Movie Madness - 21 Jump Street | Arts & Culture

I will make this written review swift and full of justice as I give the Miranda rights for ’21 Jump Street’.

A pair of underachieving cops are sent back to a local high school to blend in and bring down a synthetic drug ring.

The movie stars Channing Tatum and Oscar Nominee Jonah Hill….I still can’t believe I’m using those words. The film is based on drama that ran on Fox from the late 80’s to early 90’s starring a young, pre-Tim Burton’s puppet, Johnny Depp.

In the vein of Starsky and Hutch and other recent remakes, this does not stick to the source material. Couldn’t you tell it wouldn’t when Jonah Hill is the main star? I will say that with the release of John Carter, I believe we are finally into good movie season because 21 Jump Street carries the flame high!

From the very get go I was thrown back in my own personal high school experiences full of wedges and badly gelled hair. Jonah Hill’s appearance in the first part of the film will make my generation say with a gasp “I went to school with that guy”! They nailed the high school scenes down to a T and nothing is exaggerated.

Tatum trades his Frankenstein like acting for a more tongue and cheek buddy role. I think we have stumbled on a new niche for Channing Tatum. He shines brightly in this film. He holds his own and plays off well with Hill’s character. I never thought I would use positive words in the same sentence with the name Channing Tatum but then again it is 2012.

The film does something that the recent remakes have not done. It makes fun of itself. You get winks and nudges throughout the movie as it makes fun of the usually chase scenes and explosion you always in the typical action film.

The screenplay is top notch with humor and jokes spread throughout the film and the film never lags.

The only compliant I do have is that the 3rd act is sort of weak and ends in a very cliché way but that is what they may have been going for.

One thing that should be noted is some of the cast from the original ’21 Jump Street’ make several cameos during the film including one major cameo. Except for Richard Grieco.

Therefore I give this film a big must see rating of 3 and a half Grieco’s.

 Richard Grieco, you see right through me.