The Roar
21 Jump Street: Finally a Funny Movie With a PurposeThursday, March 29, 2012 By Lexie Forkner
The nostalgically funny movie 21 Jump Street premiered March 16, 2012, a summative counterpart to the 1987-1997 TV show with the same title. The movie contains an all-star cast, with notoriously comedic Jonah Hill and heartthrob Channing Tatum as the front men. The movie follows the story of Schmidt (Hill) and Jenko (Tatum), two goofy and unsuccessful cops who receive an undercover assignment to go back to high school and reveal the supplier of a new synthetic drug that is running rampant across campus. The stars have to assume fake identities which lead them to live the lives of the exact opposite stereotypes that they held during their own high school careers. This comedy follows the same basic plotline that was prevalent throughout the show’s airing. The movie even contains a truly shocking guest appearance from one of Hollywood’s A-list actors, who also happened to star in the original 21 Jump Street show. 21 Jump Street is a movie that today’s teenagers can relate to, with major themes such as drug and alcohol use, peer and societal pressure, and clique rivalries. It also highlights the friendship issues that come along with newfound popularity, which is an issue that almost every teen can understand. This movie makes a very serious issue in society, teen drug use, hilarious while remaining its informative composure. This is different than similar teen movies that have been released recently, such as documentary-style party film Project X, in that it actually has a moral message at the end. This movie teaches teens just how dangerous drug use can be, instead of glorifying it and making the activity seem “cool.” In 21 Jump Street , the perpetrators receive very serious consequences unlike the main party-thrower in Project X. The acting was surprisingly on point for a comedy, with Hill and Tatum acting as the perfect law-enforcing pair. They showed that police officers really do have quirks and that they are not always hard-headed. However, it is a tad bit dissappointing that Channing Tatum did not take his shirt off once in the entire film, as he usually does in his productions. Rated R, this movie includes some inappropriate language, sexual innuendos with some minor nudity, and underage drug and alcohol use, but it is not as vulgar as many teen comedies. 21 Jump Street is a great movie for any viewer looking to watch a refreshing comedy this spring that will leave them gasping for air due to laughter. |