21 Jump Street - Guilty Pleasure

Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) were never friends back in high school. While the former was a bullied nerd, the latter was the popular jock. A few years later, they both find each other as rookies of the police force. What's worse, they become partners, bicycling around parks for the occasional petty crime. But one day, they unravel a drug deal and successfully capture the culprit. Unfortunately, Jenko wasn't able to completely read the suspect's Miranda Rights (he couldn't get past "You have the right to remain silent..."), forcing the station to let go of dealer.

As a consequence, the bumbling duo is sent to Jump Street to work as undercover cops. This program was a "recycled" program in the 80's that has been revived by the station to satisfy directives from higher ups. They have to uncover the insidious drug-dealing operation within the campus to prevent the widespread peddling of HFS, a new synthetic narcotic, and they have to turn in the people behind this operation. They are in fact sent back to high school, an experience that scarred Schmidt who was traumatized by several high school memories, like getting laughed at after gathering the nerve to ask the most popular girl out for the prom. Jenko, meanwhile, is pleased. He had his glory days in high school - and this would be easy. Or is it?

Running on flimsy and predictable plot, the mismatched partners have to work on chemistry and turn to enthusiasm to make the story more believable. After all, hunky Channing Tatum would never pass for a high school "kid" (he is 32). Once we suspend disbelief that the students were absolutely clueless and that something was amiss, then it's a walk in the park where its entertainment quotient is concerned. This unforeseeable happening couldn't be farther from the concept of the late 80's original TV show (which wasn't exactly labelled under "comedy"). Hilarity ensues when Schmidt and Jenko had to switch identities: Tatum is assigned to the nerdy/techie posse, and the burdensome Chemistry class (one of their directives say that they "cannot be expelled"); Hill, on the other hand, gets to deal with the popular girl Molly (Brie Larson) and her boyfriend - popular jock Eric (Dave Franco). Then they discover Eric's ruse. How will they catch the supplier of Eric's products? Will they ever come close? How can a former "dork" summon the good grace of the most popular guy in school?

WONDERFUL SURPRISE

There is a wonderful surprise sometime before the conclusion as some "unfamiliar" faces "return" to pay homage to the series that brought them fame in the 80's. Except for two of its original cast, everyone else returns for a few seconds. Even Dustin Nguyen (who couldn't personally make the shoot - he has a great career in Vietnam these days) is shown on a TV screen.

Peppered with good natured scenes that aren't as irreverent as the latest installment of Schlossberg and Hurwitz's "American Pie: Reunion", Directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller's "21 Jump Street" coasts on their actor's cinematic charm, humor and easy camaraderie more than narrative heft. But that's not so bad. I don't mind this bit of an easy time at the cinema. Not when the baddie is as good looking as pint-sized Dave Franco. Yum!

Ice Cube plays Captain Dickson, Jump Street's boss.

Miss Griggs harbors a crush on a student!

Dave Franco, James' younger brother, plays popular jock Eric who peddles a synthetic drug and a lot of sexy charm.

Jonah Hill flaunts his amazing weight loss and "new" persona.

Channing Tatum appears in one hit flick after the next. With 7 projects in different state of production, Tatum  is one of Hollywood's busiest. He will appear next in Steven Soderbergh's "Magic Mike" where he revisits a not-so-savory past, i.e. the role of a stripper. In the story, Tatum will play guide to a new protege, the gorgeous Alex Pettyfer ("I Am Number Four", "Beastly"). The film also stars Matthew McConaughey and Matt Bomer.

Dave Franco appears next in Louis Letterier's "Now You See Me" with  Mark Ruffalo,  Woody Harrelson,  Morgan Freeman, Isla Fisher, Michael Caine and Jesse Eisenberg.

Dave Franco also appears as a zombie in Jonathan Levine's ("50/50") "Warm Bodies". The film is set for release in 2013.

Dave Franco

Johnny Depp played Officer Tom Hanson in 1987's "21 Jump Street" TV series that popularly ran  for 3 years.

Don't you just love the fly-away hair?

Cast of the original TV series. Three of them do cameos.

