21 Jump Street review

Two rookie cops, Jenko and Schmidt are sent back to high school as undercover cops, due to their youthful looks. They are given a different identity and their task is to infiltrate the drug dealers at school and find the supplier. A synthetic drug is the one in question.

While Schmidt was a loser when he was originally in school, he becomes a real hero this time around and makes friends with the happening dudes like Eric, at school. He impresses a girl as well named Molly.

Jenko is left out a bit but he too does his bit by befriending the nerds at school who help him to keep constant phone surveillance on Eric, who is the drug dealer at the school.

The 2 friends stick together despite some frictions and in the end they nab the supplier and make their first arrest as well. There are some funny chases which are entertaining.

The film works big time due to the male bonding between Jonah Hill as Schmidt and Channing Tatum as Jenko. While Channing is dashing and youthful, Jonah is a stark contrast with his clumsy ways and super funny dialogues. Jonah has slimmed down a lot, one must say. He is a comedian, plain and simple. The 2 stars have been involved with the creative and production aspects of the movie as well.

There is a sequel lined up where the 2 cops will be going undercover to college now. Should be worth watching out for.

VERDICT: Works due to the male bonding between the 2 lead stars. 

Moneyball (2011)

Billy Beane is the general manager of the struggling Oakland Athletics baseball team. Their team gets mauled and he is looking for some inspiration to turn things around. He hires an economics graduate from Yale who is good at statistics. His methods shock the setup and they upset the so-called experts. Billy slowly turns things around and leads the team to 20 successive wins - an all time league record. . But, the last win of the season continues to elude him. In the end, he gets a record offer for 12.5 million USD from the Boston Red Sox but he rejects that and stays at Oakland.

Hits

• The characterization of the coach is inspiring. Always proactive, thinking about baseball, spending some time with his daughter, being forthright, bold and always ambitious. Brad Pitt, with lines of wisdom on his handsome face, pulls it off with ease. His bouncy body language and the charm are intact. 
• Jonah Hill is a guy who entertains with his mere fat presence. His serious dialogs don't matter 

Comments

• For an Indian, a movie about baseball doesn't exactly hit the bulls-eye. The terms used, the strategies, stats etc. are quite alien. 
• A bald Philip Seymour Hoffman is grim and serious throughout the movie with his makeover attracting more attention. 

VERDICT

One of the most unwavering sporting movies with Brad Pitt shouldering the burden gamely.