Comedies are just as capable of narrative brilliance as any other film

Rating: 10/10 (16 February 2016)

This is without a doubt one of the funniest, cleverest and yet somehow sweetest comedies I have ever seen. Hill and Tatum both play against type as a minor plot curve ball immediately sets up the new premise of the film. Hill finds out that he is now considered cool, whilst Tatum falls in with the dorks and learns something. Its so easy for cheap comedies to skim the development and journeys of its characters, but 21 Jump Street is an amazing success.
Much of the credit goes to the brilliant writing of Michael Bacall, who packs a screenplay full of heart, wit and sheer hilarity. Hill and Tatum not only kill their delivery, but are brilliant physical comedians and have impeccable chemistry. Its not only believable but plausible that the two characters could be brothers. Literally every single joke in this film works to perfection and actually establishes character while entertaining. Schmidt is an idiot with weapons and social interactions, whilst Jenko is a buffoon with anything requiring smarts. The way the two play off each other and grow as men is utterly delightful.
Dave Franco is every inch the cool kid but also aces the freakout scenes later on. Brie Larson is adorable as Schmidt's love interest Molly. Ice Cube is a hilarious "angry black captain" stealing every single scene he's in. And there's one of the best cameos ever put to film towards the end. Phil Lord and Chris Miller direct the film with flair and you can tell they had an absolute ball making it with the flashy highlights and jolted cuts that make everything funny.
21 Jump Street only serves to highlight how badly 22 Jump Street missed its own point. The humour comes from the role reversal of Schmidt getting in too deep and so craving popularity he forgets what he is. Comedies can be brilliant film stories too, and 21 Jump Street knocks it out of the park.