Hilarious, One of the Funniest of 2012

Rating: 9/10 (2 October 2012)

I was only a few years old when the original television show hit the airwaves, so I only know the original as the show that starred a young Johnny Depp. That's about it. I had little interest in seeing this movie until the reviews started hitting the web and touting it as a lot funnier than I would have imagined. I still haven't gotten over how horrible THE SITTER was, so Jonah Hill was not high on my list of must-see headliners. And the only film I'd seen Channing Tatum in was G.I. JOE, which isn't exactly a comedy (well, not intentionally). But I was wrong to doubt them because 21 JUMP STREET is the funniest movie I've seen so far this year. This is 21 JUMP STREET for a new generation; specifically, a generation that isn't necessarily familiar with the television show. The premise is the same: police officers infiltrating a high school. But it's done with a modern sense of humor and an edge. Schmidt (Hill) was always a loser in high school, a bleach-blonde Eminem wannabe without an ounce of style. Jenko (Tatum) was your typical obnoxious jock, popular with the students while neglecting his studies. After graduation Schmidt and Jenko, find themselves enrolled in the police academy where their opposite talents (Schmidt's academics and Jenko's physicality) lead them to become partners and best friends. They're soon transferred to Jump Street where they are sent undercover at the local high school to flush out the dealers of a new drug called HFS. High school should be a cinch this time around, but things have changed
This movie could have easily gone in a terrible direction. It could have been a tired rehashing of the same old material and been lazy with the jokes. The premise makes it an easy target: a buddy cop movie set in a high school. Sure, there are some jokes you might see coming here but 21 JUMP STREET does what it can to spin your expectations. From the start of their investigation, things go wrong when Schmidt and Jenko accidentally swap their new identities. So now Schmidt has the sleeper classes and Jenko finds himself tackling AP Chemistry. Now each of them is dropped into the opposite clique from what they originally experienced in high school and must continue to blend in. It opens up a hilarious new set of gags for the movie when Schmidt is finally the popular new kid on campus, a position he cherishes a little too much. Jonah Hill has redeemed himself for THE SITTER and he's back in true form here, while Tatum has proved that he's got some great comedic acting chops. Honestly, Tatum has some of the funniest scenes in the movie. And the two of them have great buddy chemistry together. Jonah Hill shares a writing credit on this movie, so I have to give some respect to him for putting together (with Michael Bacall) an awesome action/comedy that excels as both genres.
Directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller have collected an excellent supporting cast for the movie including Ice Cube, Dave Franco, Brie Larson, and Rob Riggle. Cube is the angry captain in charge of the Jump Street unit, openly embracing the stereotype of the angry black captain (he worked his a** off to become captain and, yeah, he gets angry sometimes). Larson is the "sort of" love interest for Schmidt when he gets in close with the popular kids. And then there's Rob Riggle, a man I have yet to see fail at being hilarious, as the school's P.E. teacher Mr. Walters. This movie is loaded with laughs, and one of the few movies I actually laughed out loud at this year. The action scenes are surprisingly well done too. The movie has it's share of car chases and gun play, and it's always played for laughs. From the beginning, Schmidt and Jenko want nothing more than to be the sort of cops they see in movies and TVjumping away from explosions with guns blazingand by the time the movie is over, they'll be living the dream. 21 JUMP STREET is an easy recommendation for anyone looking for a solid comedy with a dose of action. There are even a few cameos in the movie to satisfy fans of the original television show even if people like me don't catch any but the best one near the finale. There's really enough in 21 JUMP STREET for fans and non-fans to enjoy.