22 Jump Street

Going in the way back machine all the way to the ancient times of.....2012, 21 Jump Street was one of the biggest, most pleasant surprises I can remember in theaters in recent years. It was genuinely funny, mixing smart and stupid humor. Raking in over $200 million in theaters, the flick ended on a positive note, even hinting at a tweaked sequel. And here we sit, the much-anticipated 2014 sequel, 22 Jump Street.

Having pulled off a successful bust with the 21 Jump Street program, Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) have been thrown into another undercover program, but it's far from what they thought they'd be moving onto.  After one particularly badly executed drug bust at the Port of L.A., they're called in for another transfer. The quasi-bumbling duo is being sent back to school, Metro State College, where a student who was high on a new synthetic drug fell off the roof of a building on campus. The drug is still relatively contained on the campus though, but the police aren't sure where it is coming from or who the dealers and suppliers are. Enter Schmidt and Jenko enrolling as students to investigate and see what they can find. They both remember though how rough the 21 Jump Street program was at times. Can they work together to get the job done....again?

Okay, now don't judge me here too harshly. From directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, '22' is very, very smart (and stupid at the same time) because of its self-conscious qualities. Theaters seem to be overwhelmed with sequels, movies that become inherently generic and at times, painful to watch. The potential is certainly here for those qualities, but all those pratfalls are mostly avoided. As Schmidt and Jenko head to the new program offices -- not a Korean church anymore, but a Vietnamese church -- they see the construction of a new building at 23 Jump Street. They banter back and forth, saying "We'll probably be there next year at this rate." It's little things like this that go a long way. This is a comedy that seems to know exactly what's it is doing and intends to stick to the formula.

Two scenes with that premise especially stand out. Given their mission by Deputy Chief Hardy (the always hilarious and underplayed Nick Offerman), Schmidt and Jenko are told to literally do the same thing they did the first time around. Jenko hints they should try and burst through personal ceilings, but Hardy isn't having it. Do The Same Thing. In other words, don't mess with the winning formula that worked so well. The same for Ice Cube, returning as Captain Dickson and given more to do this time around with a great twist near the halfway point. Dickson implores his clueless duo with increasing frustration "Find the dealer. Find the supplier." If you're going to make a sequel, follow the formula, throw in a tweak here and there and let the talented cast do their thing. In that sense, '22' is able to effortlessly blend that stupid and physical humor with some subtle, underplayed and smart jabs at the film industry.

Enough so-called "analysis" though, the movie rides on the shoulders of stars Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill, one of those perfect Odd Couple pairings that just works. The original Jump Street went a long way to bringing me around concerning Tatum, and that continues here. He's shown he can act in a role here and there, but this guy is meant to do comedy. He brings a natural, likable quality to the screen. Tatum and Hill pick things up where they left it with ease, a star pairing that screams on-screen chemistry. They have a great give and take, back and forth that carries '22' through some of its dumber moments. Their friendship is genuine, and it's put to the test here. Tatum's Jenko falls right in with the football/frat crowd, embracing all the craziness of college while Schmidt struggles to fit in, kinda finding a group with the more artsy crowd, enjoying sitting around, discussing social issues while drinking wine. It's just hard to beat these two stars, making it look easy again.

As for the supporting parts, Offerman makes the most of his appearance while Ice Cube NAILS his far-bigger part as the increasingly frustrated Capt. Dickson. Peter Stormare plays Ghost, a high-profile drug supplier Jenko and Schmidt keep running into. As for the students in question as possible suspects/dealers, look for Wyatt Russell, Amber Stevens, Jillian Bell, the Lucas Brothers (several good running bits for the twins) and Jimmy Tantro. There are also uncredited cameos from Dave Franco and Rob Riggle, both reprising their roles from 21 Jump Street.

I didn't love this comedy sequel, but I did like it a lot. The story isn't as pointed here, losing its rhythm at times in the second half as the boys head to Spring Break to save the day. It gets a little more action-heavy which isn't the issue, just that it comes out of nowhere so we can see some Spring Break hijinks. Still, the movie itself is a winner, entertaining throughout as Jenko and Schmidt find all college hast to offer. Their scene where they show us their dorm possessions especially rings true, again in self-conscious, stylish fashion. And while the high movie is good, the funniest parts come in the credits as the potential what-ifs of the series are presented, Seth Rogen and Bill Hader making worthwhile cameos.

Look, it's a funny movie. If you liked the first one, you're going to like this one. Channing Tatum is dreamy....um, I mean...really funny, and Jonah Hill and Tatum are meant for each other. An easy, entertaining movie to recommend.

