By Chris Kavan - 03/16/12 at 10:49 AM CT
Things are quiet this Friday, March 16, 2012 as only one new wide release opens. For fans of a certain late 80s - early 90s show, starring an incredibly fresh Johnny Depp.
1) That would be 21Jump Street, with a more svelte Jonah Hill and a still hulking Channing Tatum playing the "undercover" officers who infiltrate a local high school to bring down a drug ring. While the TV show took things seriously, the movie is obviously aiming at pure comedy (with some action thrown into the mix). I'm actually surprised it took this long to make - just like The Brady Bunch, this idea is just ripe for self-parody. Plus, you have the added addition of a very important cameo, so if nothing else, you can at least have that to look forward to. This film is getting decent reviews and all signs point to it finally being able to dethrone The Lorax from its top spot.
2) While not quite getting a full nation-wide release, Will Ferrell's latest films, Casa de mi Padre somehow manages to make a comedy out of Mexican drug cartels. Leave it to Ferrell to make that idea work, though he is blessed with an excellent supporting cast including Gael García Bernal and Diego Luna. Following the disappointing Land of the Lost, Ferrell seems to be choosing better projects - the animated Megamind, the dramatic Everything Must Go and now this film. This looks a bit sillier, but hopefully he channels more Anchorman and less Semi-Pro.
It should be interesting to see how the disappointing John Carter fares in its second week and how well The Lorax holds against a straight-up comedy aimed at the most coveted demographic. See you back Sunday with the results.
