21 Jump Street Reviews

This movie was absolutely hilarious, and to its credit, wove in a real sense of humour about the ridiculousness of its mere existence; it had me from the moment that the police chief explained away the placement of the two delinquent cop heroes in the high school enforcement project with a comment about how the people who run this stuff lack creativity and are always resurrecting some lame program from the past and trying to pass it off as new (while Hill and Tatum listen, completely straight-faced). It's a buddy-cop, reluctant partner, action-comedy that's jammed with wise cracks, slapstick and mistaken identity, not to mention plenty more winks at the camera - and on top of it all, it tells a decent story about popularity, achievement and friendship. One of those rare comedies I know I could watch a hundred times, and among the most sadly overlooked films of 2012.

My favorite movie of 2012.

Not the most memorable comedy but it's good enough. The chemistry between Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum is great, but not only that, they create likable characters that we can relate to. There's a couple gross-out gags that I found unfunny, but otherwise "21 Jump Street" succeeds in bringing laughs.

21 Jump Street ran on TV from 1987-1991 and is mainly known as serving as a launching pad for eventual mega movie star Johnny Depp... and Richard Greico too. Youthful looking police officers infiltrated high schools and tackled topical issues of the day (what snap bracelet goes best with my high-waisted jeans?). Why would anyone want to make this movie, let alone comic actor Jonah Hill? Surprising in just about every way, especially when it comes to overall quality, the 21 Jump Street movie is not just a great comedy but also a great movie. How the hell did this happen, Movie Gods?

Officer Schmidt (Hill) is smart but shrimpy (which is saying something considering how dangerous Hill's weight has been before). Officer Jenko (Channing Tatum) is a stud but pretty dimwitted when it comes to tests. The two form a partnership and get assigned as bicycle cops, not exactly the position of command and authority they were expecting. After a few screw-ups, including failing to read a suspect his Miranda rights ("You... have the right... to be an attorney"), the duo gets bounced to an old undercover program at, you guessed it, 21 Jump Street. The pair is supposed to pose as high school students and find out who's supplying teenagers a dangerous new club drug. Much has changed since Schmidt and Jenko were in high school together, and both of their profiles were accidentally swapped, meaning Jenko is given AP chemistry and the higher level classes, and Schmidt is given gym and acting courses, where he's supposed to work his way into the popular circles. Molly (Brie Larson) is a gal in that popular inner circle and Schmidt struggles to accept that a pretty, smart, popular girl might actually "like like" him.

I knew I was in for something special when the movie itself lambastes the very idea of a 21 Jump Street movie, with the police chief (Parks and Recreation's Nick Offerman) ridiculing the idea of unoriginal nitwits recycling something old that has name recognition and hoping the public will be too dumb to care. The movie beats the audience to the punch every time, mocking the absurdity of its own premise and plot points (many characters note how old Jenko appears). I should have expected more from screenwriter Michael Bacall (co-writer of the Scott Pilgrim movie adaptation) and especially from directors Phil Lord and Chris Hill, the same pair whose rambunctious comedic verve radiated from every frame of Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs and their brilliant short-lived animated MTV show, Clone High. This movie had me laughing a lot and had me laughing hard, doubling over, with-tears-in-my-eyes laughter at points. Dickson spouts, "Some kid overdoses on drugs. And because he's white, people actually give a s***," showing that a movie with a mind-blowing number of male genitalia jokes can provide a few shrewd jabs of social commentary. There's a great bit where on their first day back in school, Jenko points out the various school cliques. Then he gets to a group of students in skinny jeans, thrift store clothes, and floppy hats, and he looks puzzled. "I don't know what those kids are?" Ha, because hipsters didn't exist back in his (my) day.

21 Jump Street is cheeky, rowdy, quick-witted and playful in the best sense of an action comedy. It's got fish-out-of-water moments as the duo struggle to fit in with a different high school setting. The one-liners and riffs can be gut-busters, but the film does an even better job layering oddball gags (Korean Jesus), loony slapstick, fun but telling character moments (Schmidt not knowing how to end a prayer: "The end, right? 'The end'?"), strong setups that have stronger payoffs (using the reading of Miranda rights as a genuine emotional climax), and an overall raucous, anarchic spirit.

