21 Jump Street Review

On Friday it was me and my girlfriend Ashley's 4 year anniversary and out of the blue we decided to go see 21 Jump Street starring Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum. In the film the two went to high school together and Hill was a nerd while Tatum was a jock. After high school both decide to join the police force and become friends because Tatum can't pass the mental exam and Hill can't pass the physical exam. After getting on the force the two are stuck doing day shift duty at a local park which is the exact opposite of what they wanted to do. One day they come accross a gang of bikers getting high at the park and think this is their big break to get on as a full time cop. After arresting one of the bikers in a hilarious chase scene Tatum and Hill forget to read the Miranda rights. Instead of being fired they are transferred to an undercover operation at a high school on Jump Street. From there they start unraveling a drug operation that threatens to get worse unless they find the supplier.

The film is directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller who have worked together on a lot of animated projects but this is the first feature length live action film for the two. I think the technical aspects are all solid in this film which is something I spend some time on if I feel as though it is less than good but in this case nothing really to complain about. The biggest issue of the film is the pace which can be a tad jumpy at times to the point where I literally jumped out of my seat a bit from the sheer unexpected nature of edits. Some of the gags were funny at first but wore thin by the end of there stints. Finally the most annoying character was Ice Cube who at first was hilarious but in some points just got downright annoying with the crazy captain schtick. However he was sprinkled around enough for me to forgive him.

Overall the film is funny and tries to stay away from any cliches of the comedies, maybe at times a little too much which sacrifices story at times. The pacing is hit or miss but overall works very well. The cameo by Johnny Depp is nice and unexpected even if you are expecting it. Finally the acting is solid if you are looking for a good comedy to go to this week, this is the one for you for sure. Go check it out!

Thanks for the support,
Daniel Hess