The wait is over! 22 Jump Street, the sequel to the hit movie-based-on-an-80's-show 21 Jump Street is now in theaters, and I caught it with my buddies on opening night. Going in to this movie, I didn't have very high expectations. It's tough for a sequel to replicate the success that it had in its first movie. So while I was very excited to see this, I didn't want to get my hopes too high. In addition to that, I didn't want to watch too many commercials or trailers before seeing it. Sometimes the funniest parts in movies are ruined by the overplay of ads they have of those lines/scenes. Sometimes its just best going in to a movie knowing nothing about it, and aside from the first red band trailer, and aside from the commercials they showed on TV, I knew nothing about this movie.
First and foremost, this movie is hilarious. It's just as funny as 21 Jump Street, if not funnier. I think this movie also makes better use of Ice Cube. Ice Cube's hilarious in this one and some of the films best moments include him. These guys are funny and they have good chemistry together. The movie makes self-deprecating comments about itself just like it did in the last one. It knows what it is. The best of these comments is a diss of Channing Tatum's White House Down, which was released last summer. Keep your ears open for that. I won't spoil any other funny moments, because what fun would that be? This movie also has some good and funny references to the first one.
Okay, now going outside of the comedy rating, there are some other things that need to be talked about. For example, the fact that this is exactly the same movie as the first one, except instead of being high school students, they are now college students. Look, I loved the college premise. And I think this movie is a lot of fun. But it could be even more fun if they had done some newer stuff with it. What people hated so much about The Hangover: Part II was the fact that it was the same exact movie as the first one. This movie does the same exact thing, however it seems like people are giving 22 Jump Street a pass. Now, there are worse things that a movie can do, but I think that this should be addressed.
A rather common thing in buddy-cop films, or movies or shows that feature two male lead characters is that they sometimes play up the whole "bromance" thing and parody a romance or a couple. In this movie, they hit you over the head with this. And while it has a couple funny moments, you just get sick of it because its cliche and not funny. It wears out its welcome pretty fast. It's just unoriginal and disappointing because I know these writers are capable of coming up with something better.
My last problem with the film is mainly the fact that the commercials gave away too much. With it being the same movie as the last one and seeing the commercials on TV, it lost its element of unpredictability and that took away some of the fun of it. It also ruined some funny jokes. So if you haven't seen any commercials for this movie, I urge you not to before seeing it, and you will likely enjoy it more than people that did see the commercials.
Despite the things that irked me a bit with this movie, I did like this movie. While it may not be as good as the first one, I am likely going to watch this several more times before I'm out of college. It is a hilarious movie and it was fun. Also, the last 5 minutes of the movie (the credits scene) are the funniest of the film. They made an effort of not having to make another sequel (which they totally still can if they want to squeeze out more cash and it could happen) and it features a cameo. I won't say anything else about it, except make sure you stay in your seat when the film ends because you will not want to miss this. In terms of humor, I don't know which of the two movies is funnier, but the fact that I don't know tells you that this one is dang funny. I just only wish that they would have done more with this film's potential. 7/10.
"You just don't understand." That is a phrase I have found myself saying over and over again, when it comes to my love for the Chicago Cubs. Being from the North Shore of Chicago and being at a school in Wisconsin, I haven't met many passionate, loyal, die-hard Cubs fans. A lot of people have asked me why do I love a franchise so much that hasn't won a World Series since 1908. A lot of people were asking me in the off-season, why I was itching to get back to Wrigley Field so bad.
Every sports fan has that one team. That one team that means the world to them. That one team, that is bigger than sports to them.
Something about living in Wisconsin for the past six months, is that I have witnessed firsthand the all-consuming love people of Wisconsin have for their Green Bay Packers. A lot of my friends here are very passionate about their Packers. All of them will tell you that the Packers are their favorite team in all sports. For many, it is something that has been passed down to them.
