21 Jump Street (2012)

I loved 21 Jump Street as a kid. Almost as much as I mom did. I thought Johnny Depp was the coolest dude ever and Peter DeLouise was a great role model for larger boys. Holly Robinson was hot. And then came Richard Grieco with his pretty boy ways and both ears pierced. This show was instrumental in my childhood development. I am about 98% certain that I've seen every episode at least once. Then along came this movie. Until checking it out, all I knew was that Ice Cube was in it and that Depp was a bit role. I thought this could super serious like the Mod Squad remake, or totally dumb-ass like the Dukes of Hazzard remake. I hoped for the former and prepared for the latter. Good thing I was prepared.
Honestly, if I would have known that this film starred Jonah Hill, I would have passed. Everyone else in it, I'm okay with.
So, they went the stupid route counting on getting laughs by making dick jokes. They chose the role reversal option - the cool guy plays nerd, while the nerd is forced into the cool guy role, while at the same time being at a high school where those roles are reversed. It seems that should have been funnier with always going to the sophomoric jokes. But what the hell do I know.
The only thing good about this movie are the bit part, almost cameos by Depp and DeLouise, as their characters from Jumpstreet, all grown up (so to speak) and undercover for the DEA. That's it. If you think this film is a good idea, do us both a favor and hunt down an episode of the original series and watch that instead.

21 Jump Street on IMDb

Moneyball (2011)

I was so excited about this movie when it first came out on video. A movie about statistics, starring Matt Damon. What could be better? Sweet, baseball is a good vehicle for statistics since even casual fans know that lots of statistics are involved. Damon could play the GM or something... Then I got on the rather long waiting list and heard from the person placing the hold that this was a great movie, and wasn't Brad Pitt so great because he produced the movie. My immediate thought was that makes sense, Pitt and Damon are buddies from the Oceans movies, working together would be fun for them. But, then she finished that he [Brad Pitt] was great starring in it, too. I was so disappointed that I took my name off the list. Now, do go thinking that I'm a Pitt hater, because I'm not. I like his films, it's just that I see him as more of the action hero or comedic action buffoon kind of guy. I did not see this movie being either full of action or comedic buffoonery.
Everyone I know that saw this film really liked it, so I knew that it would go back on my list of films to watch eventually. But then I forgot about, because I actually do keep a list, and I had forgotten to put it back on after I cancelled the hold.
I put my name back on the hold list and the movie came in a reasonable amount of time because it wasn't new anymore. I checked it out and looked forward to watching it with dinner that night, and while reading the back of the DVD box almost talked myself out of watching it at all because, right after Pitt's name is Jonah Hill. I don't like Jonah Hill, by which I mean I'm sure he's a nice enough guy and all, but I don't like his characters with the exception of XXX, where he is just doing voice over work.
Fortunately after a couple of days I put the disk and played it. It was a good film. Not a great film, but a good one. I'm not a fan of sports films as a genre, but there wasn't enough baseball in this. There were certainly not enough statistics. I wish that there had been less of Bailey and his daughter and more of baseball and people either cutting down the A's especially when they were doing poorly, or more baseball and people being surprised when the A's were doing good.
This movie would have been better if Pitt had stuck to producing and had cast Matt Damon in the lead. I'm just saying. And somebody else instead of Hill, whom I actually didn't hate in this role, but I did feel it was like the other Hill characters except that this one wore a suit.
If you're in the mood for a film about baseball, watch Field of Dreams or Bull Durham. And if you want a film that has just as much math in it as this one does, I recommend you go for Good Will Hunting, and not just because it has Damon in the lead. But, if you've seen all of those, then watch this film.

Moneyball at IMDb