Sunday, March 25, 2012

21 Jump Street Review

Rated R (Crude and Sexual Content, Pervasive Language, Drug Material, Teen Drinking and some Violence)

Running Time: 1 Hour & 49 Minutes

Cast-
Jonah Hill-Morton Schmidt
Channing Tatum-Greg Jenko
Brie Larson-Molly Tracey
Dave Franco-Eric Molson
O'Shea Jackson-Captain Dickson
Ellie Kemper-Ms. Griggs
Rob Riggle-Mr. Walters
Chris Parnell-Mr. Gordon
Nick Offerman-Deputy Chief Hardy
DeRay Davis-Domingo
Jake M. Johnson-Principal Dadier

Directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller

Don't expect these guys to know their Miranda Rights!
As a film remake of a popular late 1980’s television series, “21 Jump Street” shouldn’t have worked but yet it surprises by being one of the funniest comedies this year. Nick Offerman’s Deputy Chief Hardy even dryly remarks at one point that ‘the guys in charge are out of original ideas and find themselves forced to recycle old programs’—an apt way of describing the current state of Hollywood. Similar attempts in reviving once popular television shows such as 2004’s “Starsky & Hutch” and 2006’s “Miami Vice” have been met with a mixed reception at best but when Columbia Pictures/Sony announced in May 2008 that a film remake for “21 Jump Street” was under development, the response was overwhelmingly negative due to Hollywood’s often-poor track record with remakes in general. Created by Patrick Hasburgh and Stephen J. Cannell, the original “21 Jump Street” ran for five seasons from 1987 to 1991 on the Fox Network and focused on a group of youthful-looking undercover police officers investigating crimes and other illegal activities in high schools, colleges, and other teenage venues. Unlike the film, the show was a crime drama that focused on teenage-related issues of its time (drug abuse, hate crimes, homophobia, etc.) with some episodes ending with a public service announcement from its cast members. However, it is best remembered for boosting Johnny Depp’s fledgling acting career. Depp become something of a teen idol on the show, a status which he found irritating when looking back. While the film version follows the same continuity as the television series, it does away with all the dramatic elements in favor of a genre parody. As much as it satirizes and pokes fun at action, cop, and high school films, “21 Jump Street” ends up embracing those very same clichés but while the story is thin and predictable, the pairing of Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum elevates the material thanks to their often-hilarious antics. 

Morton Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Greg Jenko (Channing Tatum) are former high school classmates who reunite at the local police academy after graduating in 2005. A smart but socially awkward misfit, Schmidt was often made fun of by the more popular but dim-witted Jenko. At the police academy, the two decide to become friends and help with each other’s weaknesses—Schmidt with the physical challenges and Jenko with the exams. They successfully graduate as full-fledged police officers with Jenko remarking with confidence to ‘get ready for a lifetime of being badass mother f*ckers!’ Unfortunately, the two are assigned to park patrol and spend their time retrieving Frisbees and telling children not to feed the ducks. One day, they spot a motorcycle gang called the ‘One-Percenters’ smoking weed and excitedly shake them down. The gang members attempt to escape when Jenko finds cocaine in one of their saddlebags but One-Percenter leader Domingo (DeRay Davis) is arrested. However, Deputy Chief Hardy (Nick Offerman) is forced to release him because Jenko forgot to read him his Miranda rights. Due to their ineptitude, Hardy transfers them to an undercover program that the police department is resurrecting. Schmidt and Jenko arrive at an abandoned Korean church on ’21 Jump Street’ where they meet Captain Dickson (O'Shea Jackson), who informs them and the other recruits that they will be going undercover in various high schools. Dickson assigns Schmidt and Jenko to Sagan High School where a synthetic drug dubbed HFS has recently taken hold of the student populace. Schmidt and Jenko pose as brothers but the undercover operation does not go as planned when they mix up their identities and begin engaging in ridiculous behavior with disastrous results. 

Written by Jonah Hill and Michael Bacall, “21 Jump Street” jettisons all the police procedural and dramatic elements of the late-1980’s television series in favor of satirizing genre clichés in a knowingly tongue-in-cheek manner. The writers are aware that their film is essentially a studio-cash grab (as most remakes are) and some of the dialogue actually pokes fun at this while the story follows the mismatched buddy cop formula. As such, what happens in the film won’t come as a total surprise to audiences nor will it make much logical sense when observed under close scrutiny (Jenko recruits a group of honor students to help plant a bug on a suspect’s cell-phone) but it is peppered with enough hilarious moments to make these flaws forgivable. Early on, Schmidt and Jenko are forced to take the drugs that are at the center of their investigation, causing them to start hallucinating or engage in crude behavior. Channing Tatum shows a penchant for physical comedy when he starts running around screaming and knocking objects over in band class while under the influence of the drugs with each stage labeled with bizarre graphics. Many of the characters are depicted as caricatures of popular stereotypes (eco-friendly drug dealer and angry black police captain) but while the overall tone is certainly juvenile, the film cleverly explores the curious dichotomy of past and present, that the high school experience will always remain the same even if the students and culture change with the times—a fact that allows Schmidt and Jenko to overcome their lingering issues with each other. I also appreciated the little touches that directors Phil Lord and Chris Miller (whose previous film was 2009’s “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs”) afforded to their supporting cast such as Ellie Kemper’s chemistry teacher who is sexually attracted to Jenko or Rob Riggle’s loud-mouthed coach. There’s even a big cameo included which I won’t spoil but you can probably find out who it is if you search online. As funny as “21 Jump Street” is, there are a number of flaws and derivative story notwithstanding, the film runs a tad overlong and begins to drag as the narrative spins its wheels until the next laugh or set-piece. The car chases are also perfunctory but Lord and Miller gleefully play with the audience’s expectations of big explosions. 

Jonah Hill (who lost 40 pounds for the role) delivers as expected as the socially inept Schmidt since this type of role isn’t unfamiliar to him but it is surprisingly Channing Tatum who shines as the dimwitted and gung-ho Jenko. Tatum is not viewed favorably as an actor due to his limited range and his previous work have mainly consisted of muscle-bound tough guys or charming lover boys so his casting was met with skepticism but he seems to be right at home in a comedic role. Hill and Tatum complement each other so well that you truly believe that Schmidt and Jenko can be best friends in real life. The adorable Brie Larson plays the requisite love interest to Hill but don’t worry, her character is eighteen! The rest of the supporting cast has only one or two scenes but they make the most out of their irreverent roles in bringing on the laughter. 

“21 Jump Street” was released on March 16, 2012 to largely positive reviews with 85% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics hailed it as ‘a smart, affectionate satire of '80s nostalgia and teen movie tropes [and] offers rowdy mainstream comedy with a surprisingly satisfying bite.’ Comedies are often cheap to make and the film has already earned back its $42 million production budget with a worldwide box office gross of $87 million. The audience I saw the film with clearly enjoyed it but curiously, I heard someone loudly snoring in the back. People have always fallen asleep at the movies but why they do it is a mystery since you’re paying $6.00 to $13.50 to sleep when you can do that at home. “21 Jump Street” knows that it isn’t offering anything new and that it is essentially repackaged goods but the film offers up so many laughs with a wink and a nod that it’s hard to get hung up on its paper-thin story and predictable plot elements. I’m a hard man to please when it comes to comedies but “21 Jump Street” passes with flying colors!

Final Rating: 4 out of 5

“You have the right to... suck my dick, motherf*cker!”