These Packers fans are crazy. They spend their Sundays decked out in Packers' gear- in fact, you'll see many people at church wearing Packers jerseys. Something I've noticed about Packers fans is that they only like one NFL team, and that team plays in Green Bay. They don't like any other teams in the league. If they're watching games with other teams playing, they'll be very casually rooting for the team between the two that they hate less. Packers fans hate the Bears, Vikings, and Lions, and the newest victim of their resentment is the San Francisco 49ers, who has beaten their beloved team in the playoffs the last two years.
In addition to cheese, they eat, sleep and breathe Green Bay Packer football. I really can't do these fans justice by just writing about them. You have to encounter them firsthand, and you will see that they are one of the best fan bases in all of sports.
Now, I can't share that same love for the Packers. I watch a Packers game, and I think, "man, I really hope they lose this one so the Bears can climb higher in the standings." I like watching Aaron Rodgers play, and I'll admit that there are a few guys I like on the team. For example, over the past couple of years of my life I have been very involved in a Christian para-church organization, called "Young Life." Aaron Rodgers did Young Life in high school, and wide receiver Jordy Nelson donated $100 to YL for every catch he made during the 2013 season. There are a couple of guys on the team that I like as people, but on Sundays, I'm not rooting for the Packers. I'm hoping they lose.
While I can't say that I share the same love for the Packers that Packers fans do, I can say that I can relate to them. Because, I have the same kind of love for a sports team myself. And that team is the Chicago Cubs.
"Why do you love the Cubs so much if they just continuously break your heart? They haven't won the World Series in 105 years! They're never going to win a World Series! So why waste your time with them?" I hear these remarks far too often. And I always go back to, "you simply don't understand." Every sports fan has that one team.
Every sports fan has that one team, but there's something different about the Cubs. No other fan base has had to wait this long to see their team win. You could point to a team like the Tampa Bay Rays and say "well they've never won a World Series, period." True, but the Rays are a young franchise. They didn't exist until 1998. They have accomplished a lot over the course of their first 15 years as a competitor, and they have gone deep in to the playoffs several times.
But for the Cubs, suffering is a theme. Every generation of fans has seen some kind of disappointment from the Cubs. For my parents, it's been the fall of the '69 Cubs, the June Swoon of 77-79, the heartbreak of 84, another heartbreak in 89, and more disappointment in 1998.
In my time as a Cubs fan, I've witnessed the collapse of the 2003 and 2004 Cubs, and then disappointments in 2007 and 2008. And we haven't made the playoffs since.
In the movie Fever Pitch, Jimmy Fallon plays a crazy-obsessed Red Sox fan during the 2004 season. (Fun fact: they were filming the movie while the season was going on, and once the Red Sox were down 0-3 to the Yankees in the A.L.C.S., they had planned for the film to end with the Sox losing, and Jimmy's character learning something from the loss. Once the Red Sox came back and won it all, they had to change the plot on the fly.) In one scene, Jimmy is talking to a kid, and the kid says, "When was the last time the Boston Red Sox loved you back?" This question applies to Cubs fans. When was the last time the Cubs ever loved me back?
Now I am going to explain what people don't understand. Both of my parents grew up as North-Siders. My mom grew up on Sheridan Road in Winnetka while my dad grew up in an Italian neighborhood on the north side of the city. Both of my parents grew up Cubs fans.
My mom marveled at the teams of the 60's that featured hall of famers Billy Williams, Ernie Banks, and the iconic, heel-clicking Ron Santo. When my dad was a kid, he would rush home after school to catch the end of Cubs games. And when he was old enough, he would spend his summers at Wrigley Field. They used to have a deal at Wrigley where if you helped clean up the park after the game, you would get a free ticket to the game the next day. So my dad would spend his summers at Wrigley. Whenever the Cubs were at home, he was at Wrigley.
When I was old enough, my dad started taking me to Wrigley. Every Cubs game I would go to was special. I have gone to so many that I cannot remember each specific game. But when I was in elementary school, I would often go downtown with my dad in the morning and go to work with him. He would buy me candy and sports magazines to read, and then let me sit in one of the conference rooms where I could watch two big screen TVs. I normally would watch the ESPN show Cold Pizza, which is now today known as ESPN First Take (trust me guys, it was a much better show ten years ago!). Once my dad was free to leave work, sometimes we would go out to lunch somewhere before going to Wrigley. My favorite place was Giardano's. Great Chicago deep-dish pizza not far from my dad's building. After lunch we would take the L over to Wrigley and watch the game. If we didn't go out to lunch before, we would get hot dogs at the park.