22 Jump Street (2014): ***/****

The Last Stand

It's good to have Arnold Schwarzenegger back. That is all. Elected Governor of California in 2003, the action star served two terms, putting his film career on hold for the time being. He returned to movies with The Expendables, a slightly bigger part in its sequel and officially took a key supporting role in last year's Escape Plan. But now, it's time for a leading role in a good, old-fashioned shoot 'em up, 2013's The Last Stand.

In the quiet border town of Sommerset Junction in Arizona, Sheriff Ray Towns (Schwarzenegger) enjoys a peaceful, restful life after years of serving in the L.A.P.D. Narcotics and Tactical Division. Well, that idyllic, peaceful life is about to get thrown a curve. With much of the town following the high school football team on a road game, Towns gets a call that someone has been murdered. His deputies stumble upon something in the desert, heavily armed ex-military firing on the deputies. At the same time, Towns gets another call, this time from FBI agent Bannister (Forest Whitaker), with a warning. A highly dangerous leader of a powerful drug cartel, Gabriel Cortez (Eduardo Noriega), has led a bloody escape and is making a beeline for Mexico in a modified, souped-up sports car. Bannister believes Cortez is heading right to Sommerset Junction. Towns figures Cortez's plan out, ex-military and all, but can he and his motley crew of deputies stop Cortez?

Ah, action movies, how I love you. This flick didn't do much business last year in theaters -- netting a little over $48 million -- but I remember catching the first trailer for this and being intrigued. This wasn't a movie I was dying to see, that I needed to see, but could it be good? Oh, you bet, and that's what it is in the end. From director Kim Jee-woon, 'Stand' is an entertaining, well-done action movie that's cheesy and goofy, blending some fun characters with one-liners, lots of bloody action and a straightforward good guys vs. bad guys premise. It isn't interested in rewriting the genre, and that's fine. In a lot of ways, it reminded me of last year's 2 Guns, a type of crime action movie that was really popular in the 1970s, especially with the U.S./Mexico border setting. Just enjoy it. Don't overthink it.

Schwarzenegger!!! It's fun to see one of Hollywood's all-time great action stars getting back to business. I got a taste of his return in Escape Plan (his parts in the Expendables are cameos as part of an ensemble, nothing more), but this is where it's at, the Governator in a lead role. Working off a script from Andrew Knauer, Schwarzenegger makes it look easy, even effortless, but he's always got that energy for the action. In other words, there's never a sense that he is phoning it in. Sure, the script has some fun with the 67-year old action star, but it's all in good fun. My favorite? "Sheriff, how are you?" to which Towns answers "Old" having crashed through a window. His backstory is handled in a quick explanatory scene, giving some depth to the small town country sheriff that's pretty familiar in action movies. How does Andy Taylor, um, uh....Arnold Schwarzenegger respond? With a whole lot of shootouts, gunfights and knock-down fist fights, as we've come to expect.

Who else to watch out for? Whitaker does his best as the city boy, the FBI agent who doesn't think a country sheriff could possibly know what he's talking about....even though the polished FBI agent just let a death row prisoner escape. Whitaker disappears in the second half as the action escalates, reappearing late. Johnny Knoxville has the comedic relief as Lewis Dinkum, the town kook with a warehouse full of guns, a part that's just right, not overused or overdone. Jaimie Alexander and Luiz Guzman are Towns' deputies, Rodrigo Santoro playing a town resident who teams up with the crew for the fight. Noriega is a more than worthy villain, his Cortez dripping with intensity and absolutely no fear, Genesis Rodriguez his "unwilling hostage." And because every cartel villain needs an over the top henchman, we get Peter Stormare as Burrell, the leader of the ex-military setting the ground work for Cortez's escape over the border. Also, look for Hollywood veteran and great character actor Harry Dean Stanton in a small uncredited part early.

With a movie that clocks in at 107 minutes, we're never long in between action scenes (and take away 6, 7 minutes for a long credit sequence). Cortez's escape is a good start -- reminding me somewhat of 2003's S.W.A.T. -- as the FBI scrambles to get him back. The highlight comes at the hour-mark, Cortez's advance crew descending on Sommerton where Towns and his deputies are waiting. It's entertaining and bloody and all over the place, bad guys dispatched with a head shot and a cool one-liner. Towns' entrance into the shootout is pretty epic too, Santoro driving a school bus, Schwarzenegger and Knoxville in the back with a seemingly ancient Vickers machine gun. The action is almost non-stop, but it's basically one sequence on top of another over the last hour. The finale between Towns and Cortez at the border is a whopper too, preceded by an epic car chase through a cornfield because....well, because car chases are cool.

