21 Jump Street (2012)

Directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller

Written by Michael Bacall and Jonah Hill 

Starring Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Ice Cube and Brie Larson

     A comedy, spin-off from the popular 80's television show starring Johnny Depp, "21 Jump Street." This old crime show didn't really have a high demand for a spin-off, but this comedy about an unlikely duo working on the same team undercover as high school students, is quite comical. I didn't have high expectations going into this film considering i'm not the biggest Jonah Hill fan, and Channing Tatum isn't normally a comedy star- however this film proved me wrong. 

     Schmidt (Jonah Hill) was the pudgy nerd in high school, with braces and acne, who couldn't work up the nerve to ask a girl to prom. Jenko (Channing Tatum) was the long-haired athlete who shoved kids like Schmidt in lockers in high school. They were polar opposites in high school, and 8 years later when they're both in the police academy, they're still that way. The two quickly find out they need each other when Schmidt can't pass the physical exam, and Jenko can't pass the written exam. Once the two graduate and prepare for an exciting career on the force, they quickly discover it is not what they were hoping when they're stuck patrolling a park on bicycles. After their brief lapse of shame, they're exiled to an undercover unit that is investigating a new drug that has infiltrated a local high school. Led by the head honcho, veteran cop (Ice Cube), the two are forced to reprise their roles as high school students in order to find the supplier of this drug. 

     While Jenko is much more bitty about returning to high school than Schmidt- that quickly reverses when they both realize how what is "cool" in high school is way different from 8 years prior. Schmidt sinks right into the cool kid crowd led by the superior, Eric Molson (Dave Franco)- and even ventures so deeply into the facade of being a high school student that he asks the sweet Molly (Brie Larson) to the prom. While on the other hand, Jenko ironically begins to hangout with the nerd crowd. 

     The funny thing about this movie is how much Tatum and Hill don't look like high school students at all- and the writers aren't shy about pointing that out in the script. This film could have been utterly cliche with the unlikely duo being paired together and becoming best friends or "brothers" in this case - but 21 Jump Street was not at all. It started with a lot of momentum and never really died down. Hill has an impressive track record with two oscar nominations to his name, so now blockbuster comedies like this are a piece of cake for him as this movie clearly exemplifies. Tatum is funny as the stupid hot guy, once again proving we can't all be pretty and smart. 

I give 21 Jump Street a...

7/10