Something about baseball is it has the most father-son feel, than any other sport, epitomized by spending hours together taking batting practice, hitting grounders, and playing catch. Driving to Cooperstown to visit the Hall of Fame with your dad is a must. Going to a baseball game with your dad just feels right. And girls love Wrigley too! Oftentimes my sister will get asked to go to Cubs games with her friends, because her friends know she loves the Cubs, cares about the team, and loves going to Wrigley Field more than their other friends. There are fans like my sister all around the city.
When you walk in to Wrigley, it's different than walking in to the United Center for a Bulls game. When you walk in to Wrigley and see the freshly cut grass, and the beautiful ivy on the outfield wall, you feel like you have reached baseball salvation. Sure, it might not be the newest ballpark. And yes, there might be a horse trough where urinals should be in the men's bathroom. The park might also be filled with many drunk people. But there's still something special about it all.
To me, Wrigley Field is a home. It's where my dad grew up, and it was a huge part of my childhood. The fans you sit next to are your brothers and sisters. You all share this common bond. You all share this deep, emotional connection with the team. You'll find yourself high-fiving and hugging the fans next to you after home runs, and double-plays.
No matter how good the team is, or what the outcome of the game is, you'll never regret going to a Cubs game. You'll have a blast singing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" with famous longtime Cubs fans like Jim Belushi, Bill Murray, and Jeff Garlin, watching drunk middle-aged men dancing the "YMCA", and celebrating a Cubs victory by singing "Go Cubs Go" with 40,000 fellow Cubs fans.
As much as we love our Cubbies, it hurts that much to see them lose. We thought we were going all the way in 2007 and 2008. We were swept both years. And don't even get me started on 2003. White Sox fans like to make fun of us Cubs fans and give us a hard time because they ended their World Series drought in 2005 and we have yet to do so. We have been laughed at and mocked. But one day, after years of heartache and heartbreak, the Cubs will win it all. And when it happens, it will be the greatest sports story ever told. For 86 years, Red Sox fans were in the same situation that we are in. For 87 years, White Sox fans knew how we feel. If they can conquer their demons and win, why can't we? Theo's got us on the right track, and when the Cubs win it all it will be the most meaningful championship to a fan base.
And if you say the Cubs will never win the World Series, my friend Krystal points out that in Back to the Future 2 the Cubs win the World Series in the year 2015. So it has to happen soon, right?
I know a lot of people have been waiting for this one for a really long time. I promised the readers of Viva La Vita this review about a year ago, when I did my only other album review, Relient K's Collapsible Lung. Since writing that, I have liked the album a little more. I was a little too harsh. I originally gave it a 4 or a 5 but I think it's more in the 6-7 range. Still not great, though.
Relient K and Switchfoot have been my two favorite bands since middle school. You could play any of either bands' songs, and I will likely recognize it and know the title within the first ten seconds, sometimes, the first three seconds. Needless to say, I was really excited for this Switchfoot album. It was originally slated to come out last summer, so I was expecting a bit of a "summer" sound to it, which also had me thrilled. After finishing up their first Fading West tour and releasing a Fading West movie (which I loved!), a couple weeks in to the new year their Fading West album was released.
Because the album was delayed, the band decided to release an 3-song Fading West EP in the fall, to give the fans something as they waited. The EP included "Love Alone is Worth the Fight," "Who We Are," and "Ba55." Knowing these songs for a solid three months or so before the rest of the songs were released, my initial focus was on the other songs. But now that I have been able to digest this whole album, I'm ready to give it a full review. So let's have a go.
