Random Bits From The Week That Was...

It's that time again... Friday! So, you know what that means... my thoughts on the bits that I was too lazy to write about, or you know, didn't actually require a full post...

Couple of Surprises At The Weekend Box Office...

So, it turns out that people were really looking forward to 22 Jump Street. The sequel landed at the number one spot at the box office this past weekend, pulling in $57.1M. How To Train Your Dragon 2 debuted at number 2 with $49.5M. I found this a bit of a surprise, as family movies usually kill at the box office, and HTTYD2 is a spectacular film. I guess the bromance between Hill and Tatum was enough to draw the adults to the R-rated flick. Maleficent is holding strong in the number 3 spot with $18.5M, it's 3 week total now at $163M. Edge of Tomorrow, due to great word of mouth no doubt, was in the number 4 spot with $16.5M and The Fault In Our Stars sank like a stone to land in the number 5 spot with $14.8M, down about 70% from it's opening weekend. While I caught the film last weekend, and enjoyed it, I was the only one in the theatre on Sunday afternoon... literally. It was just me, all by my lonesome self, which was kind of weird, but whatever. I guess the films audience flocked to it in it's opening weekend, and without a great deal of re-watchability, the numbers definitely reflected that. It was also fantastic to see Edge of Tomorrow holding it's own in this busy summer season, as the film is fantastic. With not much competition opening this coming weekend, I am interested to see how the numbers for all of these films play out.


Final Trailer For Apes On Horses Debuts...

20th Century Fox has released what it is referring to as the final trailer for the upcoming Dawn of the Planet of The Apes, and holy crap, is it amazing. The trailer is a great mix of footage we've already seen, and a touch of new, just enough to offer the perfect amount of interest and excitement. I am so looking forward to this film, it's not even funny. The first one was so amazing, that if this one even comes close to being as good, we're in for a serious treat. I'll definitely be checking this one out on opening night.


Dr. Strange Finds It's Scribe...

Hot on the heels of the news that Scott Derrickson would be directing Marvel's Dr. Strange movie, the studio announced that Prometheus writer, John Spaihts is in talks to pen the script. While I admit, I have not seen Prometheus yet, so I therefore cannot have an opinion one way or another about that film, I do find this news very intriguing. By getting Derrickson and Spaihts to helm this project (if that's the way that this all eventually turns out, mind you), it appears that Marvel is interested in taking this project in a new, and exciting direction. Dr. Strange is a dark and twisted character, and it looks like Marvel is wanting to keep it that way. All I can say is, I'm in! In Feige, I trust.


Marvel Drops A Second International Trailer For Guardians...

The studio released a new, international trailer for Guardians of the Galaxy earlier this week and all I can say is, it's absolutely stunning. Going for a slightly more dramatic feel, this trailer shows off some of the depth that I think the movie will be bringing to the big screen when it's released in August. While I enjoyed the first two trailers, they were mostly focused on the comedic aspects of the film, which I think was a little off-putting to some people. This trailer shows that, like the other properties in the MCU, this one should also be a nice mix of comedy, action and drama. I am highly anticipating this film and cannot wait for it to be released in a few weeks.


And Then There Was Aquaman...

So, it is being reported by The Hollywood Reporter that Jason Momoa is confirmed as Aquaman for the upcoming Justice League film  Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice film, slated for release on May 6, 2016. While Momoa wouldn't be my first choice for the normally blonde superhero, I understand Warner Brothers motivation. Aquaman has always been the Justice League character that has been ridiculed and scoffed at, so I understand the need to hire an imposing presence to play the character. And Momoa definitely fits the bill. While I'm still not completely sold on this film and what exactly it's going to be, I am intrigued to see the final product. One of two things is going to happen: either the film will be great, like the recently released Days of Future Past, or it will be a train-wreck of epic proportions like The Amazing Spiderman 2. I guess we'll see...


Next Bourne Film Pushed Back A Year...      

Universal has pushed it's next movie in the Bourne Franchise back to July 15, 2016 in order to make room for their upcoming N.W.A. biopic Straight Outta Compton, which is moving into the August 14, 2015 date. Rumours are swirling, however, that the studio has ulterior motives for the move. According to Latino-Review (via Schmoes Know), the real reason for the push-back is so that the studio can get Matt Damon back in the fold of the franchise. Damon has had a couple of so-so performances at the box office recently, and his return to the franchise might be what he needs to turn things around. I like this news, as I think that the Bourne Legacy did a great job of expanding the universe and it would be amazing to see Aaron Cross and Jason Bourne on the big screen together, kicking ass and taking names.


Don't Worry! The Batman Is, Apparently, On His Way...

When Nikki Finke's supposed scoop broke about the upcoming slate of DC films going to be released by Warner Brothers over the next few years, one of the things that stood out to me the most was the fact that there was no solo Batman flick listed. Fear not, fans of the Caped Crusader! According to Latino-Review (again, via Schmoes Know, because if you haven't guessed by now, that's where all of my movie news comes from!), Warner Brothers has slated a new Batman stand-alone film for release in 2019. As I speculated in my article about Finke's scoop, the delay is most likely due to Affleck's busy schedule. He is currently filming BvS, which will then lead into the Justice League film. That gives him late 2015/early 2016 to direct his next project, the gangster flick Live By Night, before he has to don the cape and cowl once again. It will be interesting to see if the WB hands the directorial reigns to him for the Batman project as well, although I would think it would be a no brainer on their part. You don't have a guy with Affleck's talents in your back pocket and not use him to his full potential. 

Review: We've Gotta Go Back To School...

