21 Jump Street (2012) starring Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Brie Larson, Dave Franco, Rob Riggle, DeRay Davis, Ice Cube directed by Phil Lord, Christopher Miller Movie Review

21 Jump Street (2012)   4/54/54/54/54/5


Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill in 21 Jump Street (2012)

Very High School

Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) were at the same school together except whist Schmidt was clever he was picked on for being a nerd and Jenko whilst a cool sports jock couldn't pass a test to save his life. They find themselves at police academy together with the same issues but form an unlikely alliance to help each other graduate. It leads to them being best buddies and partners on the force except their first duties are as bicycle cops in a park. But it leads to them be assigned to an under cover operation to break a drugs ring operating in schools.

Wow, not only didn't I expect to enjoy "21 Jump Street" as much as I did but I also didn't expect to be confronted by so many dick jokes from Schmidt saying he would be willing to suck dick to an alternative arrest procedure involving sitting on a perp and basically riding them. Now I could say that "21 Jump Street" isn't just dick jokes but heck it is a huge part of the movie, in fact it is a huge part of the movie along with basically everything else you probably wouldn't want to sit with your parents watching. Yes crude is a big part of the movie but then so is basically anything which is likely to offend someone from swearing whilst praying to Korean Jesus to racial humour. But it is all done with no intention of offending but just delivering laughs at everyone's expense.

Dave Franco in 21 Jump Street (2012)

Of course there is the story and as a Brit I never saw the original "21 Jump Street" TV series which featured Johnny Depp but I guess they just took the idea and ran with it as a daft comedy. And it works although I have to say that whilst there is plenty of comedy from the storyline the comedy comes from all over the place. From a principal on the verge of a nervous breakdown, school kids having changed since Schmidt and Jenko were in school to being in the wrong lessons, oh and of course all the dick jokes.

What is a revelation is the combination of Joan Hill and Channing Tatum as a duo. Yes we are talking odd couple here but it works with Hill not being anywhere near as annoying as he usually is and Tatum plays off of him brilliantly, in fact Tatum does comedy in away you do not expect. I could seriously end up rambling here but I am just going to say that lots of comedy writing which Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum make work.

What this all boils down to is that "21 Jump Street" is just one laugh after another after another and amazingly 90% of those laughs work thanks to the surprisingly successful combo of Hill and Tatum.


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