One of a kind and it delivers

Rating: 8/10 (19 October 2012)

Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum respectively play Schmidt and Jenko, two rookie cops assigned to a special unit in which all the officers go undercover as high school students in order to bust various crimes. The outfit's commanding officer (Ice Cube) orders the pair to find out who's pushing a deadly drug at a local high school. Jenko (Tatum), a popular slacker during his own high school days, looks forward to heading back to class, while Schmidt (Hill), who was a miserable nerd during that period, dreads it. But they unexpectedly find their social standings reversed, with Schmidt becoming known for throwing killer parties and Jenko hanging out with the chemistry set.
The movie offers an acceptable number of hearty laughs (albeit most packed during the first half), yet what's most refreshing about the film is how it acknowledges its own narrative absurdities and retreaded tropes in a manner that's neither forced nor self-congratulatory (love the running gag about exploding vehicles). 21 Jump Street wears its cool comfortably, and its nerdiness just as effectively. Also includes a Johnny Depp cameo near the end in which he does not stay around for long (pun intended).
*Rewatching 21 Jump Street a year later (12/20/13), my thoughts about the film are about the same. Not much I did not notice on my first viewing I picked up on my second viewing. What makes the film work is the chemistry between Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum, as well as the supporting actors. The comedy is still there and clever as well as the action (specifically more towards the second half of the film once they get themselves to the prom- the sequences steadily pick up). After all that, I am more looking forward to the sequel 22 Jump Street in 2014 and hope it is as good as 21 Jump Street, if not better!