Schmidt (Jonah Hill) was the classic nerd in high school; he had no friends, was ultra smart, and couldn’t land a date for prom. Jenko (Channing Tatum) was the complete opposite. He was attractive and athletic, and bullied Schmidt with any chance he got. After high school, they both enrolled in the police academy and they both moved passed their differences to become friends. After failing to complete their first arrest, Schmidt and Jenko are sent back into high school for an undercover mission to stop the selling of a new synthetic drug. They are both challenged to fit in once again, but find themselves in the opposite positions that they once were; Schmidt was popular and Jenko found himself friends with the nerds. In order to complete their mission, they need to reconcile their differences, and work together to put down the supplier of the new, lethal, and fast spreading drug.
Before I went to see 21 Jump Street, I was given rave reviews from my friends. They summed it up in one simple word; “Hilarious.” I find myself kind of a tough critic when it comes to comedy movies, so I was interested as to how I would react to the movie.
Just a few minutes into the movie, I realized that my friends were right; the movie was hilarious. I couldn’t stop laughing. Unlike most comedy movies that I had seen, this movie didn’t go a second without some form of comedic relief. Even the serious moments in the movie had a joke thrown in.
In order to enjoy this type of comedy, you must have a more profane sense of humor. While the display of nudity is held to a minimum in this rated R film, expect a slew of cuss words and sexual references thrown into casual dialogue. If you are no such fan of this type of entertainment, I’d advise you to pass on 21 Jump Street and head towards a different movie.
Although I think that this movie was great, I find that the high school stereotypes were cliché and honestly, not truly accurate in comparison to high school students today. The jock? The nerd? Really? How many times does Hollywood have to use these inaccurate typecasts? I get that it was an important part of the characterization for the movie, but I personally get a little annoyed after seeing the same stereotypes over and over and over again.
Overall, I’d give 21 Jump Street a high rating. I personally think it will end up in the ranks alongside the comedy classics such as Anchorman, Superbad, the Hangover, and Stepbrothers someday. I know I can’t wait to watch it again.