21 JUMP STREET

BY CHRISTOPHER HASKELL
MARCH 25, 2012

“21 Jump Street” is hilarious. Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum make the perfect comedic duo. Both actors prove themselves. Hill takes a step towards comedic maturity and becomes the staple of the film with perfectly timed retorts and off-the-wall wit that graces every scene. At the same time, Channing Tatum proves that he’s not just a pretty face and matches Hill on every level, bringing something out of both actors that make the perfect comedy.

Ladies beware, “21 Jump Street” seems to be a “dude” comedy. With plenty of sick humor and male bonding to boot, the ladies of the audience will probably not get as excited as their male counterparts. However, with the handsome Channing Tatum factor and a serious attempt at a love story between Doug (Jonah Hill) and Molly (Brie Larson), there is some appeal to the fairer sex. However, the blew-em-up chase sequences and blatant “dick” humor will probably make the shier girl crowd cringe and wander off.

But praise aside, I should probably tell you about the story. Schmidt and Jenko were high school opposites (not rivals, just opposites). Jenko was the jock, Schmidt was the awkward geek, but when they meet in the police academy years later, they become best friends (and practically brothers). When police life fails to live up to what they dreamed it to be, and their first bust turns south due to Jenko not knowing the Miranda Rights, the buddy cops go to an undercover unit headed by Captain Dickson (Ice Cube). Their mission is simple: enroll in high school and find the supplier of a new synthetic drug making its way through the school system. But even that seems too much for the duo to handle, as they immediately land in the principal’s office after Jenko punches a black, gay kid in the parking lot for “stepping at him.” Not only that, but Jenko messes up their identities, and they become enrolled in each other’s classes, making Jenko the mathlete, “Brad,” and Schmidt, the track star, “Doug.” Only hilariousness could follow such events.

The film’s highest points come from the constant need to be self-aware. Whether it’s Captain Hardy (Nick Offerman) messing up the name of the film or pointing out that the “higher-ups” are “recycling old ideas” (referencing the remake nature of the film), or the surprise twist towards the end of the movie with multiple allusions to the original “21 Jump Street” television series. Not to mention the awareness that these men are too old to pass as high schoolers, and people constantly ask how old they are. (“You look like a forty-year-old man”). All these elements help make the film more hilarious while treating the audience with respect and not dumbing anything down to make us believe something so far-fetched.

The drug scenes are hilarious, creating comedy gold in the form of Hill and Tatum “tripping” on the same synthetic drugs they are trying to stop. The moment Tatum bursts through the band room doors and trips over a bell set, then eventually catapulting through a gong, brings me to tears every time. Hill dancing on the track, being commended by Riggle, is also comedy gold, eventually leading to the “baton penis” that probably makes the female crowd shake their un-approving heads.

The supporting cast truly helps to sell this film as well. Rob Riggle as Coach Walters plays wonderfully off the two leading roles, with his affinity for Brad/Jenko and his loathing hate for Doug/Schmidt. Ellie Kemper becomes the sexy science teacher, Ms. Griggs, constantly eyeing Brad and making not-so-subtle advances. Even Dave Franco as Eric, a popular kid, helps breathe some much-needed personality into another “cookie-cutter” version of what the cinema feels is the typical “cool kid.”

Ice Cube lands his most significant role yet, as the angry black captain. He can fully embody this role, never looking or acting out of character for a second. Handled by any other actor, this role could have easily felt like a caricature, but with Ice Cube at the helm, he dominates with every slap on the desk and booming yell. Without Ice Cube, “21 Jump Street” would not be a perfect comedy.

“21 Jump Street” is filled with one-liners and perfectly hilarious moments (too many to list in this one review) and succeeds on almost every level. Each viewing brings more and more moments to light. From beginning to end, “21 Jump Street” is the funniest comedy I have seen since “Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World” (which screenplay writer Michael Bacall co-wrote with Edgar Wright, the director of the graphic novel adaptation) will probably create a similar cult following. It will be hard for another comedy to beat “21 Jump Street” this year, and I anticipate it becoming one of my favorite films.

P.S. No review would be complete without mentioning the hilarious moment of Korean Jesus. I have no idea where they came up with this, but it proves one of the funniest, off-the-wall moments of the film.