Theatrical Review: 21 JUMP STREET

I don’t know about you guys, but all these countless remakes, re-imaginings, and rehashes have gotten on my last nerve. You’d think that in a world where extremely creative, non-derivitive films like INCEPTION and HUGO (although based on a book) are released, we would get less films based off past movies and TV shows. That’s why when a 21 JUMP STREET film was announced, everyone was so apprehensive. I mean, the original show, which starred a young Johnny Depp, isn’t even looked at with all that much reverence these days. Until the people behind this version were announced, there was little reason to get excited.

The film takes the basic concept of the show, young cops going undercover in a high school to bust drug dealers, and flips it completely on its head. Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) were never really friends in high school. Jenko, being the most popular guy in the school, could never have been friends with Schmidt – he was just too nerdy. That is, until they meet again years later in Police Academy. They realize that if they join forces they could help each other make it through the academy. This leads to them becoming best friends who are terrible at their job. Ultimately, their naïveté and youthful looks lead them to the precinct on 21 Jump Street, where they are sent back to High School to infiltrate a drug ring.

 

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Theatrical Review: JOHN CARTER

Although sometimes we might take it for granted, we are very lucky to live in the time that we do. Everyone carries computer-phones in their pockets that rival the technology found in science fiction novels, we are all connected together via a web of information that we call the Internet, and production value of cinema can be so impressive that we might question which parts of it are real or fake.

Enter Disney’s JOHN CARTER. The story is based off the character created by Edgar Rice Burroughs, you guessed it, named John Carter. The film is directly inspired by Burroughs’ novel The Princess of Mars, and follows Carter, who is played by Taylor Kitsch. Carter is an American Civil War veteran who is mysteriously transported to the planet Mars. On Mars, his Earth muscles give him the impressive ability to jump extremely long distances in a single bound, which causes him to stand out to the local inhabitants. He ultimately finds himself in the middle of a war between two cities of seemingly-human beings, and one more traditional alien race. I know, it sounds like a delicious entree of sci-fi goodness, but does it deliver? Continue reading “Theatrical Review: JOHN CARTER”

Theatrical Review: SHE'S OUT OF MY LEAGUE

Rating: 7/10

Writers: Sean Anders, John Morris
Director: Jim Field Smith
Cast: Jay Baruchel, Alice Eve, Krysten Ritter, T.J. Miller
Studio: Paramount

Judd Apatow came along out of thin air with a little comedy called THE 40 YEAR OLD VIRGIN, and ended up redefining the R-rated comedy. He set a precedent for the genre, and inspired a chain of copy cats. Then, along comes a little film called SHE’S OUT OF MY LEAGUE which treads similar waters. But did this film end up being another one of those carbon copies?
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Theatrical Review: FROM PARIS WITH LOVE

Rating: 8/10

Writers: Adi Hasak (screenplay), Luc Besson (story)
Director: Pierre Morel
Cast: John Travolta, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Kasia Smutniak
Studio: Lionsgate

Luc Besson is probably one of my favorite filmmakers of all time. I will usually watch anything that he is involved with, because it is usually very good (TRANSPORTER 2 aside). He really won my attention with last year’s TAKEN, not to mention he brought my attention to the film’s director Pierre Morel. When their next project together, FROM PARIS WITH LOVE was announced, I automatically knew I’d like it. That was before I saw the very cheesy trailer that made me lose all hope in the film. Continue reading “Theatrical Review: FROM PARIS WITH LOVE”

Theatrical Review: EDGE OF DARKNESS

Rating: 4/10

Writers: William Monahan, Andrew Bovell
Director: Martin Campbell
Cast: Mel Gibson, Ray Winstone, Danny Huston, Bojana Novakovic
Studio: Warner Bros.

I feel like I was one of the only people excited about EDGE OF DARKNESS after seeing the film’s trailer. Martin Campbell blew me away with CASINO ROYALE, so I was almost automatically excited for this film. Not to mention that I actually like Mel Gibson as an actor, and was anxious to see him in a new film. From the trailer, the film looked like an action-packed thrill ride, but it was actually quite the opposite. Continue reading “Theatrical Review: EDGE OF DARKNESS”

Theatrical Review: THE BOOK OF ELI

Rating: 7/10

Writer: Gary Whitta
Directors: Albert Hughes, Allen Hughes
Cast: Denzel Washington, Mila Kunis, Gary Oldman
Studio: Warner Bros.

I’ve become pretty tired of the post-apocalyptic setting. Mainly because it’s hard to use that setting while keeping the story creative. Let’s face it, this setting is used quite frequently. Countless movies, video games, and books take place in a desolate world in shambles. Needless to say, I’ve been wanting a post-apocalyptic movie that was a breath of fresh air. It seems that I’m breathing easy, because THE BOOK OF ELI delivered. Continue reading “Theatrical Review: THE BOOK OF ELI”

Theatrical Review: LEAP YEAR

Rating: 4/10

Writers: Deborah Kaplan, Harry Elfont
Director: Anand Tucker
Cast: Amy Adams, Matthew Goode, Adam Scott, John Lithgow
Studio: Universal

I’m going to be completely honest, I adore Amy Adams. I think she is one of the most impressive actresses out there these days, and time after time she has not let me down. Not to mention the critical acclaim she receives for almost every performance she does. Sadly, this was not one of those performances. Yeah, the movie didn’t look all that great from the trailer, but I did expect more since Adams was the lead. She wasn’t completely awful in it, it’s most likely the bad writing that makes her character feel so stale. Continue reading “Theatrical Review: LEAP YEAR”