I went into this film not knowing anything about it. I didn't know the storyline and I didn't know anything about the television series it was based on (other than it starred Johnny Depp) - I really had no idea what to expect. For me, the first thing I look at when trying to find new films to watch is the cast and the director. And this film kind of had everything against it in those two points. I mean, a film starring Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum doesn't exactly scream 'Watch me!' - and as for the directors, Phil Lord and Chris Miller - their backgrounds are in animation, not live action. So you're probably wondering, why the hell did I watch this film then? And honestly, I'm not sure why I decided to watch it; boredom maybe? But boy am I glad I did.
The film begins and we meet Schmidt, a bleach blonde Eminem wannabe who is constantly bullied, and Jenko, a hunky long haired jock, who is unintelligent, and primarily Schmidt's worst offender. It then cuts to modern day and the pair are both enrolled in the Police Academy and have joined forces to help each other graduate. But instead of the fast paced cop jobs that you see on TV, the pair are lumbered with park duty, fishing frisbees out of ponds for kids and telling people not to feed the ducks. Jenko then spots a gang smoking marijuana, and takes the advantage to take down their first case and move on from duck duty. However this goes terrifically wrong and the pair end up being sent to 21 Jump Street, a programme in which officers are sent undercover to high schools to stop youth crime. The pair are sent to stop a drugs ring and find the source of a new drug that begins in an extraordinary high but then culminates in such a low that the user dies.
My first thought of this film was that it was going to be like every other high school drama movie, and in it way it still is, yet the film is glossed with clever little twists and such a fantastic script that you can forget about how generic it is and just sit back and laugh at the sight of Jonah Hill in a Peter Pan costume. One of the most clever things about this film is that the high school dynamic is so different from the high school that Schmidt and Jenko knew - with the students now being socially aware, tolerant of others and concerned about the environment - so not only are the pair confused as to how they fit into this new social dynamic, they're also confused about how straight-laced this new world is, shown through hilarious scenes such as when they are trying to identify cliques, and can't comprehend what the hell a hipster is.
The humour of this film definitely isn't for everyone, with every one liner being brilliantly foul-mouthed, but the humour is the strongest point in the film, closely followed by the beautiful action scenes such as a wild car chase and a hilarious gun battle.
The cinematography isn't really anything to rave about - it's no Schindler's List in that department - but it isn't the worst. Were you really expecting this film to have beautiful cinematography? I sure wasn't. The editing, again, nothing to rave about. But the pacing was really good. It never felt rushed or too slow, and it never felt like they were trying to cram too much story into one scene. Miller and Lord really got the feel of this film too, with those awkward moments where you can literally feel the character's embarrassment, or those moments when you feel like you could cut the tension in the air with a knife.
So do I recommend this film? 21 Jump Street is a genuine crowd pleaser, which satisfies and is incredibly entertaining and funny. So I say leave your preconceptions behind and give this film a watch - I'm sure you'll be quoting it for months after.
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