Starring Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum
Directed by Phil Lord, Chris Miller
Hands up anyone whos been eagerly awaiting a big-screen version of the television series that launched Johnny Depps career back in the 80s. Yeah... I thought so.
Why is it then that were watching two twentysomething cops Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) try to pass themselves off as high schoolers? Well, as their commanding officer (Nick Offerman) explains (and see if you can spot the subtext here): the departments brain trust is all out of ideas and is relegated to recycling shit from the past.
By so candidly acknowledging its own needlessness, earns some goodwill and affords itself the opportunity to experiment. Michael Bacalls script provides a rudimentary plot Schmidt and Jenko infiltrate a high school in order to uncover the supply chain of a deadly new drug and ample opportunity for both visual humour and improvisation.
On the first count, directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller (Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs) demonstrate that their knack for staging comic action isnt limited to the realms of animation. The cartoonish air they lend the project is only heightened by the casts willingness to push jokes to the brink of absurdity, like when Schmidt offers up an extended prayer to Korean Jesus.
While delivering clever takes on the compulsory car chases and shootouts, the filmmakers also remind us that navigating the social stratas of high school can be equally perilous. The only thing more intimidating than squaring off with a gun-wielding drug dealer just might be staring down the prettiest girl in your drama class. Curtis Woloschuk
***
