100) 21 Jump Street (2012)

100) 21 Jump Street (2012) Dir: Phil Lord and Chris Miller Date Released: March 16, 2012 Date Seen: March 16, 2012 Rating: 3.5/5

I laughed my ass off. But by the time Jonah Hill does back-flips to profess his platonic love for Channing Tatum, I was ready to scream. First two-thirds, which is just pure riffing, are terrific. Final third is mostly inert and sometimes toxically stupid. That's the point when the idea of swapping one set of stereotypes for another stops being funny and starts being taken semi-seriously. Which sucks, especially since I really did laugh my ass off. Anybody got a spare, a har har?

402) Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009)

402) Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009) Dir: Phil Lord and Chris Miller Date Released: September 2009 Date Seen: November 17, 2009 Rating: 3.75/5

Sometimes, it's okay for a kid's movie to emphasize anarchic humor over strident life lessons. Phil Lord and Chris Miller, the screenwriter/director duo that made Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, probably would not declare this, given how needy some of the film's quirky dialogue and over-emphasized running gags are. But their film is strong enough to exhibit that admirable conciliatory attribute. Meatballs is hyper-active without being irritating, funny throughout instead of sporadically, though mostly modestly and heart-felt without being overbearing. It looks good, it's got energy to spare and has a cat singing Public Enemy's "Fight the Power." What more do you people need, really?