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21 Jump Street (2012 film)

A movie directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller

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"....You Have The Right to Remain An Attorney..., Bbb-yatch!"

Mar 26, 2012

by woopak_the_thrill
posted in Movie Hype

Exclusive to the Lunch Network

Rating:

Ok, let’s get some things out of the way. Usually comedies are a low priority for me to see in theaters. Why? Because they are usually more fun to see with a lot of pizza and beer. I am not too fond of Channing Tatum. Why? I dunno, I never cared for the roles he played save for “The Eagle”. Jonah Hill I can do with, after all, I need to see him in a role after he had lost all that weight. I am also not fond of movies that revamps a TV show, I mean they try to sneak this shit up pretending that we were not supposed to notice? Heck, seems like director Phil Lord and Chris Miller’s “21 Jump Street” had all the odds stacked up against it for me to enjoy this flick right? Yeah, well, it seems like I was in for a big surprise. I was really glad to have gone to see this film. Oh, this shit also has Ice Cube as a police captain….awesome!

Ellie Kemper and Channing Tatum in "21 Jump Street."

Ellie Kemper and Channing Tatum in "21 Jump Street."

Morton Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Greg Jenko (Channing Tatum) went to the same high school. Morton was a geek while Greg was one of those ‘jocks’. Fate brings them together in the police academy and the two end up being close friends with Morton tutoring Greg with the academic stuff while Morton gets coached by Greg in the physical stuff. So the two are supposed to be bad ass cops right? Well, the two end up as bicycle cops and after a botched arrest, they are re-assigned in an undercover operation called 21 Jump Street with foul mouthed Captain Dickson (Ice Cube). Morton and Greg must now infiltrate a high school to keep a synthetic drug from going into the mainstream. Greg and Morton now go undercover as brothers, and things seem to be upside down as Morton is now cool and befriends the cool kids, Eric (Dave Franco) and Molly (Brie Larson) while Greg catches up with some geeky stuff…they are about to get in too deep and have fun doing it.

Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill in "21 Jump Street."

Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill in "21 Jump Street."

Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill and Dave Franco in "21 Jump Street."

At its core, “21 Jump Street” is a buddy flick. It is your standard action-comedy flick that we’ve all seen before. What makes this film so fun to watch is the way the script by Michael Bacall manages to keep the film’s energetic fun pace with a blend of action, slapstick and dry humor, raunchy toilet humor, some sexy devices and foul language. The film is insanely fun to watch, the direction keeps things moving at an upbeat pace, despite the occasional cheese in the script, it never loses a beat and I have to admit, I was very surprised how much I enjoyed watching it. Yes, there is nothing really creative or new with the script; what it does well is the way it all manages to blend everything together. It feels sincere and real in the way it moved its elements.

The film also pokes some fun with itself. I was literally laughing so hard when it made a metaphor on remakes and revamps. It never forgets to deliver the fun and comedy as the dialogue is a laugh a minute ride. There was also something very cool with the way, it injects a touch of irony in the scenes. High school had changed, and what could’ve made Greg popular and Morton the outcast in the past, no longer applies in this time when it is all about ‘saving the planet’ and muscle cars are no longer cool. This was even more brought into exposition with the simple and clever way teens carry a backpack nowadays. The direction knew when to punch the jokes and when to punch in the action. Sure, it had the typical ‘buddy flick falling out’, and it had some cheese in certain scenes, but I was too busy having fun watching that I did not care.

Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum in "21 Jump Street."

Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum in "21 Jump Street."

Ice Cube as Capt. Dickson, Jonah Hill as Schmidt and Channing Tatum as Jenko in ``21 Jump Street.''

What really made the film work was the way Tatum and Hill was able to connect with a dynamic chemistry that drove the film’s energy and upbeat tempo. The two realy looked like they were having loads of fun with their roles, and their exchanges felt real with how a cop with their characters would feel about being in high school. Morton was scared and Greg was more excited. The direction kept things interesting as the two are taken in to very ‘relatable’ things that an adult can easily solve than one who is in their teens. Ice Cube was so entertaining in his role as the foul-mouthed captain. I mean, his character may feel cliché, but when Ice Cube does a role like this, he does it very well. Dave Franco and Brie Larson were alright with their roles. However, one of the film’s best sequences would have to be Johnny Depp and Peter Deluise making uncredited cameos. I know revamps always have this, but you will never see this coming. Depp was awesome in his brief cameo.

Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum in "21 Jump Street."

“21 Jump Street” made my weekend in the theaters. Truth be told, I was very skeptical about the film but after reading the other reviews in Movie Hype (cheap plug), I was very glad I made time to see this film. I am also very happy that I allowed myself to be dragged by a friend who has a thing for Tatum…Ewww. Well, this shit is one of the best comedies I’ve seen in the past 5 years. See it….if you cannot afford a ticket, then you have the right to remain silent.

