"Down on Jump Street. 37 Jump Street...Wait, that doesn't sound right."

In the light of Channing Tatum's cheeky teaser picture showing the script for '22 Jump Street,' it would only be appropriate for this review to be on its predecessor.

21 Jump Street probably means very little to those in the UK, especially if they are under the age of 30. Essentially it means that Johnny Depp - heartthrob, oddball, swashbuckler - whatever you want to call him was given his breakout role. Cops chosen for their sprightly looks posed as teenagers to crack down on youth crime, but it never really took off here like it did in America. And this hilariously immature comedy is a play on that premise.

The storyline is fairly simple: Worst enemies in high school but now best friends, these two very different and useless cops (Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill) screw up one too many times and are sent undercover as students to bust a drugs ring, or as 'Ice Cube' says "infiltrate the dealers, find the supplier."
This requires them to relive their high school years, much to the surprise of Jenko (Tatum) things are the complete opposite.

More than just another stoner movie, co-written by Michael Bacall it is perhaps no surprise that this particular 'teen' comedy has the intellectual edge over films in this genre. The humour varies from slapstick to irony, then back again and then to everything in-between. It is very easy to miss a joke as they come so quickly and frequently that by the time you've finished laughing at the previous joke another is not too far behind and you're laughing again.

One of the best assets of 21 Jump Street is the Tatum/Hill partnership. On paper it just doesn't make any sense. However, on screen the pair are hysterical as that initial mismatch transforms right before our eyes into a brilliant casting decision.

As with most films in the action genre this plays on the conventions associated with them; from the overly long car chase sequence to the mostly anticipated gasoline explosion but with a twist.

This won't be everybody's cup of tea but if you're looking for a light comedy with a couple of twists along the way, and even a little bit emotionally compelling then it's worth a watch.


22 Jump Street is expected for release June 2014.

Anyone for steak?

After keeping up-to-date on Hannibal since the show started in May, I find myself missing the devilishly delightful Dr. Lecter.

The performances from all the main characters, especially Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen (Hannibal) left me wanting more. It was always going to be a difficult task taking on such an infamous character, made memorable by Anthony Hopkins. That being said, Mikkelsen proved to be an impressively cool substitute. His demeanour came across as controlled and composed, constantly attentive, and unmistakably intelligent and dangerous, yet others were completely oblivious to his underlying nature.

Our true protagonist, Hugh Dancy is also perfectly cast as Will Graham, the clearly troubled but remarkably talented criminal profiler who is able to undertake the mindset of murderers to reveal their identity and motives. His vulnerability and instability is taken full advantage of by Dr. Lecter as he is forced to battle his crumbling mind as well as the doubtful FBI team.

Although the overall performances from the actors were of a very high standard, there was just one little thing that bothered me. I am talking about the character development of some of the supporting characters, particularly speaking Bella Crawford - the wife of Special Agent Jack Crawford. I really do not know why but out of all the underdeveloped female characters this one frustrated me the most. Maybe it was because she was only in two episodes? Or maybe it was because once we discovered she had terminal lung cancer, us and Jack were made to forget all about her? Whatever the reason was I thought it was one of the biggest weaknesses in the series.

Some critics have said that they felt that towards the beginning especially, the storyline started off as very slow and boring at times. I must argue the opposite though, as I was very much intrigued from the start, being too caught up in all the other side stories to be bored.

Beyond the fascinating story and the brilliantly portrayed (main) characters, praise must go out to what can sometimes be lost and forgotten amongst everything else -  the cinematography. Its lighting, style and camera shots are an essential part of what makes this series so good to watch. From episode one we are shown the entirety of the 'Hannibal world' and it is so dastardly bleak but wonderful to look at.

I would definitely recommend my readers to watch the show to appreciate the genius of Mads Mikkelsen. I really hope we get to see more from him because he appears to be such a talented actor. As for Dr. Lecter, I cannot wait to delve even deeper into his insane brain!

A little bit about me and my blog

Hello to whomever may happen to read my blog!

I just wanted to let you know a bit about me and about this blog before I put up my next review (Hannibal) and before it's too late to be considered an introductory post.

The reviews I write will be of whatever I have happened to have watched/read that week. So, technically they may not have just been released but I have just managed to watch them. I will be as brutally honest as I can be, in the hope that I have persuaded you to watch something or not. That's all you should really know about the blog but if you have any other questions do not hesitate to ask!

Ok, where to begin? My name is Nazia, I'm 20 and I study journalism at De Montfort University in Leicester but originally from Kent.

Growing up in a male-dominated household has meant I've grown up watching a lot of sport, and am in fact a supporter of the mighty Manchester United! Here's a random fact for you - when I was about two me and my family went to watch one of the team's open training sessions and on our way out I decided to make a run for it; across the car park and into the road where I was nearly run over by Eric Cantona. It's fine, he stopped and everything was dandy.

I'll stop rambling on now and just say one more thing - please do leave your comments and let me know whether you agreed or disagreed after watching/reading the show/film/book.

Breaking Bad? Try Breaking awesome!

Heralded by critics as one of the best TV shows ever made, raking in nearly 3 million viewers for its series five premiere, and netting seven Emmys and other numerous awards, yet this under-viewed gem of a show is almost nonexistent on UK television screens after its shambolic exposure in 2009. Here is why it’s a shame and completely wrong. 

It oozes originality. I mean in the first episode our antihero discovers he has terminal lung cancer, realises his job as a chemistry lecturer will not be enough to provide for his family when he is gone, so decides to become a crystal meth ‘cook.’ Arguably, apart from Dexter and Tony Soprano an effective antihero is hard to come by and at a time when they are incredibly common, Walter White definitely ups the ante. 

The performances are outstanding. Bryan Cranston plays Walter, who finds a new life in his death sentence. The subtlety he shows to a character who could have quite easily been overplayed means as an audience we keep rooting for him even after his desperation fades. Of course Walter can’t do it alone, and so we meet Jesse Pinkman, the luckless drug addict with few morals and former student with even less intelligence terrifically portrayed by Aaron Paul. It’s crazy to think the writers had thought of killing him off after just the first season, as he surprisingly becomes the conscience of the show.      

Like Dexter, there are elements of humour and it is understandable if this isn’t ‘your thing’ but let me make this unmistakably clear, this is not a black comedy! Critics have compared the mood and suspense as reminiscent of a Coen brothers thriller and although there is sometimes light relief after something major has happened just try not to expect it because you won’t get it! 

As well as being artfully framed and beautifully lit, the execution of the show is so flawless that most of the twists and turns will not be guessed, but yet they make perfect sense. Despite years of trying, no show has mastered the art of the cliff-hanger as well as this. 

From exuberant attempts to dissolve a body in a bath of acid, to the many moral dilemmas Walt faces as he holds the life of others in the palm of his hand, this should probably come with a ‘not for all the family’ warning. However, if you are willing to risk spending your entire week off downloading on Netflix, catching up on previous episodes and giving up your social life until it’s done then go for it, it’s definitely worth the time!