Son of No One - When The Past Haunts You

It was 1986. Milk (Jake Cherry) didn’t have it easy. He lives in the Queensboro Projects with a negligent grandmother who’s left him to his own devices. At 14, Milk faces the elements of living in a rough neighborhood alongside his only friend Vinnie. In a couple of bizarre events, Milk shoots a junkie who charges towards him. In another, he pushes a bully down the stairs. Both incidents have been left “cold cases” (a scene of a crime or an accident that has not yet been solved to the full and is not the subject of a recent criminal investigation). Milk and Vincent have pledged to keep it a secret.

Fast forward to 2002. It’s been 16 years. Jonathan White aka Milk (Channing Tatum), has cleaned his slate. With his sordid past behind him, he is starting out as a rookie cop at 30 – at the same precinct 118 where his father used to work before he perished. Jonathan has a wife (Katie Holmes) and a child. His partner Tom (James Ransome) isn’t as forthcoming. His boss, Captain Mathers (Ray Liotta) is trying to clean up their New York neighborhood; a move set to improve the image of NYPD.

Just as he was settling into his job, he starts getting anonymous letters alluding to the unsolved murders sixteen years ago. What’s more, an assiduous tabloid writer Lauren Bridges (Juliette Binoche) is blazing her headlines with police cover ups masterminded by Mathers’ predecessor, Detective Stanford (Al Pacino) who happens to be a colleague of Milk’s father. The same anonymous letter sender has been providing Bridges with a series of alleged exposes that find their way at the headlines of Queens Gazette! Who has been feeding these exposes to Bridges? Will Stanford be convicted for the cover up? What happens to Jonathan’s rally for a new life? Will he drag his family down his sketchy past?

Director Dito Montiel ("Fighting", "A Guide to Recognizing Your Saints") weaves a tale that challenges the morality of redemption and starting over. And one can't help but sympathize with characters like Jonathan's who has been handed a new lease in life only to be pulled down by a past he has no control of. Channing Tatum has been Montiel's leading actor in all his earlier flicks (this is his 3rd). Though Tatum isn't awful, he is no master thespian. In some scenes, he manages a perfunctory performance, but his scenes with Katie Holmes who portrays his wife Kerry (she's clueless of his past) feel a little underwhelming, as though this disconnect translates to their relationship. You would doubt the veracity of their union from the way they interact with each other.

What surprised me was finding a couple of actors: first, comedian Tracy Morgan has been cast against type. He plays Jonathan's friend, Vincent who eventually grew up in a mental institution. He'd walk around with blunt affect and a heavily medicated demeanor; a far cry from his rousing stand up acts from his 8 seasons of "Saturday Night Live" and the NBC series "30 Rock". If you didn't know he was a veteran comic, you would never believe he was one if you see him here. The other personality is James Ransome, one of the pubescent cast of Larry Clark's controversial "Ken Park" (2002) which has been banned by several countries (like Australia) for its gratuitous sexual content. I didn't realize it was possible to rise from such debacle, but then if Maricar Reyes became a legitimate actress from her past indiscretions, I guess anything's possible. Though Ransome's part is decidedly sparse (in comparison to his co-stars), this will show Ransome in a new light since I'm not familiar with the TV series he's appeared in ("The Wire", "Generation Kill", "Treme").

Juliette Binoche, the damsel in romantic distress in "The English Patient" (one of my all time favorites), does a mean tabloid journalist (the relentless and, at times, oppressive Lauren Bridges), though it makes me sad seeing her deglamorized. She will forever be the dreamy Hana from that Anthony Minghella masterpiece.

When your past haunts you like the plague, do we scoot away like dogs with tails between our legs? Or do we face them head on at the risk of losing things we've worked so hard for?

It's a moral call.









Channing Tatum plays Jonathan White aka "Milk", a 30 year old rookie.


Channing Tatum has some 8 film projects in different stages of production including "G.I. Joe 2: Retaliation" and a film version of "21 Jump Street" with Johnny Depp. He'll be seen next in Jamie Linden's "Ten Year" about a reunion 10 years after a class' graduation.


Al Pacino has several film projects in the works including "King Lear" and Barry Levinson's "Gotti: In the Shadow of My Father" (with John Travolta). He will play Herod in Luis Mandoki's "Mary Mother of Christ" with Camilla Belle playing Mary.

Ray Liotta will be seen in several projects including "Wanderlust" with Jennifer Aniston and Paul Rudd.