The first song, "Love Alone is Worth the Fight" is probably the most popular song off this record. I have heard it on K-Love radio. It's a very good song and I love the lyrics. It's kind of the sequel to "The Sound (John M. Perkins' Blues)" off the 2009 Hello Hurricane album that suggests, "our love is the final fight." It's catchy and fun. You'll find yourself humming it after hearing it only once or twice.
While I love "Love Alone is Worth the Fight", I actually think "Who We Are" is better. I have also heard "Who We Are" on the radio, so it's gained popularity as well. If "Love Alone is Worth the Fight" is the sequel to "The Sound", "Who We Are" is the sequel to "Dark Horses"; a song about kids who believe and are going to give it all they got in life. In short, great song.
"When We Come Alive" is another fun song. It fits perfectly behind "Who We Are" on the track listing. I had the great pleasure of seeing Switchfoot play a show at The Rave in Milwaukee, and Jon Foreman went in to the crowd while singing this song (I touched him!). A sea of fans waved their arms to the rhythm and it was a heavenly experience.
So after three great songs to start the album, I think it then dips a little bit. I don't know how to put it, because I don't want to sound like I dislike these next songs. But three of the next four songs aren't as inventive or innovative as many of the other songs on the track. I am speaking mainly of track four, "Say It Like You Mean It". This sounds kind of similar to "The Original" off the Vice Verses album. They played this song at the concert, and it was a fun one to jam to, but I would have preferred to hear one of my favorite songs on this album that was left off the set, or one of their older songs from a past record. It's not a bad song, it just isn't my favorite.
"The World You Want" is a great one. Much like "The Shadow Proves the Sunshine" off the Nothing is Sound album, it was inspired by South African children, and what I think is really cool about this song is the fact that they actually recorded it with these South African children. "The World You Want" is deep, thought-provoking and catchy.
"Slipping Away" is an alright song. It's in a similar boat as "Say It You Like It Mean It". Neither of these songs were needed. They're alright filler-songs, but there were a couple songs left off the album I like better. "What It Costs", which was written by Tim Foreman and was shown in the Fading West did not make the album, and I absolutely loved that song. Sadly, there is no place to find a full version of the song to listen to. The title track "Fading West" is also great but it was left off. It came as a bonus in the Switchfoot Christmas package, which has become a regular gift for me each December. Perhaps these songs might not have fit in with the rest of the album, or they couldn't find the right place to stick 'em on in the track order. "Slipping Away" is decent, and I think it fits the movie soundtrack very well. The scene the song is featured in is perfect. The song's alright, but if you're going to put on some Switchfoot, it's not going to be one of the first songs you will automatically go to.
What I'm about to say next could offend some people. I think "BA55" is overrated. It's a good song, but I don't think it's one of the top songs on this record. It's got a nice guitar riff in it and it is kind of relaxing and chill. But I think there are a fair amount of songs on this record that are better than it. Just about every album has 1-3 songs that will become "a must" at every concert. Which means that when they are touring in a few years, there will be a song or songs, from an album that they will need to play to satisfy people at each show (Why "Oh! Gravity. is not one of these songs is still a mystery to me). My point though, is that if I'm at a show in a few years, and this song gets the nod over "Love Alone is Worth the Fight", "Who We Are", "When We Come Alive", "The World You Want", "Let It Out", "Back to the Beginning Again" or "Saltwater Heart", I will be very disappointed. Maybe this one will grow on me, and I'll understand what all the hoopla is all about, but as for me it's just another Switchfoot song (which isn't a bad place to be in) to me.
Perhaps the next song on this record is the best. "Let It Out" is a windows-down, cruising-around-with-your-buddies-in-the-summer, kind of song. It's an absolute blast. It's a lot of fun and when it got played at the concert, my friends and I went wild. A month later, we were sitting in Applebee's and couldn't help but get giddy hearing it played over the speakers. We had hope that this could become a top 40 hit summer song. That summer sound I was talking about is captured perfectly in this song. I also love the dynamics of bringing the tempo down, slowing down the song, and then coming right back with the exciting "LET IT OUT!" scream.
