21 Jump Street remake looks like a train wreck

[auntiehill]

I used to like 21 Jump Street, but even then, I knew it wasn't exactly Masterpiece Theater. I always thought it was a bit like a series of "Afterschool Specials;" there was always one social issue or other in almost every single episode. But I liked the characters (especially Doug/Peter DeLuise) and their banter, at least until they started changing actors. It certainly wasn't award-winning television, but I never thought it was total crap, either.

 

[Trekker4747]

I think the movie looks possibly humorous. I know it's going to have pretty much no similarity or connection to its namesake (the original TV series) but I don't care. This movie looks interesting enough.

 

[Professor Zoom]

My point is that people with no knowledge of the actual show are likely to think this movie in some way is representative of it; from everything I've seen, it's not. I thought I'd made that clear previously.

I guess you didn't. Yeah, people--who don't know the original show--might think the tv show was a comedy. Which IS a misrepresentation, yes. But, it's not like the show was gold.

I remember the show clearly enough, thank you very much, and it certainly wasn't a teen soap.

YMMV.

 

[Harvey]

If the original series hadn't featured Johnny Depp for a while no one other than asocial kids of that era would remember it.

Indeed. The show had a premise that was impossible to take seriously. It's no surprise that Depp tried to leave as soon as he had the chance, and it's no surprise that the movie is treating the source material with the respect it deserves (i.e. none).

(I'd say the same for Land of the Lost, although the movie was still awful. This movie looks awful, too, but that's hardly because they're refusing to take the concept seriously.)

 

[Professor Zoom]

If the original series hadn't featured Johnny Depp for a while no one other than asocial kids of that era would remember it.

Indeed. The show had a premise that was impossible to take seriously. It's no surprise that Depp tried to leave as soon as he had the chance, and it's no surprise that the movie is treating the source material with the respect it deserves (i.e. none).

Without 21 Jumpstreet, we would not have Richard Grieco!

 

[Owain Taggart]

I used to like 21 Jump Street, but even then, I knew it wasn't exactly Masterpiece Theater. I always thought it was a bit like a series of "Afterschool Specials;" there was always one social issue or other in almost every single episode. But I liked the characters (especially Doug/Peter DeLuise) and their banter, at least until they started changing actors. It certainly wasn't award-winning television, but I never thought it was total crap, either.

Agreed. I liked it quite a bit as well. It wasn't Shakespeare, but it was entertaining for what it was, a gritty drama.

 

[auntiehill]

^I don't think I'd ever call it "gritty," as it was a bit too "here's an important message for teens!" but it was decent, entertaining drama--for the first couple of seasons, anyway.

 

[Owain Taggart]

Really? Maybe it's just me then, as I found it pretty gritty for its time. Then again, it was the 80's and there wasn't much grit there to begin with

 

[Dream]

[Indeed. The show had a premise that was impossible to take seriously. It's no surprise that Depp tried to leave as soon as he had the chance, and it's no surprise that the movie is treating the source material with the respect it deserves (i.e. none).

Depp didn't hate the show. He just hated being a teen idol. But he seems to be more popular with women than he ever did back then.

 

[DonIago]

I thought it was pretty gritty for its time, but then, I didn't grow up in a city (near one, but not in one). Hell, in one episode they actually show a character receiving capital punishment.

Anyway, I -was- one of those asocial teens, so...

 

[Enterprise is Great]

To me the show wasn't all that gritty. Now Hill Street Blues OTOH was. So compared to Hill Street Blues 21 Jump Street was kinda vanilla.