Alec Lautanen
Executive Opinion Editor
Perhaps no genres of film are as cliché as 1980s television series remakes or the mismatched buddy-cop movie. However, “21 Jump Street” bucks the trend of mediocrity and delivers a consistently hilarious and entertaining cinema experience.
“21 Jump Street” is a film that will satisfy any crowd. From the innumerable action film tropes to the inane yet funny dialogue and character interactions, this movie proves one of the best action comedy films of the last few years.
Loosely based on the crime drama show of the same name, “21 Jump Street” is a far cry from the original series. The film follows two police officers, Morton Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Greg Jenko (Channing Tatum), and their exploits through an undercover program known as “Jump Street.”
Schmidt and Jenko, after proving themselves incompetent at routine police work, are reassigned to go back to their old high school to gather information and report on a narcotics ring selling a new synthetic drug, “HFS.”
The film succeeds in the sense that it makes a complete mockery of the action comedy genre it belongs to. Punch-line jokes aren’t just thrown in every now and then; they comprise the entire movie. “21 Jump Street” is over-the-top but so much so that it’s hilarious.
One of the strongest traits of “21 Jump Street” is its ability to adapt the old high school narcotics officer plotline to the modern world. On his first day of school, Jenko is shocked to find that his old macho attitude doesn’t cut it and is ridiculed for his gas-guzzling muscle car and aggressive attitude toward nerds.
Also benefitting the film is the camaraderie between Schmidt and Jenko. It’s obvious that the two are an unlikely pair, but they complement each other well. Schmidt shines as the awkward intellect, and Jenko fills in the gaps as the meat-head bad boy.
What makes the pair unique and the film entertaining, though, is the role the characters play while undercover. Jenko switches their student aliases to make him the nerdy chemistry geek and Schmidt the outgoing sports star.
The rest of the film shows them attempting to portray the other’s stereotype and results in many funny moments. Another strength of “21 Jump Street” is its plethora of film stereotypes. There’s the authoritative police captain played by a short-tempered Ice Cube, the unrealistic and insane high school party (though not quite as far as “Project X”) and a fair share of explosive car chases.
All of these elements are deliberately combined to create a movie that fits somewhere in between “Hot Fuzz” and a 21st-century “Police Academy.”
The movie even features Johnny Depp reprising his break-out role as Officer Tom Hanson from the original “21 Jump Street.”
“21 Jump Street” isn’t a movie that should be taken seriously. This film will more than satisfy audiences who go into the theater expecting a ridiculous and crudely entertaining comedy.
“21 Jump Street” is rated R and is playing in theaters nationwide.
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