Here's one sequence in particular that shows off the film's clever comedic chops. The film finds a way to satirize the tropes of action movies, particularly buddy cop movies, with such nimble precision. Schmidt and Jenko are on the run but their car chase keeps butting heads with the fabricated reality of Hollywood movie chases. For one, they keep finding themselves getting stuck in traffic on the highway. This forces them to have to keep abandoning cars and finding a new set of wheels ahead of the gridlock. Then, as the bad guys chase them down on motorcycles, the chase causes all sorts of chaotic collateral damage, including oil trucks riddled with bullet holes and dripping the flammable substance all over the road. Then one of the motorcycles skids into the flammable muck, and our heroes wince in preparation of the expected explosion, and then nothing happens. "Huh. I really thought that was going to explode," one of them remarks casually. And this setup is repeated again, denying us the explosive equation that action movies have pummeled into our brains (car + any tap of force = humungous fireball), and there is a payoff to this comedic tweak on the cliché, and it is silly and terrifically funny. Plus, I haven't even mentioned that both Schmidt and Jenko are dressed in silly outfits and begin their car chase in a driver's ed car. This sequence is just one example of the anarchic, robust, and self-aware comedic attitude that the movie flaunts.

But more than being a hysterical action picture, 21 Jump Street works even better because at its core is a level of sweetness, a satisfying mixture of lewd and heart like the best Judd Apatow ventures. It's a bromance of epic proportions even by buddy cop standards, the old school bromance vehicle of its day. The guys go back to high school and the movie's bright switcheroo puts the characters in opposite social spheres, with Schmidt with the cool kids and Jenko struggling with the social misfits and bottom-dwellers, a.k.a. nerds. Of course the whole class assignment also shows the façade of being cool in high school. The movie could have mined this well-worn stereotypical class conflict with ease, but instead it decides to use its contrived scenario as a jumpstart for the guy's emotional growth. The lessons may be simplistic (perils of ego, believe in yourself, teamwork, personal responsibility) but that doesn't make them bad lessons, and the fact that the flick seriously uses covalent bonds as a metaphor, and does so in an almost poignant fashion, is worth applauding. The relationship between Schmidt and Jenko engages the audience, and we root for them even when they're behaving like jerks. They're misfits who are doubted and reprimanded, which make us hope for their eventual success even more. Refreshingly, the movie doesn't put them in opposing camps in high school. Schmidt was a dweeb and Jenko was a dumb jock, but that doesn't mean they needed to be adversarial. When they regroup in the police academy, they form a genuine partnership, realizing they can assist one another. They form an actual friendship and they're both better cops, and better characters, together.

Hill and Tatum have preposterously good chemistry together as a comic duo. Hill, a co-writer himself, reportedly had to remain steadfast to convince Tatum to join forces, and thank god he stuck it out. Hill's already a comic pro at this point, though this role tones down his comical rancor and ups the spaz awkwardness. Tatum is the true revelation. Man does this guy have really great comedic skills; a sharp, instinctive sense of timing, a pliable physicality, and a genial charisma that doesn't demand solo attention. He's good at playing dumb without going overboard. He's not just good, he's flat-out terrific. Larson (Scott Pilgrim vs. the World) is an adorable and plucky love interest, sure of herself, down to earth, and accessibly quirky. The supporting cast shines in their small roles, notable Ice Cube (Lottery Ticket) as the typical brash and loud police captain, Ellie Kemper (Bridesmaids), in her randiest roll yet, as a chemistry teacher awkwardly flirting with the hunky Jenko, Dave Franco (Fright Night) as an eco-friendly drug dealer, Rob Riggle (The Other Guys) as an aggressive gym teacher, and a special cameo that's worth leaving unspoiled.

21 Jump Street has some weaker points, namely when the action ramps up it's pretty mundane when it's not being funny, but the faults are minor. This is a silly, shrewd, salacious, and outright thrill of giddy entertainment, a comic blast. Hill and Tatum have a wonderful comedic dynamic and the clever screenplay gives them plenty to do with their talents. I didn't think it was possible to adapt the cheesy TV show into a worthwhile studio comedy, but Hill and company have exceeded every expectation. 21 Jump Street isn't the most nuanced or subtle comedy, though I will argue spiritedly that it has plenty of smarts in all the right places, but it's an affectionate, witty, and rambunctious night out at the movies that will be hard to beat this spring.

Nate's Grade: A-

21 Jump Street is a hilarious, raucous, smart if a bit formula teen comedy. Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum have great chemistry together which results in hilarity. The small twist at the end is gory, but at the same time gut-bustingly funny. Well-executed and well acted, 21 Jump Street is above average teen comedy that's got bite and wit.

