21 Jump Street (2012) directed by Phil Lord & Chris Miller
21 Jump Street is smarter, funnier and sweeter than anything I would have expected from an obviously ridiculous remake of an obscure TV show whose lasting fame would be of jumpstarting Johnny Depp's career. I've never seen the show nor do I have any idea of the general tone of it, but I'm assuming "loose remake" would be an appropriate term to describe the movie. It is a good thing too because following an idea too closely can seriously limit new ones. Instead writers Jonah Hill and Michael Bacall have written a screenplay that only uses the premise as a vehicle to tell their hilarious jokes and surprisingly smart story.
Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum play the classic Odd Couple, a pair of unlikely friends whose outer differences will cause them to fight but whose inner similarities will ultimately keep them together. In high school Schmidt was an unpopular geek while Jenko was the handsome (but dumb) jock. In an early scene we see Jenko laugh at Schmidt when he unsuccessfully tries to ask a girl out to prom. Unfortunately for Jenko, he can't go to prom either because of failing grades. Seven years later they both find themselves in police academy with the same problems, Schmidt too chubby and insecure, Jenko too dimwitted. Naturally they make the perfect team and become best buds, though both are seen as jokes and outcasts patrolling a park on their bicycles like a couple of doofuses. After their first near bust, the duo get assigned to an undercover operation where they must infiltrate a high school (as students) to investigate a new drug.
Whenever these types of situations come up in movies, whether it is time travel or reliving the past, the whole idea is doing things differently. When their identities accidentally get switched (because they can't remember their undercover names), Schmidt must get in with the popular kids and Jenko must hang out with nerds and both must adapt to their new roles. Suddenly the cop movie becomes a surviving high school coming of age movie. Of course it is rather silly to think of two grown men coming of age in high school, but one of the things that makes the film so good is that it doesn't take itself to seriously. Imagine 26 year olds trying to win the approval of 17 and 18 year olds and you'll realize how preposterous it all sounds. One of the running jokes in the film is how old Jenko looks. Of course Channing Tatum would never pass for a high school kid, but that is the whole fun of the movie isn't it?
This movie is funny, in fact one of funniest films I've seen in a while. As I said before part of the fun is in the film's own self awareness. For instance during a car chase we expect several different vehicles to blow up but they don't, playing with the audience's expectations and pointing out how silly the whole process is. There is also a good dosage of (good) crude humor involved, making the film surprisingly vulgar, not settling to be labeled as a safe buddy comedy. The jokes are wicked and often side splitting. It is also helped by solid performances. This is the first true comedy I've seen Channing Tatum in and he is surprisingly very funny and seems comfortable in this role. Jonah Hill is of course a natural comedian whose observational and ironic humor comes off naturally. Ice Cube, who plays their boss, is also great in a smaller role.
Grade: B+
21 Jump Street is smarter, funnier and sweeter than anything I would have expected from an obviously ridiculous remake of an obscure TV show whose lasting fame would be of jumpstarting Johnny Depp's career. I've never seen the show nor do I have any idea of the general tone of it, but I'm assuming "loose remake" would be an appropriate term to describe the movie. It is a good thing too because following an idea too closely can seriously limit new ones. Instead writers Jonah Hill and Michael Bacall have written a screenplay that only uses the premise as a vehicle to tell their hilarious jokes and surprisingly smart story.
Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum play the classic Odd Couple, a pair of unlikely friends whose outer differences will cause them to fight but whose inner similarities will ultimately keep them together. In high school Schmidt was an unpopular geek while Jenko was the handsome (but dumb) jock. In an early scene we see Jenko laugh at Schmidt when he unsuccessfully tries to ask a girl out to prom. Unfortunately for Jenko, he can't go to prom either because of failing grades. Seven years later they both find themselves in police academy with the same problems, Schmidt too chubby and insecure, Jenko too dimwitted. Naturally they make the perfect team and become best buds, though both are seen as jokes and outcasts patrolling a park on their bicycles like a couple of doofuses. After their first near bust, the duo get assigned to an undercover operation where they must infiltrate a high school (as students) to investigate a new drug.
Whenever these types of situations come up in movies, whether it is time travel or reliving the past, the whole idea is doing things differently. When their identities accidentally get switched (because they can't remember their undercover names), Schmidt must get in with the popular kids and Jenko must hang out with nerds and both must adapt to their new roles. Suddenly the cop movie becomes a surviving high school coming of age movie. Of course it is rather silly to think of two grown men coming of age in high school, but one of the things that makes the film so good is that it doesn't take itself to seriously. Imagine 26 year olds trying to win the approval of 17 and 18 year olds and you'll realize how preposterous it all sounds. One of the running jokes in the film is how old Jenko looks. Of course Channing Tatum would never pass for a high school kid, but that is the whole fun of the movie isn't it?
This movie is funny, in fact one of funniest films I've seen in a while. As I said before part of the fun is in the film's own self awareness. For instance during a car chase we expect several different vehicles to blow up but they don't, playing with the audience's expectations and pointing out how silly the whole process is. There is also a good dosage of (good) crude humor involved, making the film surprisingly vulgar, not settling to be labeled as a safe buddy comedy. The jokes are wicked and often side splitting. It is also helped by solid performances. This is the first true comedy I've seen Channing Tatum in and he is surprisingly very funny and seems comfortable in this role. Jonah Hill is of course a natural comedian whose observational and ironic humor comes off naturally. Ice Cube, who plays their boss, is also great in a smaller role.
Grade: B+
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