Watching “21 Jump Street” was, for me, an unpleasant experience. Although it’s based on a Fox television series that aired in the ‘80s, it’s been updated to appeal to modern youth, which means it’s replete with foul language, vulgarity, drug use, vomiting and what have you. I understand life is a party and I shouldn’t be a stick in the mud, but would someone please tell me what’s funny about a man’s genitals being shot off? The lady sitting behind me clearly thought that was the height of movie comedy.
There is a humorous and even touching movie beneath the crass material. I liked an early scene in which a police chief tells a pair of inept cops that the department is reviving an undercover program from the ‘80s called “21 Jump Street.” Similar to the TV show, the plan is to place undercover officers in a local high school to smoke out the makers of a new drug. Writer Michael Bacall uses the scene to poke fun at the glut of remakes appearing in theaters these days. Although the chief is complaining about having to bring back a dusty, old program, in the larger sense, Bacall is criticizing the hopeless lack of originality in Hollywood. “These idiots have no idea what they’re doing,” the chief says.
I laughed during that scene, and I laughed when the two undercover officers, Schmidt and Jenko, met with their principal on their first day of school and forgot which names their sergeant assigned to them. They got the names backwards, of course, which put the jock in advanced chemistry and the nerd in track. There’s also an amusing scene in which the chief drills Schmidt and Jenko on the Miranda rights:
Chief: “Quote the Miranda rights.”
Jenko: “You have the right... to... remain an attorney...”
Chief: “Did you say you have the right to be an attorney?”
Schmidt: “You do have the right to be an attorney.”
I also have to give props to Jonah Hill, who’s both funny and sweet as Schmidt. When Hill first started appearing in movies, I couldn’t stand him. He made up his dialogue, most of which was painful to hear, and he seemed to be more interested in being offensive than witty. But movie by movie, he’s developed as an actor, to the point that the Academy nominated him for an Oscar for his role in “Moneyball.”
In “21 Jump Street,” Hill plays the archetypal nerd who in high school wanted the popular kids to like him, and who longed to take the pretty girl to the prom, but ended up being rejected on all fronts. Schmidt gets the chance for a do-over when he helps Jenko pass his police academy exams, and when he meets a pretty senior who likes him. Hill brings conviction to the serious moments in “21 Jump Street,” which made me root for his character.
The biggest surprise of the movie was Channing Tatum, who’s developed a reputation for being stiff and uncharismatic. As Jenko, however, he displays good comedic instincts and timing. Who knew?
Above all, I liked how “21 Jump Street” anchors its cop buddy storyline in the friendship of its two main characters. The relationship between Schmidt and Jenko has its ups and downs, and both men make mistakes, but in the end, their friendship is stronger than ever.
Because “21 Jump Street” is a cop buddy movie, there are car chases, shootouts and despicable drug dealers. It’s all by the numbers, but because the movie is more about its characters, its clichéd elements get a pass.
If you can get past what I described in the opening paragraph, or if you like comedies that push the “R” rating, you’ll likely enjoy “21 Jump Street.” I lost interest during a scene in which Ice Cube stands at a church pulpit and uses the “F” word enough times to put Scarface to shame. A good movie is a good movie, though, and I have to call them like I see them.
Rated R for crude and sexual content, pervasive language, drug material, teen drinking, and violence. Three stars out of four. Email David Laprad at dlaprad@hamiltoncountyherald.com.