Easily one of the funniest movies I've seen in a while. Tatum, Hill, and Cube (first name: Ice) nail the deliveries of very funny lines throughout the movie. Trust me, you'll be disappointed when it's over and will immediately want to see it again.

I thought it was an enjoyable movie, mothing special to maybe warrant me watching it again!
Amusing and i like the storyline, the amazing cameo by Johnny Depp was awesome ! :) But a mediocre movie by my standards!

"A great comedy. There are plenty of laughs. One of the better comedies I have seen in a long time. Hill and Tatum are a great match and play well off of each other. I really liked that they had cameos of the original cast of the hit show. I remember watching re-runs of this show with my older sister who was deeply in love with Mr. Depp. She still is. It's a great mix of comedy and action. The film never gets serious and stays light making it easy to enjoy the silliness of it. The ending left open a chance for a sequel. I hope it happens."

ok I must be missing something, this got lots of good reviews, I thought it was just silly really. I don't think Channing Tatum is suited to comedy, has a few funny moments but I thought it was mostly daft and very simple over used idea.

One of the funniest comedies I've seen since "Knocked Up".

It's the resurrection of an 80's TV show with a modern twist to the entire premise. Everything you can find from a definitively laugh-out-loud mainstream comedic film, you'll find in "21 Jump Street": a sharp and raunchy script, hilarious plot turns, excellent pacing, memorable performances, and an emotional core is the name of the game. Every single turn the film takes, there's laughter right around the corner.

Wow, it's been a while since I've seen a great comedy; "21 Jump Street" delivers. You into Judd Apatow films? This is your type of movie. Yeah, you're gonna find slapstick humor every now and then, but at it's core is a witty, punchline driven comedy.

An unexpected comedy with an unexpected plot/script that surprisingly and unexpectedly made a hit. Tatum and Hill provides the best on-screen team action and chemistry that one would not imagine. Laughs, giggles, explosions and gunshots from every angle occur in the film. 21 Jump Street takes a steer in new direction that though appeared unprecedented, came out to be a successful journey that was worth-while. 5/5

Well, maybe it's my aversion to Jonah Hill, but this was nowhere as good as I expected. I kept waiting to laugh....waiting..... then I would see a glimmer of something that made me think "here comes the funny...." then nothing. I did enjoy the cameo, however, because I was a fan of the tv show. Other than that, I am not sure what everyone liked about this movie...

21 Jump Street has an interesting and fun premise, but fails to deliver effective humor and suffers from weak characters, gags, and poor action sequences.

Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum are insanely comical playing two of the most immature cops since Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett (Bad Boys). Inside the film's rude and very raunchy gags is a rather intelligent spoof of typical high school movie cliches. Not only do the two leads make for a surprisingly potent comedy duo, but Ice Cube also gives a great turn as the trash-talking Captain Dickson. He chews up scenery like it is his last acting job ever and that is why he is so glorious in the role. Johnny Depp and Peter DeLuise make cameo appearances, playing the same characters from the original TV show, in a scene that is also pretty funny. This is a comedy that knows what it is and consistently delivers on the jokes while giving the audience a wildly joyful thrill ride. I couldn't remember the last time I had this much fun with a comedy.

The original 21 Jump Street the TV series was one of those ridiculous concepts that could only belong to the 80's. It was stupid but we loved it. The new 21 jump Street is also ridiculous but it knows it and doesn't pretend to be anything other. It actually makes it quite clear that this is a completely unintelligent and unnecessary re-hash of an old idea in the film, which was quite clever and appropriately funny. Tongue firmly in cheek. No one is as surprised as me though at how funny this film is and by how much it actually works. Unless you are an obsessive of the original TV series and have started a religion based on its teachings, you will probably find it funny too.

Two hopeless cops are sent back to high school to go undercover and catch the drug supplier and dealers. Will Ferrell sort of humour. Cameo by Johnny Depp returning as his original 21 Jump Street character. I remember watching the original TV series.

It's funny and quite interesting at times, but when the humor delves into the vulgar, the smart writing that makes the film exciting to watch is unfortunately eclipsed.

