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When the first trailer for 21 Jump Street hit the web, I thought it looked like garbage. My first impression of it was that it was a cliché high school comedy with Channing Tatum. After seeing it due to positive buzz, I can admit that I was an idiot. I loved the hell out of this film. Directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller, who previously made the animated masterpiece Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, and written by Michael Bacall, who co-wrote Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, 21 Jump Street was in the hands of true geniuses. I must say, I should've had faith in this film. Having never seen the original TV show, which I've heard is a lot darker than this reboot, I didn't know what to expect. Shockingly enough, this ended up being an action-comedy, and an excellent one thrown in for good measure.
In 2005, Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) were high school students; Schmidt was clever academically but un-sporty and a miss with the girls, while Jenko was the opposite. Neither of them got to attend the school formal. Seven years later they're rookie cops, so inept they can't remember the caution they are supposed to give suspects when they arrest them. They're assigned to an undercover unit run by sardonic Captain Dickson (Ice Cube), which is located in the Aroma of Christ Church at 21 Jump Street. Their first assignment is to be sent undercover to a high school to discover who's supplying a dangerous new form of drug.
Jonah Hill and writer Michael Bacall came up with the story, and it's a total far cry from the original TV show. At first, it may be hard to believe that a jock like Jenko could be best friends with a nerd like Schmidt. Well, the back-story is briskly explained to us in the film's opening - Schmidt and Jenko initially hated each other in high school, but met yet again when they both enrolled into the police academy. They became friends as they started to help each other with the academic and physical side of the academy. This could've easily been a very shallow and superficial relationship, but Bacall takes time to establish that this friendship the two characters share is real and sincere. There's a very sweet side to it, and it definitely adds an emotional side to 21 Jump Street, which is, for most of the time, a film that you can't really take seriously.
Speaking of this, the humour is extremely self-aware to the point where you can't really take a lot of the film seriously. There are laughs at every minute - this is a how a comedy should be. Bacall definitely adds that self aware humour that was so present in Scott Pilgrim vs. the World to this. The film is pretty much a parody of buddy cop films like Bad Boys and Lethal Weapon, and makes fun of elements we see in these kinds of movies (for example, explosions). The film also made fun of itself several times. The satirical humour worked so well for me - there's a moment where the film literally jokes about how it's a remake of an old TV show. You gotta love a film that cracks a joke about itself. There's so much satire here that I haven't even begun naming half the things 21 Jump Street makes fun of. The change in era, the fact that Schmidt and Jenko look so out of place in the high school - there's so much here that's gonna make you laugh hysterically.
As Schmidt, Jonah Hill delivers the goods, and proves he can still be funny even when he's not fat. Hill is a lot more fit now having lost a lot of weight. He previous played the fat obnoxious guy in films like Superbad, but he definitely brings a new side to him 21 Jump Street. He's a lot more nerdy and respectable. Also impressing me was Channing Tatum. I was shocked at how convincing his acting was. Normally, he's wooden, but he brought a good sense of joy to his role. His performance as both convincing and humourous, and he worked so well with Hill. Ice Cube brings his A-game after recovering from the dismal films, Are We There Yet? and Are We Done Yet?. I'm glad to see him in a role his comfortable in. Brie Larson is sweet and likeable as Schmidt's love interest Molly, while James Franco's brother, Dave Franco, fails to impress as a student involved with the drug dealing. There are also small cameos from some big movie stars, but I'm not supposed to mention it.
Lord and Miller know how to do comedy well. After Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, they tackle the high school comedy, and they add that same style that made Meatballs such a success. There direction is perfect, adding a retro and goofy vibe to the film, ranging from the editing and visual effects, to the pop culture references. The film also features a few badass action sequences - it is still a cop movie after. There are two car chases, which still have a great deal of humour thrown into the mix. With the addition of an R rating, there are a few gory and quite amusing shootouts, and the film's climax is simply to die for.
I love this film. I simply LOVE it. As an aspiring filmmaker, these are kinds of films I love to make. I just can't get enough of self-awareness. The goofiness, the hilarious action sequences, and the satire - this film is a total must see. It's one of the best films of 2012 so far (I'd even say it's better than The Avengers), and for any fans of comedy, this is worth the price of admission. I will definitely be picking this up on Blu-Ray. It's that good.
10/10
