Unexpectedly Entertaining

Rating: 7/10 (7 August 2012)

I went into this movie thinking it was going to be your average, somewhat stupid yet mildly decent teem comedy, but what pleasantly surprised. This movie was actually pretty good--I was definitely entertained, and found myself laughing a lot. There are numerous reasons this movie is better than most of today's similar comedies, some of which include:
1. There are some genuinely funny moments that aren't the usual crude teen jokes. Some of the lines are great, and the ways which the characters handle certain situations is sometimes comical.
2. The acting was really good, especially Jonah Hill and, for what little screen time he had, Johnny Depp. Hill and Tatum, who I generally don't care for, worked well together, and the constantly changing dynamic between them was one of the best parts of the movie.
3. This movie parodies a lot of common misconceptions about movies and life in general. For instance, upon becoming cops, Hill and Tatum are saying how awesome it's going to be to chase down bad guys and jump over cars, etc., and then they are immediately shown on bicycles patrolling a park. Also, on numerous occasions, incidents happened that, in your average movie, would've lead to an explosion, but in the real world, wouldn't have. The characters kept expecting these to explode, and were disappointed when they didn't, but it was comical. (And don't worry, there are plenty of explosions anyways.)
The only real complaint I have is how they handled Johnny Depps cameo. He finally reveals himself after all that time, only to be shot to death along with his partner minutes later. Albeit, he saved Hill and Tatum, and it is definitely a turning point in the film, but now his character line ends, which is kind of disappointing.
Despite this, though, 21 Jump Street was highly entertaining, incredibly funny, and definitely worth seeing.