Rating: R
Director: Phil Lord and Christopher Miller
Starring: Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Ice Cube, Brie Larson and Dave Franco
21 Jump Street is a 2012 comedy based on a 1987 television series of the same name. the premise is relatively simple and is based around s police program known as Jump Street that is designed to send undercover cops into schools to try and find the ins and outs of a drug ring at the local high school. Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) are the two main cops sent undercover to investigate at the local high school where they must play roles in order to fit in, that are opposite of their actual personalities.
For some reason I have loved this movie since I first saw it and has been one of the more rewatchable comedies that I’ve seen over the last ten years or so. The cast is close to perfect in 21 Jump Street. Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum have great chemistry together and their one liners and their comedic talents complement each other from start to finish. This is one of Jonah Hills’ better performances in recent years. Tatum also is surprisingly good as a comedic actor, which was not something I expected from him. Ice Cube (Captain Dickson) adds another great piece to this cast as an authoritative, hard ass boss to Schmidt and Jenko. The only miscast character in this movie is the character of Mr. Walters (Rob Riggle). Riggle has a tendency to over do it in comedies, and at times seems to force it. He also is the same character in almost every comedy he has been in and lacks depth in his acting and variety in his characters.
This movie also does a really good job at making fun of itself, but also makes fun of societal trends in the United States. It pokes fun at the hipster and near hippie movement that was happening during 2012 and that is even existent now. It also notes that there is a change in what people consider to be “cool” in today’s high schools. It talks about how the nerdy and activist types are more cool and popular, while the jocks and such are not as cool. It’s interesting how it shows a cultural shift throughout the movie.
This movie is its own thing, all while it pays its respect towards the original TV show. All original cast members make cameos receptively throughout the movie. It’s not overbearing when they show the original characters, but it is a nice nod to the tv series and a nice little easter egg for the audience to look out for.
21 Jump Street is a movie that still gets the job done six years later. It has good laughs throughout along with a solid cast and story. At times it lacks in depth and emotion, but it doesn’t take away from the overall quality of the movie. I give it a 3.5/5.0. I’m not sure if it is truly good, but it might be more of guilty pleasure movie. In the end, I watch it to get some laughs and it gets that job done.
What do you think? Have you seen 21 Jump Street? If so, what did you think? What are some other movies you would like to see me review?
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