"All Or Nothing At All" is another good one. I love the beat. I like the lyrics a lot too. It's a good song about how God doesn't want us to be "lukewarm." He wants all of us or none of us. He doesn't want us to be iffy, just like love. You don't want to marry somebody that "sorta" loves you and then goes around and sleeps around and cheats on you with other people. You want to be with someone that gives you all of them. This doubles as a great song about romantic love and God's great love for his children.
"Saltwater Heart" is a popular one on this record. As it should be. Another great song about God's love for us and his relationship with us and the freedom that is found in Christ. The other great thing about the song is it sounds like it's title. It sounds like the ocean. That is very evident at the end of the song.
"Back to the Beginning Again" is a perfect way to close out to this album. It's epic. I love the lyrics, and as I re-listened to this album to write this album review, I saw that this is my top-played song from the album on my iTunes. It sounds like the perfect cross between Hello Hurricane, Nothing is Sound, and Learning to Breathe. Which reminds me..
This album does have a bit of that Hello Hurricane sound to it. People that liked Hello Hurricane, are also going to like this album. While it's similar to Hello Hurricane, it's also different. It's new. What I love about Switchfoot, is that they change up stuff and try new things. Nine albums later and they're still impressing me. They aren't running out of ideas. They're just as good as they were eleven years ago when they broke out with their Beautiful Letdown album. I might have been a little tough on some of the songs I reviewed. I might have called songs "overrated" or just average. But an average Switchfoot song in my opinion is better than an average song by most others bands!
Going back to the "must" at concerts question I brought up earlier. When me and my buddies saw them play a couple months ago, a couple of us made signs requesting some of our favorite songs by them that we knew otherwise wouldn't get played. My pick was "Faust, Midas, and Myself" and his was "Easier than Love." Jon Foreman pointed at our signs and smiled throughout the show as we raised them up in between songs, in hopes that he would actually play one. He even looked the "Easier than Love" sign and said "I don't know how to play that song anymore." I don't doubt that. Sadly neither of these great songs are "musts" from their albums. They've slipped through the cracks.
What songs from this album do I think are a must, if I could only choose three? I think you've got to have "Let It Out." It's too fun. You can't not have it. "Who We are" would get the nod from me, so that's two. The last one is tricky. "Back to the Beginning Again" would be a great song to close a show with, but they will never close with a song other than "Where I Belong." The guys have said that they want that to be the last song they ever play. And rightfully so. It's a beautiful, top 10 Switchfoot song. They didn't play "Back to the Beginning Again" when I saw them, and it is tough to picture that song be played and it not being the closing song. Maybe it could work as the last song before they do an encore. I don't know. But I'm over-thinking it. Sorry "Love Alone is Worth the Fight", but I'm going with "Back to the Beginning Again" here. For concerts I like songs with high-energy, and this song is exactly that. However, if I had to tell you what songs will ACTUALLY be the "musts" in a few years, "Love Alone is Worth the Fight" would be number one, "Who We Are" would be number two, and "Let it Out"/"BA55" will be number three. And if "BA55" is a "must", in three or four years my friend Mike and I will be holding signs that say "Back to the Beginning Again" and "Let It Out". But I guess those are the problems you have--too many good songs--when you have a good album.
So how good is this album? I'm not going to say it's the best thing they have ever made. I have a lot of difficulty picking a favorite of the Switchfoot albums because they're all so special in their own way. They are all good. And the streak of good albums continues with this gem. If you were to put a gun to my head and I had to give it a rating of 1-10, I'd probably go with an 8.5. It's not perfect, but it's a good, fun album. Honestly, I can't wait for the next album they will eventually release! I want to hear those songs that didn't make the Fading West cut. I'm also interested in seeing what kind of direction they go in. This album was a little bit more on the pop-side of rock. It was a fun change-up. Because of that, some people don't like it as much or aren't crazy about it. But I really like it. 8.5.
So how did you like the album? What are your "musts" at a Switchfoot concert? I would love to hear your thoughts on Fading West! Comment below or check our Facebook fan page. Or you can tweet me your thoughts @vellvita7!
