22 Jump Street
The buddy cop movie has been a staple of the big screen for years, producing some memorable partnerships and great movie moments.
Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill reunite this week for 22 Jump Street, as they return to the role of undercover cops Jenko and Schmidt.
We take a look at some of the best buddy movies that we have been treated to over the years.
- Lethal Weapon
Lethal Weapon remains one of the greatest buddy movies of all time, and hit the big screen for the first time back in 1987.
Directed by Richard Donner, the film starred Mel Gibson and Danny Glover as young suicidal copy Riggs and veteran Murtaugh.
The pair do not like working with a partner, but form a genuine and funny bond when they are forced to work together.
The chemistry between Gibson and Glover is what makes this partnership so fantastic and successful: you really couldn't imagine anyone else taking on these roles.
The first Lethal Weapon film was a huge success, and three more followed: the last one coming in 1998.
- Bad Boys
Bad Boys hit the big screen in 1995 and saw Will Smith and Martin Lawrence team up with director Michael Bay for his crime/comedy.
Smith and Lawrence take on the roles of Marcus Burnett and Mike Lowrey: two cops who have to protect a murder witness.
Bad Boys is a slick and funny comedy that is driven forward by the central relationship between Burnett and Lowrey: the banter between them is as hilarious as it is genuine.
The polar opposite characters - the ladies’ man and the married man - are a formidable crime-fighting team: even though they may not get it right all the time.
The success of Bad Boys saw Lawrence and Smith reunite in 2013 for Bad Boys II.
- 48 Hrs
Eddie Murphy is best known for his role in Beverly Hills Cop, but it was 48 Hours that was his breakthrough movie.
It was back in 1982 when Murphy teamed up with Nick Nolte for the crime/comedy, directed by Walter Hill.
The movie followed a hard-nosed cop (Nolte) reluctantly teams up with a wisecracking criminal (Murphy) temporarily paroled to him, in order to track down a killer.
Opposites really do collide in 48 Hrs, as the characters of Jack Cates and Reggie Hammond couldn't be further apart: Nolte has always been great at distain, and he is really on the money in this film.
I suppose this is an anti-buddy movie, but it really is a lot of fun and paved the way for the all of the buddy movies that have followed.
Murphy and Nolte shine from start to finish, and while the film is now a little dated, it is one of the best in the genre.
- The Heat
It is not just the boys that can have all the buddy fun, as Sandra Bullock teamed up with Melissa McCarthy for The Heat last year.
Directed by Paul Feig, The Heat follows an uptight FBI agent (Bullock) who has to team up with a foul-mouth Boston cop (McCarthy) to bring down a drug ring.
The Heat was one of the best comedy movies of 2013, as Bullock and McCarthy's partnership was nothing short of awesome. The movie really does get all of its energy and drive from these two central characters and performances.
The sparks fly between the characters of Ashburn and Mullins, and the banter really is first rate: the spanx scene is particularly good.
The Heat grossed over $229 million at the box office, and proved that female driven comedies could find an audience.
- Turner & Hooch
One of my favourite buddy movies of all time comes in the form of Turner & Hooch, as Tom Hanks teams up with a dog for all sorts of hilarity.
This movie was released back in 1990, and follows a detective who must adopt the dog of a dead man to find a killer.
Turner & Hooch really is a lot of fun, and it really is the dog that well and truly steals the show.
On paper, this may sound like a bit of a dumb idea. In reality, it is a movie that is packed with action, laughs, and great relationships. Only someone with a heart of stone wouldn't also shed some tears!!!
- 21 Jump Street
21 Jump Street was brought to the big screen two years ago, as Tatum & Hill teamed up for the first time.
The movie was based on the hit TV show, and saw Phil Lord and Christopher Miller in the director's chair.
21 Jump Street followed the two new cops as they are sent back to high school to bring down a drug ring.
21 Jump Street was a lot funnier and exciting than I expected it to be: it really was one of the best comedy films of 2012 for me.
Tatum & Hill have a very natural chemistry, as they laugh at themselves and at the stereotypes of the genre.
It comes as no surprise to see a second film hitting the big screen this week.
Other great buddy cop movies include Running Scared, Tango & Cash, and Rush Hour.
22 Jump Street is released 6th June.