22 Jump Street | Movie Review

Why oh WHY are sequels to movies always so awful??? I cannot actually recall one film that busted out a follow up that was better than the first.

On Sunday last week, in my tragically hungover state (my dog died, so I got absolutely trollied at a 60th Hawaiian themed birthday party on Saturday night,) I finally dragged my ass out of bed and headed to the video store. 

I was so excited when I saw that this film was still available because I adored the first one. I liked it because it was just a little bit of everything all rolled into one. Action, comedy, drama and even a sugar-coated slice of romance. 

The film is based on the 1987 TV series called 21 Jump Street and follows two (really shitty) police officers oozing with ''Bro-mance'' who are assigned a case where they have to go undercover in high school. Their mission is to find the supplier of a new drug that's been released and arrest him.

It's the typical duo of an overweight nerd who hated high school the first time round and the muscular, no-brains jock that reveled in it. Together - they are legen-wait for it - dary.  

I laughed SO hard in the first film and gushed about how amazing the second one would be to my bearded fellow, getting him just as eager to give it a watch. 

It's about now that I should probably inform you of my impeccable track-record for choosing the absolute WORST movies. All the time. It's actually not even funny anymore. 

So, after downing two glasses of Southern Comfort and Lime to try and revive me to some form of life - we meandered back to his cozy little cabin where we plopped the movie into his playstation.

We ended up switching it off. We didn't even finish it. 

It was awful. 

Again, the duo are back in action as undercover cops - still chasing narcotics and suppliers. This time they get dunked into college after a student dies from taking another new drug on the scene. Their mission, once again, is to catch the supplier and stop the outbreak of the drug. 

It was beyond lame. 

I actually didn't find one part of this film remotely funny. 

I mean seriously, it was actually cringe-worthy what a flop it was. I think that the success of the first one led the team to try way to hard with the second film. They layered on the jokes, not one of them being any good. It was homophobic and odd - just a very, very strange film that I couldn't endure for more than an hour. 

Look, the cast, Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum, are great. 

They are both fantastic actors and both of them I really enjoy but the film-makers definitely rode this wave thinking that because of these two actors (flourishing with chemistry on-set together,) the movie would be an instant hit.

Well, it wasn't. 

It felt as though the actors were weighed down on the poor, identical story-line and nauseating attempted humor poured into every scene.

I am usually not one to do reviews on things I didn't really enjoy - whether it be a movie or a book, a place or a product. I prefer to focus solely on the good and recommend great things to you guys - it's one of the things I love most about blogging: being able to share fantastic things with you all and hearing your thoughts and feedback... but, every so often, I feel I need to pre-warn you about certain things that you really shouldn't bother wasting your time with. 

I know it will bite me in the ass one day. Hey, I'm a writer with a book out myself. I know there are going to be awful reviews out about my work one day too. Critics who hate it and make it known. It's never a nice feeling. You pour your heart and soul into something and dedicate your life to it only to have the finished product be ripped to shreds - I do feel awful about doing bad reviews - but you know what? It has to be done. 

Have you seen this film?

If so, what were your thoughts on it? 

Do you share my view - or did you see something else in it? 

Discussion time.... GO:

10 Years Movie Review

Channing Tatum. Enough to make me watch any film if you just mention his name.

I'd seen the trailer and thought it looked quite good, so I booked it out at the rental store and settled down to watch it with my folks last week.

 

One of the girls I work with told me that she didn't enjoy it. She told me that is was a bit, 'all over the place,' but I decided to give it a go anyway.

 

My take on it:

It was a sloppier, messier version of Love Actually, based on a group of old school friends at their ten year high school reunion. It tells the unique stories of each friend, going in depth into each person's life after ten years.

 

The whole film is based on one night which makes it slightly slow paced but I wouldn't say it was a bad film. I enjoyed it. There is a certain warmth to it that kept it going.

 

It is not a film I would rush to see again or recommend to someone who is bored and needing something to do... in all honesty after a few days I have appeared to have forgotten quite a large portion of the film which is saddening because a film should be something that sticks with you for a while after you watch it.

 

I'll never have a high school reunion due to moving around so much at that age unfortunately, so that made me feel slightly envious which wasn't a good tone to set but that is just my own personal problem.

 

Overall, it's a good cast and each actor / actress gets their own shining moment, but the predictability of it completely ruins it.

 

Did anyone else notice though, just how BIG Tatum looks in this film??? I couldn't help but be shocked! Please tell me someone else noticed??

Contiki Reunion

Forgive me if this post if slightly arb or filled with spelling errors... that's what happens when you write a post at 05h45 in the morning with a slight wine induced hangover and a rather large knock on your head. Yep. I knew it wouldn't be long until my clumsiness came back to haunt me. I'd been scratch free for a few days and feeling pretty great - but of course I left the cabinet open in the bathroom this morning while I padded into my little kitchen all sleepy-eyed and made a quick, frothy coffee.

As I re-entered the bathroom I was squirting some moisturizer into the palm of my hand, head down and felt it collide pretty full on into the side of the cabinet door.

I must have stirred the whole neighbourhood with the words that came flying out of my mouth.

 

Not the BEST start to the day.....

I was in fact feeling pretty crap about the day in general as I wasn't supposed to work this weekend but was called in as one of my colleagues is really ill. That explains why I am at work, so early, on a Saturday morning.

 

I did however stumble across a shred of hope as I got into my car and turned on the engine. One of my favorite songs at the moment was playing on the radio and it is just such a feel-good tune:

 

The song is: Sweater Weather by The Neighbourhood.

Hope it starts your Saturday off well! Enjoy it!

Todays post was supposed to be a movie review on the new Channing Tatum film, 10 Years.

I rented it last night, (thanks Zane for keeping it for me till so late! I owe you.) but wound up pouring myself the last three glasses of wine from my merlot bottle and getting into a big heart-to-heart conversation with my dad until pretty late while we attempted to keep warm by a failing fire, courtesy of the crappy logs I bought from the petrol station two days earlier.

 

Anyway - so I did enjoy what I saw of the film and will finish watching it after work today. It is about a group of friends and their high school reunion after ten years.

I'm not sure if I'll ever have a high school reunion unfortunately because I moved around so much at that age which made me feel slightly sad but it really was an enjoyable film (although anything with Channing Tatum is!). Why does he look so BIG in that movie though!? Anyone else pick that up????

 

It did get me excited as in just two days I am having another type of reunion!!

Two of the people from my Contiki tour are coming to stay from Monday night and I couldn't be more thrilled! I have missed my Contiki family so much since getting back from our European adventures.

 

What we will be getting up to on their visit:

NOT drinking. No. Never. There will be absolutely no Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Grigio or (and I hate to say it,) Beer especially for you Matt ... scouts honour.

 

I am in the future and foresee a major hangover on Tuesday morning... along with a dustbin filled with empty bottles of white wine and an empty purse from all the sushi that we will be consuming.

 

These two have a pretty beautiful romance story.. they met on tour. One from South Africa, just a five hour drive from me and the other from the UK. 

We all thought that they knew each other already as they hit it off pretty instantly, from day one to be precise.

Now he has travelled across the ocean, on an eleven hour flight to come to see her. It makes my heart swell.

They are both such delightfully wonderful, happy people with a passion for life and adventure and make such a gorgeous couple. 

Can't wait for you two crazies to get here.

Travel Safely!!!