A Genre (And Character) That Is Slowly Dying

Rating: 3/10 (9 March 2017)

There are some parts of "21 Jump Street" that are funny. The trouble is, they are all very predictable and evidence that this genre of film (begun by "Superbad") may be beginning to die.
For a basic plot summary, this film sees two rookie cops given an undercover assignment back in their old high school. Schmidt (Jonah Hill) was the high school loser now turned cooler, while Jenko (Channing Tatum) was the high-profile jock who now has trouble reclaiming that identity.
Like I said, there are a few genuinely funny moments in this movie. Unfortunately, they are very few and far between. This type of comedy has been made so many times that it is almost as if the jokes can be seen coming from a mile away.
It doesn't help that Jonah Hill's "trying to escape adolescence" character might be starting to wear thin after a number of similar flicks. In all fairness, he does provide probably the funniest gags of the film, but it just isn't quite as funny as it used to be.
And then, of course, there is Channing Tatum. Women will likely give this film a full star higher rating just by looking at his sculpted physique. Men, on the other hand, will probably be more likely to recognize how wooden he can be at times. He isn't a total loss, but he won't be nominated for any Academy Awards anytime soon.
Overall, "21 Jump Street" is the typical crude, profane, & stupid comedy seen a million times since "Superbad" had such great success. That genre is (or at least should be) on its way out.