The odd couple relationship between Tatum and Hill works
really well. They seem like total opposites and you can imagine how they
wouldn’t have got on in High School, but at the same time their later
friendship feels real. Jonah Hill plays his familiar chubby loser character
which has worked to varying degrees in the likes of Superbad and The Sitter
but here is thoroughly successful. He also brings added depth to the character
to make him smarter and more caring than in previous incarnations. I have never
seen a Channing Tatum film before having been put off by his annoying name and
face as well as the type of romantic films he’s appeared in, but in this I
thought he was excellent. He has a great double act partner in Hill and plays
the dumb meathead well. His comedic moments are also first-rate. I think he was
funnier than Jonah Hill. Maybe this is where his career could end up when he’s
finished walking on beaches at sunset?
The supporting cast were all great too. Ice Cube was outstanding
as the ‘angry black police sergeant’ although I do wonder what 1992 Ice Cube
would think about 2012 Ice Cube playing a cop in a mainstream Hollywood
comedy. Dave Franco, who is looking more and more like his brother each time I
see him was well cast as the arrogant, cock-sure popular kid and The Office’s Ellie Kemper was very
flirtatious and funny as a teacher with a crush on Tatum. Rob Riggle plays a
strange character but pulls it off well. There isn’t really a weak link
anywhere in the cast.
I didn’t work out who the bad guy was before the reveal but
the film had me laughing so much that I didn’t even think about whom it was and
when we found out I didn’t really care. On the downside, some of the jokes feel
a bit stretched and the love story between Hill and the school girl felt
forced. Also, it was obvious as soon as she said “I’m 18” for no reason that it
was going to happen. That’s the green light to tell the audience that although
she’s in school its all legal and above board. There is a great cameo towards
the end which both shocked and delighted my girlfriend and despite the
formulaic Hollywood ending this is a
successful comedy. I look forward to the sequel which was heavily implied at
the end.
8/10
I went to see this yesterday with the ladyah friend and was seriously blown away. I hadn't expected much but was so glad I went, and I agree about Tatum his comic timing was flawless.
ReplyDeleteThe funny thing is I never knew who James Franco 2.0 was, I turned to my gf and said "that kid looks and sounds a lot like James Franco", not realising that he was actually his brother (and a year older than me in real life!).
I now worship Korean Jesus.
Korean Jesus was great. He beats Ayrian Jesus country mile. Though I'd still take Black Jesus as my imaginary Jew.
ReplyDeleteI said exactly the same about Franco when I saw him in Fright Night. At 26 he's a bit young to be playing a high school student in a film don't you think?
In an American movie? That's pretty standard I'd say, and he did look believably 17/18.
DeleteI think you're giving aryan Jesus a bit of a hard time, Buddy Christ its a marketing goldmine...