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Cast: Jonah Hill (Schmidt), Channing Tatum (Jenko), Ice Cube (Captain Dickson)
Plot: Two not so likely friends from high school pair up to join to Police. They befriend each other for the benefit of their work and become closer than they ever imagined considering their unsavoury friendship at school. However the two are forced to go undercover at a high school due to their unprofessional behaviour on the job and their youthful appearances. This forces them to re-live high school and track down a drug ring within the school supplying a synthetic drug with severe side effects.
This film, 21 Jump Street 2012 is based on the original Television Series starring Johnny Depp which ran from 1987 to 1991 with a total of 103 episodes. The film follows a similar plot with up to date elements. The two starring actors are perfectly cast to play the popular guy (Jenko) and the nerd (Schmidt). Some may say this film follows a stereotypical framework but it works within the film and it is a common theme within high school situations.
What I love about this adaptation is the genuine chemistry between Hill and Tatum. The snippet at the beginning of the film highlights their disputes but also shows us a brief similarity the boys have, one being popular but not having a chance at college while the other is academic but not having any luck with friends or girls. You see them both have a brief tearful moment which inevitably brings them closer together when they are both reunited as they enrol with the Police.
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They are assigned park duty and do their best to arrest drug dealers which leads them facing undercover duty with Captain Dickson due to their behaviour during the 'chase' and their youthful looks. They are considered a joke on the force as Schmidt lacks the balls to shoot and carry out an arrest while Jenko has the tough demeanour but doesn't even know the Miranda rights.
This task takes them back in time, Schmidt is terrified he will have to re-live the torment he suffered at school while Jenko thinks he will breeze through just as he did in the past. There is a mix up and the boys have to take each other's classes. The boys have to try and track down the ring leaders within the school but school since their day has drastically changed and their roles are reversed, causing uneasy tension leading their bond to be questioned.
Some of the funniest scenes come from Hill and Tatum's interactions with each other. The scene in the bathroom where they try not to ingest the drug given to them by Eric, the eco-friendly popular drug dealer, is by far the funniest I have seen in a very long time.
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I love the fact that Schmidt gets a taste of the popular life and Jenko gets to make genuine friends and realise he has so much more potential. The film shows how difficult high school can be and how much you can miss out on depending on what route you choose to take. The moral to the story, that Schmidt and Jenko genuinely care and love each other, just like the brother's they are playing for this undercover operation, is heart warming.
My View: This film rivals that of Superbad 2007 and Pineapple Express 2008. It has slapstick humour, laugh out loud moments and a good message behind it all. I was engaged throughout and that is my kind of film! I am a big Jonah Hill fan but I now have a new love for Channing Tatum (not just for his looks, which I have always favoured) as his comedic skills really shone in this film. There are a few twists and a shocker at the end so this should be on your list to watch and it will be on my DVD list to purchase for sure!
Rating: 8/10
Trailer:
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