21 Jump Street – Film Review
Director(s): Phil Lord, Chris Miller
Starring: Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Dave Franco and Ice Cube
Distributor: Sony Pictures
It would be naive to think that the great minds of Hollywood are utterly original, capable of producing a limitless number of crowd-pleasing hits that stem from creativity alone. Remakes, sequels and adaptations tend to fill up the cinema listings on any given week. 21 Jump Street itself is an adaptation of a 90s American crime drama, one which is not as well known here as it is in the States. Unlike the TV show however, this film is a high school comedy that deserves recognition for it’s modern perspective on teens, and an impressive arsenal of hysterical one-liners.
Like the TV show, the film focuses on some youthful looking cops that go undercover at local high schools and colleges in order to bust drug rings. Unlike the TV show, this isn’t a 90s depiction of high school. One of the very first things we see among the school kids is a group of skinny-jeans-and-thick-glasses-wearing hipsters. Tatum’s character openly confesses that “he has no idea what the hell they are.”
Jenko and Schmidt, Tatum and Hill’s characters respectively, both went to school in the 90s. As such, they are used to the kids of high school conforming to the stereotypical archetypes. The bullying jocks, the ditsy cheerleaders, the awkward nerds…admittedly, the nerds are still present, as they surely always will be, but all other stereotypes have been noticeably shaken up.
Schmidt, as a nerd, had a difficult time in high school, whereas Jenko was an atypical knucklehead/jock that loved his time being the centre of attention and popularity. In this modern setting however, they find their roles completely reversed. As an enthusiastic learner and lover of comic books, Schmidt finds himself climbing the social ladder dramatically, while Jenko, unable to communicate with anyone, finds himself as the alpha male of the science club.
This role reversal allows for a great deal of comedy talent to emerge, but in actuality, the entire film is a non-stop funny-fest. The use of a ‘Korean Jesus’ joke in particular is one of the most ridiculously hilarious gags seen on-screen in a while, and will certainly be remembered long after the film is over. Other scenes, including Hill and Tatum’s reaction to hallucinogenic drugs, Ice Cubes’ metaphors, or a fantastically unorthodox car chase all serve to keep the audience in hysterics.
Ice Cube does a truly exceptional rendition of the angry police chief, going to great lengths to successfully parody the stereotype. So OTT is his representation that it probably merits a spin off movie all of it’s own. Another actor that deserves a mention is Dave Franco, who plays popular kid Eric. Delivering his lines particularly well, he adds a degree of subtle talent that suggests he is really beginning to step out of his brother James’ shadow.
The real comedy, of course, comes from Hill and Tatum, both of whom function quite well in a comedy double act. Their chemistry is a little bit iffy to begin with, and doesn’t feel 100% authentic towards the films conclusion. However, they manage to get by on the strength of a few good scenes. Tatum is best known for his role as a heart throb in couple friendly films such as Dear John and Step Up. In his role here, he successfully manages to shed that made-for-teen-girls image with plenty of, sometimes quite literal, toilet humour. It is somewhat ironic, considering that the TV show was responsible for creating that same pretty boy image for Johnny Depp.
Hill, meanwhile, does what he does best by channeling his character from Superbad and adding a layer of likability to the role. He may be vulnerable in the face of violence and hot girls, but he manages to counter this with an awkward humour that ends up being endearing. This wears off to a certain extent when, towards the films conclusion, he becomes more confident and thus less likable. However, this development does little to quell the relentless humour that the film thrives on.
As a cop show, it could be argued that the action is somewhat diluted, but such a conclusion could only be reached if you compare the ratio of thrills to laughs. It still has plenty of gunfire, chases and punch-outs, but at its core, 21 Jump Street is a comedy. And one of the best to come out in cinemas in a very long time.
Score: 4/5
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