Just a fun movie with some familiar touches, even the 1959 classic Rio Bravo. Sit back and enjoy it, welcoming back Aaaahnold.

The Last Stand (2013): ***/****

Unknown

Airing for five seasons on CBS between 1959 and 1964, The Twilight Zone helped rewrite the science fiction and thriller genre, especially for television. There weren't too many weak episodes, but the best ones presented these mysterious situations with no explanation provided. How did we get here? Who am I? Where am I? They were these great little stories, wrapped up nicely in 30-minute episodes. Watching 2006's Unknown, all I could think of was that the Twilight Zone was a big inspiration.

A man (Jim Caviezel) wakes up in an odd, vacant warehouse with no idea who he is and absolutely no recollection of how he got there. The situation is about to get a lot weirder. He's not alone, with several other men unconscious in the same warehouse. One man (Joe Pantoliano) is tied up to a chair, another (Jeremy Sisto) is handcuffed and hanging from a bar overhead, a third (Greg Kinnear) lies face-down in a pool of blood, and a fourth (Barry Pepper) is quickly regaining consciousness. Trying to piece it all together, the first man answers the phone, a voice (Peter Stormare) at the other end, asking a couple questions and then telling him "We'll be back soon." With no answers, no clues as to what's going on, the first man realizes the rest of the men are waking up. All they know is they're trapped in a warehouse with no exits in the middle of the desert. Who put them there? Were some of them involved? All they know is they could be in trouble if they don't find a way out immediately. 

What a perfectly straightforward, highly enjoyable flick from director Simon Brand and screenwriter Matthew Waynee. Mystery, countless unanswered questions, and a whole bunch of confused, angry men in a hellish situation. Sometimes the most straightforward, simple premise works this best. I don't remember this thriller getting a release in theaters in 2006, but I liked it a lot from the get-go. Just like the men in this isolated warehouse, as an audience we have no idea what's going on. NONE. There really isn't a weak point in the story, but 'Unknown' hits the ground running. The high points are the opening, five knocked-out men waking up in a warehouse and freaking out (rightfully so). They panic, scream, yell, argue and then settle in, knowing their time is running out if they want to get out unscathed. I like movies like this that capitalize on a gimmick and do it well. If you're gonna use a gimmick, do it right.

More than the story, I was drawn to this movie because of the cast. These aren't huge names, but that's a good thing. These are some of the more talented actors working in Hollywood, working together to form a great ensemble cast. We kinda sorta learn some of their names, but in the cast listing they're identified by some distinguishing feature, Caviezel is Jean Jacket, Pantoliano is Bound Man, Pepper is Ranch Shirt, Kinnear is Broken Nose, Stormare is Snakeskin Boots and Sisto is Handcuffed Man. The performances are uniformly good, Caviezel, Kinnear and Pepper getting the most of the screentime. The group does a strong job showing the various reactions, Caviezel curious and questioning himself, Kinnear absolutely flipping out, Pepper the middle ground trying to weight all their options. We see the dynamics -- individually and as a group -- as everyone involved must decide which people to side with. Should they side with anyone? These folks are in a life and death situation. That's it. That's all.

That group dominates the screentime, but there are some key supporting parts. Bridget Moynahan plays a worried woman trying to get one of the men out, a small but key part. Chris Mulkey and Clayne Crawford are two police detectives on the hunt, looking to follow the clues as presented, looking for someone in the warehouse. Mark Boone Junior plays an associate working with Snakeskin Boots.

With a story like this, it would be really easy to give away some major spoilers. But what's the fun in that?!? I want you to enjoy the movie like I did, going in blind and trying to piece it all together, see if you can figure it out before the twists are revealed. The amnesia storytelling device can be a make or break gimmick, but it doesn't feel forced here. A bottled chemical is released, knocking these five men out for over a day to the point they remember nothing about who they are or how they got there. After waking up, they slowly begin to figure things out, to remember all those touches and snippets of their lives. We see these portions in blurry, hyper-edited flashbacks, everything falling into place. My usual worry is that the premise in innovative stories like this is far better than the twist, the payoff. It comes as disappointing when the reveal is made. Not the worry here. The script, the story, the twist, it all works and does so really well.

The only disappointing part of this quick 85-minute long movie is in the finale. Far from a dealbreaker, but the potential for some giant twists (giant good twists) is there. The ending is good but it could have been great. There's also a surprising, secondary twist revealed in the last two minutes that felt unnecessary, everything kinda hanging in the balance when the credits start to roll. Still, these are minor issues with a thriller that I loved watching. Uncomfortable and mysterious, adrenaline-pumping right until the end, this 2006 film is a gem.

Unknown (2006): *** 1/2 /****