80’s TV shows and their big screen versions can be quite hit and miss. Starsky and Hutch and the Dukes of Hazzard spring to mind as the misses, but on the other side of the coin, something like the A-Team was a hit. And then there’s something that is poised to be not only a huge hit, but one of the funniest movies of the year, 21 Jump Street.
Based on the idea of the old TV show, where young looking cops end up in high school to bust drug rings, the 2012 incarnation goes to places where Johnny Depp and co could have only dreamed of. Well to the best of my knowledge the TV show never had cops dropping their nut sacks on a perp, nor did it have some oral finger blasting. Starring Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum, 21 Jump Street shares very little with the original TV show, and thats no bad thing. The jokes come thick and fast as Hill and Tatum bounce off each other with immeasurable chemistry. Besides our two hapless heroes, Ice Cube plays the stereotypical angry black captain, and is only too happy to drop a few inside jokes about rehashing old things and angry black captains. Cube actually has one of the years funniest pieces of dialogue which involves a snorkel.
The rest of the cast are all adequate with what they do, but there is one exception which will have you doing a double take. Dave Franco. Yup, James Franco’s brother, who is not only the spitting image of his older brother, but also shares his brothers talent. And while he has a long way to go, he is fantastic.
21 Jump Street is not without it’s flaws though. At times, it drags it’s heels and while you’re never more than a few minutes away from a gag, some of the jokes do get lost. That said though, it is forgivable as the poor jokes are immediately followed with something hilarious. Another criticism would be that it is incredibly predictable at times, including as you’d expect, some role reversal, which sees Tatum become the geek and Hill more of a popular kid. Again though, all is forgivable as both characters are extremely likeable. So much so, that Tatum’s character has great difficulty in remember the Miranda rights, but when he gets it right in the finale you just want to jump up and scream the rights along with him. And speaking of the finale, there is a scene that will have you choking on your popcorn so hard, you won’t even think such a scene was possible. Sheer brilliance, but I won’t drop into spoiler land here. And speaking of sheer brilliance, Johnny Depp’s cameo (come on, it’s not a spoiler, everyone knows he’s in it) is simply brilliant. Its as good, if not better than the Zombieland cameo.
21 Jump Street, while not without its flaws, is downright hilarious and full of clever touches, many of which include explosions. Incidentally, the credits are nearly as good as the movie itself, and it’s quite obvious that an extended / uncut home version will arrive. Overall 21 Jump Street is a must watch and doesn’t disappoint! Bring on the sequel!
