21 Jump Street

There is no better experience for a film critic than a movie that genuinely and pleasantly surprises them. I knew walking in that 21 Jump Street was going to be a comic take on the old TV series that ran from the late 80s to early 90s, and helped launch the career of Johnny Depp. What I was not prepared for was that there is a certain sweetness and charm to the film, thanks to the surprisingly strong chemistry of its two stars, Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum. This is a highly entertaining comedy, and gives me hope that Tatum (an actor I have not really enjoyed up to this point) could have a strong future as a comic actor.

As the film opens, we're introduced to Schmidt (Hill) and Jenko (Tatum), who are high school rivals. Schmidt is the insecure nerd, who gets tongue-tied when trying to ask the pretty girl to the prom. Jenko is the bully jock who enjoys chuckling at Schmidt's misery. Seven years pass, and the two find themselves reunited at the police academy. This time, however, they realize that they need each other in order to succeed, as Schmidt has the brains to help Jenko pass the written exams, and Jenko has the brawn to help Schmidt pass the physical obstacle course exam. They have a brief stint as bicycle cops, but the Chief soon assigns them to a new program, where they will go undercover as high school students. In one of the film's funniest lines, the Chief explains that they are reopening an old undercover program from the 80s because "The guys in charge of this stuff lack creativity, and are completely out of ideas".

This is smart and funny stuff, and it only gets smarter and funnier as the two infiltrate a local high school, to try to find the source of a new synthetic drug that is growing in popularity, and recently killed a student. Schmidt and Jenko are not only trying to pass themselves off as regular students, but also as brothers. Of course, they don't look like students (then again, "kids" in high school movies seldom do), nor do they look like brothers. It doesn't help that they both forget their fake identities that the Chief supplied them with seconds after arriving at the school, so they're both assigned the wrong classes. Still, they quickly figure out that the school's main drug dealer is the eco-obsessed yearbook editor, Eric (Dave Franco, brother of James). In the process of trying to get close to Eric and find out what he knows, Schmidt winds up becoming popular with the other students, while Jenko finds himself alone and rejected, and treated like an outcast.

21 Jump Street attempts to do a lot of things, and does almost all of them well. It's a self-aware and very smart comedy that pokes fun at its own cliches and stereotypes. It's a buddy picture, with this "odd couple" learning to work together. There's a romantic subplot, concerning Schmidt getting close with a pretty young school actress named Molly (Brie Larson), when Schmidt gets the lead role in a production of Peter Pan. There's also plenty of over the top violence and action sequences, which are handled well enough, but is probably the most forgettable part of the movie. Because of this, it's a wise move that the directing team of Phil Lord and Chris Miller (Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs) rely on smart dialogue, rather than action to draw us in. Credit must also be given to Michael Bacall's screenplay, which is quite a shock, considering the guy was also credited with writing the abysmal Project X just a couple weeks ago. Either his heart really wasn't in that last movie, or he has shown a dramatic leap in talent in a very short time.

But it's the surprisingly successful combination of Jonah Hill (who brings a sweet, naive charm) and Channing Tatum (who plays it sweetly dumb here) that makes the biggest impression. They're wonderful together, because they both play on the same level. Even though Schmidt is technically "the smart one", he screws up just as much as Jenko, which creates an odd sort of bond between the two. They need each other, and realize it quickly. This isn't one of those movies where they're enemies for most of the movie, then learn to put aside their differences. They realize they can help each other early on, and it's this friendship that carries the movie. Hill gets to create a charming and sympathetic character who simply wants to belong, while Tatum (who has never been better) manages to be funny, sweet, and surprisingly personable.

Like a lot of comedies that aim for greatness, 21 Jump Street falls just a little bit short. The last half hour or so isn't quite as funny as the stuff that came before it. But, I liked the characters, and the movie itself had won me over a long time ago, so it didn't really matter. What I can say with certainty is that I have laughed this loud or this much at a comedy so far this year. What a wonderful feeling that is, after sitting through movies that barely elicited a smile from me. I also feel the need to note that although this movie definitely earns its R-rating, this is not an offensive movie. Well, okay, there is one visual gag near the end that comes close to crossing the line, but it at least knows when to cut away.

Speaking of the ending, it hints at a sequel, which I would certainly welcome, but I hope they don't go and simply recycle ideas. This premise could easily lead to some uninspired sequels. Still, I'm going to remain optimistic. What we have here is one very funny movie, and one that's almost certain to be a crowd pleaser. Don't spoil it, just so we can see these characters once again in an inferior movie. Give these guys the sequel they deserve.

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