The following is a review of the new movie, 22 Jump Street, and it will contain spoilers. If you have not seen the film, but are planning on it, I recommend that you come back after you've watched the movie, if you want, to get my take on the sequel. If you don;t care, one way or another, then, please, continue...


**********SPOILER ALERT!!!!!**********


The film, 21 Jump Street caught me completely off guard. I had never watched the television show, although I knew the premise of it, and was not really all that interested in the movie. Sure, it had Channing Tatum in it, but that still wasn't enough to get me to see it. Then I kept hearing all these great things about it. Finally, I decided to check it out... and boy, was I glad I did. Not only was it hilarious, but the chemistry between Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum was out of this world. The movie made a bajillion dollars, so of course, a sequel was a no-brainer for the studio.

Fast forward a couple of years, and here we have 22 Jump Street. Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, the movie opens with a funny bit about a bust gone wrong, where Jenko and Schmidt accidentally let the bad guys escape. They get hauled into the Chief's office, where they try to explain what went wrong. Because it worked so well last time, the police chief puts Jenko (Channing Tatum) and Schmidt (Jonah Hill) back into the undercover program, now known as 22 Jump Street, because they were forced to move locations to across the street, when the Korean community bought back the church they were originally in. This sets off a hilarious running gag about the major increase in the budget, as their new offices are all state of the art and they actually have interns. Turns out that there's a new drug on the market, WHYPHY (Wi-fi... get it?) that's being distributed at the local college. The "McQuaid's" once again go under-cover, this time as college freshmen. Jenko is accepted right away, given his penchant for football and having a good time, whereas Schmidt has rougher go of fitting in this time. As they continue their investigation, cracks begin to show in their bond, as they are pulled in different directions. When Jenko's new BFF, Zook, is implicated as the drug dealer, it places even more tension between the partners. In the meantime, Schmidt meets the lovely Maya, who he then sleeps with. Maya has a weird, creepy roommate who constantly makes jokes about how old Schmidt is, while he continues to insist that he's a 19 year-old freshman. In another hilarious scene, Tatum takes the reigns and goes for it, when at the precinct it's revealed that Maya is actually Captain Dickson's daughter. The fall-out of this encounter also plays throughout the rest of the film. It leads to another intensely funny scene where Ice Cube goes crazy at brunch during parent's weekend at the college. Watching him destroy the buffet is awesome. Jenko and Schmidt eventually get a lead that brings them face to face once again with Ghost, the villain in the opening scene of the film who got away. Ghost manages to get away again. Traces of WHYPHY are found in the Psychology professors office, leading to his arrest as the drug supplier. In the meantime, Jenko confides in Schmidt that he's been offered a scholarship to play football, and that he is seriously thinking about doing it. Schmidt makes the decision for him, leaving the program and returning to the force, alone. Jenko tracks Schmidt down, who is back on patrol, and lets him know that WHYPHY is still circulating on campus. Schmidt tells him that he's been looking into the case too and that he figured out Ghost has been paying the tuition for someone at the school. The two decide that the supplier and dealers will target the kids during spring break, and head to Mexico to find them. They soon realize that Maya's weird roommate, Mercedes, is Ghost's daughter and is actually the drug supplier. Chaos ensues as they break into the room, guns blazing. Mercedes takes the captain hostage and is pursued by Schmidt, while Jenko follows after Ghost. Schmidt and Mercedes get into a very funny fist fight, before she's knocked out by Maya. Schmidt then goes to help Jenko, who is on the roof of the hotel with Ghost and his men. In an attempt to protect Jenko, Schmidt jumps in front of him as one of the bag guys fires off a shot, but he mis-times his jump and Jenko gets shot again. As Ghost is taking off in a helicopter, Jenko and Schmidt leap to grab it, and use the grenade that Schmidt has stored in his shorts to blow it up. As the crowd on the ground cheers, the partners realize that they make a good team and that they should stick together. As the credits roll, Dickson approaches them and tells them that he has another mission for them, this one in medical school.

I actually really liked this film. It was funny and well paced, and the chemistry between Hill and Tatum is spot on. I also liked the fact that this film knew what it was, and made the most of it. The cracks about this seeming familiar, the increased budget, doing the same thing over again, gave it a tongue-in-cheek kind of feel, that is welcome in a sequel. The problem with a lot of comedy sequels is that they just don't live up to the original. The jokes are never quite as funny or original and most of the time, it just feels like a rehash of the first one. While this one is exactly that, it knows that it is and doesn't shy away from the fact. It wears it proudly and practically screams it from the rooftops. It's approach is refreshing.

As I mentioned, the chemistry between Hill and Tatum is, once again, incredible. I remember reading an article about the first movie, where Jonah Hill called Channing Tatum and said, "I want you to be in this movie with me." Tatum then replied, "Why? I'm not funny." How glad are we, the movie fan, that Jonah Hill managed to talk him in to it? (Although, I would disagree with him, because he was hilarious in She's The Man with Amanda Bynes!) The two of them are like a comedy team, playing off one another is such a way that you actually believe in their bromance. While I'm sure, given the numbers that it's pulled in so far, another film, to make the franchise a trilogy, will soon be on it's way, I would actually like to see the actors tackle a different project together.

While this film is not perfect, it is good enough to say it's equal to it's predecessor. I wouldn't go as far as to say surpass, because I think that overall the first film was superior. This film had enough laughs in it that it's definitely worth the watch, although I could have done without the Rob Riggle/Dave Franco prison sex jokes. I enjoyed this film and would recommend it, although I wouldn't call it the comedy of the year just yet. I felt that Neighbors with Seth Rogen and Zac Efron was overall a funnier film, and the red band trailer for Sex Tape, with Jason Segel and Cameron Diaz, has now bumped that one up to my must watch list.