"You are here because you some Justin Beaver, Miley Cyrus lookin' muthas."
Remakes are a tricky bag. Hollywood has been churning out reboots of movies and TV shows for so long now, that most people groan at the thought of having to sit through another one. They usually are either exactly the same (or maybe slightly modernized) or so different that they really have little in common with the original. Occasionally the remake is critically lauded, sometimes even over the original (2010’s True Grit comes to mind but 2007’s 3:10 To Yuma and 1983’s Scarface both work). But really those are the minority. Most remakes are cliché, pointless, and a testament to the “there’s no new ideas in Hollywood” mentality. 21 Jump Street is not one of those films.
Based on the 1987 TV series of the same name, 21 Jump Street follows two cops who go undercover as high school students trying to bust a drug ring open. My extent of knowledge on the TV series, other than it being the jump off point to Johnny Depp’s career, starts and ends with the basic premise. And honestly it’s a pretty ridiculous idea that grown men and women could go undercover in a high school. Luckily for moviegoers, this 21 Jump Street makes it clear pretty quickly that everyone involved knows how outlandish this idea is, and continually makes fun of it. From early on, directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller lambast the original show, as well as high school and buddy cop movie tropes. And it’s easily one of the funniest films of the year.
Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum star as the two aforementioned cops each complementing the other one; Hill is a brainiac and lousy at physical exertion while Tatum is fine with running and jumping but not so good at tests. They’re predictably asked to adopt identities similar to their own but they accidentally switch profiles while in school, leaving the athletic Tatum to hang with the nerds and dorky Hill to chill with the cool kids. Much of the drama derives from this simple setup whether it’s Tatum coming to terms with Hill being the new cool kid or Hill awkwardly auditioning for the school play.
The real humor of the movie lies in it’s satire of conventions of both the high school and the cop movie. Tatum is stunned to find out on the first day of school that the cool kids now care about the environment, get straight A’s, and in general are nicer to other people. It’s a clear sign that someone is actually paying attention to modern high schools and not just rehashing The Breakfast Club stereotypes. Honestly, I’m not sure what other people’s high school experiences were, but this is about as close as it comes to what high school was like for me. And that’s a refreshing change from literally any other high school-related media in recent memory (I’m looking squarely at you, Glee). Tired of how in every car in every cop movie (or anything in a Michael Bay movie) explodes regardless of context? 21 Jump Street plays that up. Annoyed that Hollywood keeps rehashing the same storylines in movies and hope you never notice? 21 Jump Street goes there. Nothing is off limits and the jokes land whether in context of the story or as a meta-analysis of the genre(s).
On the acting side of things, Jonah Hill is predictably good and well suited to the role (he actually co-created the story the screenplay was based on). But the real highlight is Channing Tatum. It’s no secret I’ve never really thought too much of him, but Jump Street proves he has the chops. He lands both the funniest jokes and the most dramatic moments and can switch between them seamlessly. Also of note is Dave Franco (James Franco’s younger brother). I’ve been a hopeful fan of his since Funny or Die’s Acting with James Franco web videos and he was a highlight on the otherwise dismal ninth season of Scrubs, so it’s nice to finally see him get a decent role in a quality production.
Overall, it’s a solid film from start to finish and the jokes are still funny on a second viewing (a problem with most comedies). Remakes rarely live up to the expectations of the original, but 21 Jump Street surpasses it’s television roots by leaps and bounds with it’s sharp script and invigorating performances by all involved.
8/10
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