Katie Holmes is paired alongside Adam Sandler in James Dugan's "Jack and Jill" - a Victor/Victoria comedy that also stars Al Pacino. In the film, Sandler plays a successful businessman Jack and his passive aggressive twin Jill.


Katie Holmes


Juliette Binoche will play a character named Didi in David Cronenberg's "Cosmopolis" with that vaguely familiar actor named Robert Pattinson.


Tracy Morgan plays Vince Carter, Jonathan's childhood pal. The comedian tries a different genre.


James Ransome plays Officer Thomas Prudenti, Jonathan's partner at the precinct


James Ransome in Larry Clark's explicit "Ken Park". Guess what he's doing here?


James Ransome

The Eagle - Reclaiming Honor & Unveiling Gallantry in 120 A.D.

120 A.D. - The Roman Army's 9th Legion stationed at Lindum (now Lincoln, England) marched into the unconquered territory of Northern Britain. From then on, some 5,000 Roman soldiers were never seen again. Their disappearance became a huge embarrassment to the Roman army, most especially the commander's family! Twenty years later, Marcus Aquila (Channing Tatum), a centurion, volunteers to head the remaining Roman army stationed in southern Britain in what they'd call a "shithole". This was to solve the mystery of his missing father, as well as find the emblem of the Legion - a golden "Eagle".

After having been injured, Marcus Aquila saves a slave Esca (Jamie Bell) from death. He takes Esca with him through Hadrian's Wall as they both navigate the treacherous Highlands searching for clues on the whereabouts of Marcus' father. Was he humiliated in death - if he indeed has died? Were there survivors?

Hadrian's Wall was a defensive fortification in northern England. Begun in AD 122, during the rule of emperor Hadrian, it was the first of two fortifications built across Great Britain, the second being the Antonine Wall, lesser known of the two because its physical remains are less evident today. The wall was the most heavily fortified border in the Empire. In addition to its role as a military fortification, it is thought that many of the gates through the wall would have served as customs posts to allow trade and levy taxation.

I am fascinated that there was a bustling civilization in 120 A.D. - a world governed by conquerors and fraught with war, starvation and constant fight for survival. The story itself isn't as sound as I hoped it would be. The Romans didn't look Italians. Channing Tatum, after all, is as American as anyone gets. And the savage Painted Warriors seemed like Native American Indians. Regardless of the film wrestling with authenticity, I have always liked Channing Tatum despite his limitations in artistic insight. He looks like a screen hero, and sometimes, that suffices.

Jamie Bell, all grown up and has shed his "Billy Elliot" persona years ago, plays sympathetic British slave Esca who takes Marcus' journey to heart. Once you look beyond the aforementioned shortcomings, Kevin Macdonald's "The Eagle" could be an entertaining action-drama-adventure on reclaiming honor and unveiling gallantry. Moreover, friendship is always an enviable entity.

Channing Tatum

Used to moonlight as a male stripper (an exotic dancer). Now he joins the big leagues.

Jamie Bell is Billy Elliot no more.

Dear John - Bittersweet Romance Fizzles

When a man writes to you, he pours his soul and affection. That's what interested me to "Dear John" and I was always on the verge of a teenage giggle during the first half of the movie. I've always though Channing Tatum was perfect for a romantic hero - the strong silent man who will sweep any girl off his feet! When John (Tatum) meets Savannah (Amanda Seyfried), they fall in love. But like most bittersweet tales, they only have 2 weeks. She will go back to college, while he will be sent the world over as US army. They write each other every possible time they can. One day, her letters stopped coming!

Of course we expected something to crumble, but her reasons turned out to be so lame; she so shallow and moronic I wanted to tie her up and dip her in -10 degree waters. Nicholas Sparks didn't seem to know how to end his novel that from out of the blue, they see each other from nowhere, when hearts have been broken and all. One of the most anti-climactic endings in cinematic history I have ever seen.

I loved Richard Jenkins here though; he played Channing's father who collects coins. He has always been amazing! And nope! Savannah is an idiot for thinking that the father was autistic just coz he wasn't speaking much. He has an anti-social personality with obsessive-compulsive behavior! Not autistic! Duh! Also, they could have made use the legacy of the coins to make the narrative richer, but the coins ended being sold, the money donated for a duplicitous guy's chemo. What's the deal?

Should i brood coz I'm good looking?