Light on the cop drama, moderate on the action and explosions, heavy on the humour

Rating: 8/10 (22 March 2012)

What I found most surprising was how perfect the pairing of Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum was. It was almost as unusual as the casting in The Other Guys, but this one worked a hell of a lot better. Plus, 21 Jump Street was livelier and funnier throughout, and on those merits alone deserves the 8/10 rating I have given it.
I was also really impressed with Channing Tatum and how well he handled a comedic role, considering his previous work includes Step Up, Dear John and The Vow. He was more prominent in the lead, and stood out more so than Jonah Hill, mainly because he was playing outside of the arena he is accustomed to and our expectations of him were lower, while Hill is primed and natural in this genre.
What comes as no surprise is that Hill would have something to do with a film implementing the whole high-school backdrop, allowing him to revisit past scenarios and recreate some of the fun from Superbad. It was Seth, trimmed down and perm-less, and as awkward and insecure as ever with women, still engaging in endless partying and heavy drinking all in an effort to fit in with the cool crowd. It seems a trend is developing for Hill, and it could threaten to type-cast him. He was pretty damn funny in the movie though, and rightfully earns that kind of praise.
The movie was as humorous as it was morally driven, exhibiting themes of partnership, trust and loyalty, and how defiance and betrayal can break, or threaten to break, a friendship (similar in nature to 2004′s remake of Starsky and Hutch).
21 Jump Street proves that even comedies can have underlying messages and useful lessons for kids ...violence, coarse language and intensively vulgar, inappropriately graphic, sexually explicit themes and dialogue aside.
Oh, and Johnny Depp's cameo is awesome. The way his character's reappearance was written into the story is nothing short of genius.