21 Jump Street isn't the kind of movie that you expect to be funny. It's a smirking revival of a hilariously self-serious '80s drama about a group of vice cops that are tasked with going undercover in local high schools and colleges because of their supposed youthful appearance. Its stars Jonah âmost unbelievable Oscar nominee since Crashâ? Hill and Channing âMagic Mikeâ? Tatum and is co-written Hill which means it doesn't have a script so much as a list of loosely strung together improv sketches and its directed by two How I Met Your Mother veterans so the bar really couldn't be much lower. In spite of its dubious origins, 21 Jump Street is easily one the funniest movies of the year.

Most of the credit has to go to Tatum. Previously the star of two Step Up movies and one Nicholas Spark film, Tatum had earned a reputation as a powerfully sexy man with all the personality of a well vanished block of wood. In Jump Street he shows off a heretofore unknown comedic fearlessness and a surprisingly convincing vulnerability. Whether he's gently denying a drunken suitor during a vehicular gun fight or lunging head first into gong, Tatum bring everything he has to his role as a former top dog who finds the environs of a post-anime, after Elton high school to be hostile territory. While itâ(TM)s never quite believable that Tatum's come at me bro persona and chiseled good would be so wildly off putting to group of modern teens, Tatum makes the ridiculous palatable.

Jonah Hill's nerd-turned-unexpected popular dude is less entertaining. This is primarily because of how much less entertaining Hill is as a performer. He does exactly the same things in this film as he did in his Academy Award nominated turn in Moneyball and he's just as uninteresting. Now, Hill is not without his charms, being memorably disheveled and manic in Get Him to the Greek but usually he's just loudly neurotic and amusingly insulting. After his sweaty, run on sentence routine gets old, you're left with a lot of empty mugging. On balance, he's a more discriminating Chris Farley.

Luckily the rest of the film's supporting cast fills out the charisma vacuum left by Hill. Ellie Kemper is great as a science teacher who becomes obsessed with Tatum's laughably over-muscled high schooler. Dave Franco (younger brother of James) is great as a teen drug kingpin who's the coolest guy in the room until the guns come out. Rob Riggle is great playing Rob Riggle as a track coach because he's the funniest screamer in the business. Brie Larson is great as Hill's high school - but conveniently of age - love interest and not just because she makes a teenager falling in love with Hill believable. Nick Offerman is great in his one scene as the police captain who assigns Hill and Tatum to the Jump Street unit and the film was have been much better had he played the unit's commander instead of Ice Cube, who is decidedly not great but he does say 'Twittersphere' with exactly the right amount of contempt.

Directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller have a solid handle on the material, never letting Hill or Tatum ramble on too far and they rarely sacrifice pacing to let a joke play out. They handle the film's action scenes credibly and borrow liberally from the gag heavy style of early Abrahams, Zucker and Zucker films. They do a fine job with a script that feels like it was written by a three dudes putting the funniest jokes and situations they could think of into the best screenwriting software money can buy but their never as visually inventive as their longtime collaborator HIMYM Pamela Fryman. Oddly, the best composed scene in the film is the end credits, a dazzling mix of new and old Jump Street iconography and the most some of the stunningly crafted images of images of sex, violence and Americana that I've seen this year.

21 Jump Street is not a terribly deep film and given its creative origins that's not surprising. What is surprising is that it scores some solid satirical points, riffing not only on the laughably premised original series but on the whole of triumphantly scored, bombastically filmed Michael Bay influenced modern action cinema. No one in the film takes its high concept seriously, regularly commenting on how little resemblance Tatum bares to an average high school senior and having Ice Cube loudly proclaim that he's a walking stereotype. Instead of being distracting that irreverence makes the film all the more charming. The structural stuff, running gags like Tatum being unable to remember the full wording of the Miranda Rights are way less funny than seeing Tatum and Hill freak out while on a made up designer drug or the surprise at watching how the requite cameos from the original series characters are handled. Jump Street, despite its gag heavy nature doesn't bore on rewatching, even during the film's mandated relationship scenes. It is easily the best film of its type since the first Charlie's Angels movie.

Glides on the easy chemistry between Jonah Hill and Channing tatum who carry the film through occasional dry spots. It's frequently funny and never takes itself seriously, which is good considering the story. It's a little too long, but that's forgiven. The cameo's are hilarious and I like that it kind of lampoons the high school experience. I was very surprised at how well Tatum does in this movie. I used to not like him very much a couple of years ago, but he is definitely growing and improving. Jonah Hill kind of does the same thing he has been doing, but he does it well.

This was a great hilarious movie.