Facebook Instagram Twitter Youtube
  • News
    • Campus
    • Local
    • World
  • Arts and Entertainment
    • Performing Arts
    • Visual Arts
    • Music
    • Film
    • Fashion
  • Lifestyle
    • Campus Happenings
    • Community Happenings
    • Food
    • Business
    • Travel
    • Calendar
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Video
    • Globe News
    • What’s Bruin
    • Bruin Lens
    • Film
    • Music
    • Globe Shorts
  • Radio
Search
30 F
Salt Lake City
Saturday, December 9, 2023
  • Newsletter Signup
  • Contests
  • About The Globe
    • Staff
    • Jobs
    • Issue PDFs
Facebook Instagram Twitter Youtube
Sign in
Welcome! Log into your account
Forgot your password? Get help
Privacy Policy
Password recovery
Recover your password
A password will be e-mailed to you.
The Globe The Globe
The Globe The Globe
  • News
    • Campus
    • Local
    • World
  • Arts and Entertainment
    • Performing Arts
    • Visual Arts
    • Music
    • Film
    • Fashion
  • Lifestyle
    • Campus Happenings
    • Community Happenings
    • Food
    • Business
    • Travel
    • Calendar
  • Opinion
  • Sports
  • Video
    • Globe News
    • What’s Bruin
    • Bruin Lens
    • Film
    • Music
    • Globe Shorts
  • Radio
Home Arts and Entertainment ’21 Jump Street’ is a loyal homage to the 80’s
  • Arts and Entertainment
  • Features
  • Film

’21 Jump Street’ is a loyal homage to the 80’s

By
Stephen Romney
-
March 22, 2012
0
Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum in 21 Jump Street
Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum in 21 Jump Street (Sony Pictures)
Click here for the video review

My knowledge of the original 21 Jump Street series is fairly limited. All I knew about it is that this was where Johnny Depp got his start. So this film is being judged by the criteria presented in the film itself.

The basic story follows two police officers, played by Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill, who were on opposite ends of the totem pole in high school. They both work together to graduate from the police academy. After they botch their first arrest, they are assigned to the newly revived “Jump Street” program, where officers go undercover as high school students. Their mission: to find the supplier of the mysterious drug “H.F.S.”

Much of what you see in the trailer is essential a cut-down version of the opening scenes of the movie. What isn’t shown in the trailer is how the movie actually makes fun of the fact that it’s a movie based on a television series. It’s pretty blatant in that regard and actually made it enjoyable.

Another thing I liked is that it doesn’t stick to the “popular jock stereotypes” that television and movies of that era used when it portrayed high school. Instead it turns it on it’s head, as it shows how the “old  way” of surviving high school is no longer functional, as well as taking a few jabs at Glee.

The film has its goofy moments, and it also has its pretty dramatic moments. However, this isn’t the usual Adam Sandler-styled out of place drama, but actually progress more organically as the characters continue their investigation.

There’s actually a good degree of awesomeness that occurs, and not in the shoehorned sense where there’s a fire-fight, but more in the sense that we see them do some actual detective work.

What I also liked is how the film also made fun of typical action movie clichés. There’s a bit of a running gag where there are instances where you think something’s going to explode during a chase scene, but it doesn’t happen. It actually leads to a pretty interesting payoff.

On a final note, since this was the series that gave Johnny Depp his start, you can naturally expect an obligatory cameo. However, the film actually makes the cameo work for the story, as it’s a return of the character Depp played on the original show. It’s a nice touch and actually added to the movie.

Overall, this is an enjoyable film. It has a nice blend of action, comedy, and some genuine drama. It portrays teenagers more realistically than other recent films and pokes fun at itself on several occasions. On my personal scale, I give 21 Jump Street. a 3.5/5.

  • TAGS
  • 1980s
  • 21 Jump Street
  • 80's
  • buddy comedy
  • Channing Tatum
  • cop movies
  • Johnny Depp
  • Jonah Hill
  • police drama
  • remakes
  • sequel
  • tv adaptations
Stephen Romney

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

George Clooney as Baird Whitlock

Movie review: ‘Hail, Caesar!’

Channing Tatum as John Cale in "White House Down"

Movie review: ‘White House Down’ is equal parts ‘Die Hard’ and ‘Independence Day’

Dwayne Johnson and Bruce Willis in a scene from "G.I. Joe: Retaliation"

‘G.I. Joe: Retaliation’: At least Michael Bay wasn’t directing…

Romney’s Reviews: ‘21 Jump Street’

The Globe
ABOUT US
About The Globe
Staff
Jobs
Issue PDFs
FOLLOW US
Facebook Instagram Twitter Youtube
  • About The Globe
  • Staff
  • Contact Us
  • Jobs
© 2023 The Globe