and Schmidt buddies up with Eric and pretends to help him sell the drugs. As you’ve probably guessed, the stresses of high school begin to put a strain on Jenko and Schmidt’s friendship and things only get more complicated. The rest of the movie includes a couple car chases, an explosion or two, Peter Pan, the amputation of a vital male organ and a prom night that no one will forget. Put all that together and what do you get comedic genius!

I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the movies and I can honestly say that I would go see 21 Jump Street again. My friend Cindy, who is from South Korea, went with me (it was her first American movie theater-watching experience after our failed attempt to see the Lorax together twice) and we both laughed the whole time. At the end she said “Now I feel I have really seen American movie.” There were moments of I can’t believe they said that and there were moments when I was literally bent over in my seat with laughter. 21 Jump Street has to be one of the funniest movies that I have seen in a long time and is therefore worthy of a 9.5.

And guess what…I hear there’s going to be a sequel. But be fair warned, this movie has quite a few cuss words, so if you have dainty ears, this may not be the movie for you. Well folks, I have a nice comfy bed and a TV that needs my undivided attention for the duration of the week, but this weekend I will be seeing the much anticipated The Hunger Games, and I’m sure quite a few of you will be right there with me.

Until next time,
-Raven