Highly Recommended! [4+ Out of 5 Stars]

Poster art for "21 Jump Street."

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FM_ALEX March 28, 2012

Glad to read that this is good WP, was thinking of seeing it when my sister comes in this weekend.

woopak_the_thrill March 30, 2012

I REALLY had fun with this movie and I really wasn't interested in seeing it. I was happy that my friend dragged me to see it.

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Madpenguin March 26, 2012

Good to hear you enjoy it. But you know i'm not going to give it a look.

woopak_the_thrill March 27, 2012

I felt that exact same way--glad my friend made me change my mind.

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Butterfly1961 March 26, 2012

Well I'm pleasantly surprised - when I saw they did a so-called remake of 21 Jump Street I rolled my eyes - but you obviously enjoyed it! And I had no idea my man Johnny D would make an appearance in it!! Yep, I'd like to see this; sounds much better than what I imagined! Thanks Will!

woopak_the_thrill March 27, 2012

You will never think that it was Depp--such a surprise!

Butterfly1961 April 03, 2012

Oh yeah -- I need to see this one!!

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JSMaresca March 26, 2012

The high school scene will always sell in theaters everywhere. Bright pictures abound!

woopak_the_thrill March 27, 2012

Thank you so much! This was a pleasant surprise!

JSMaresca March 28, 2012

You are very welcome, Bill.

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More 21 Jump Street (2012 film) reviews

review by zstoner66. March 16, 2012

posted in Movie Hype

21 Jump Street

For all my readers who are unsure of where this movie came from you may not be able to appreciate Nice Offerman's role. As the police captain for rookie cops Schmidt and Jenko, played by Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum respectively, he tells them the department is reviving a program they used back in the eighties. This is just one of the many nods to both the industry and the source material. It was also one of the many laugh out loud moments of this movie. It is easy to be suspect of a movie … more

Comments (2) Compliments (36)

review by ryguy4738. April 02, 2012

posted in Movie Hype

No suits, no badge; plenty of service.

*** out of **** "21 Jump Street" is one of those comedies - one of those good, honest, thoroughly funny comedies - that appeals to at least two generations and treats them as its target audience. In this case, it's the adults and the older teens; and the title of the film will most likely mean something to the former and not the latter. In case you didn't know, "21 Jump Street" was a popular crime drama series that ran from 1987 to 1991. It's probably best known for kick-starting … more

Comments (1) Compliments (24)

review by katrazina. March 29, 2012

Wish I saw the original

I don't laugh during movies, which is why I was surprised I had to wipe my eyes from laughing so hard during the entire movie. Jonah Hill is absolutely fantastic and Channing Tatum seems like he took some serious acting classes. This is one of those movies where you will be able to watch over and over and quote for life. I think this has to go into my top 5 funniest movies I've seen next to A Christmas Story and Step Brothers. This movie is definitely worth … more

Comments (2) Compliments (21)

review by Chris_Pandolfi. March 17, 2012

posted in Movie Hype

The TV Drama Gets a Comedic Big Screen Makeover

Star Rating: 21 Jump Street treads on thin ice in an early scene where it’s explained that the police department has revived a specialty division that started in the 1980s, that it’s part of a trend of resurrecting and modernizing old programs due to a lack of original ideas, and that they’re hoping the public won’t notice. Nothing threatens to ruin a movie faster than winking at the audience in a showy display of self-referential humor. … more

Comments (9) Compliments (48)

review by garethvk. March 16, 2012

Plenty of Bounce Left on Jump Street

Back in 1987, the fledgling Fox Network debuted, offering entertainment on Saturday and Sunday evenings aimed at a younger audience. One of the network’s first breakout shows was a police drama with young cops and plenty of action, a show named 21 Jump Street. The show featured a cast of largely unknowns who quickly bolted to overnight notoriety, most notably its star Johnny Depp who, much to his chagrin, became a pinup boy and sex symbol for the show. The show mixed humor, action, and romance. … more

Comments (2) Compliments (45)

review by 2_TwoJewsOnFilm. March 13, 2012

posted in Movie Hype

'21 Jump Street' 'Two Jews On Film' One Laughs Alot...The Other Laughs...Not So Much (Video)

By Joan Alperin Schwartz What would you do if you had the chance to go back to high school and do it all over again? Well, two bumbling rookie cops, Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) get that chance when they're assigned to the long time dormant 21 Jump Street unit led by the perpetually pissed off Captain Dickson (Ice Cube) Their mission: Go back to … more

Comments (7) Compliments (36)

see all 21 Jump Street (2012 film) reviews (7)

About the reviewer

William (woopak_the_thrill)
Ranked #1

Please "Like" Film and Movies and Keep the Economy strong....LOL!! My Interests: Movies, Anime, History, Martial … more