Photo credit: denofgeek.com
By Kimberley John
Directors: Phil Lord and Christopher Miller
Main stars: Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum
Rating: 9/10
I have a profound tendency to procrastinate while I should be revising for important exams, and the situation was no different a few weeks ago in the midst of my AS revision. Everyone knows that the best way to procrastinate is to watch films, and I chose to do exactly that. I watched seven films in three days. I do not regret my decision.
21 Jump Street was released in 2012, and a few weeks later it was recommended to me by a friend, but I never had the chance to see it. I didn’t really have the desire to, either, because at that time I wasn’t that into comedies and I didn’t want to jump on the bandwagon of worshipping Channing Tatum. Fortunately, (or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it) that’s all changed now. I love comedies, and I love Channing Tatum.
The film follows the story of two police officers, Greg Jenko (Channing Tatum) and Morton Schmidt (Jonah Hill), who are forced to work undercover in a high school in order to “infiltrate the dealers; find the supplier” of a new synthetic drug which is rapidly spreading amongst the student population. Their investigation into the case seems wearisome at times, and they don’t always get it right, but the highly-anticipated climax and the continuous, unrelenting humour throughout make the film utterly enjoyable to watch. There is never a dull moment.
Kudos goes to the team behind the camera, as well as the actors themselves, as 21 Jump Street is brilliantly made and exceptionally well-cast. It seems that the roles of Jenko and Schmidt were literally written for Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill; and despite the film depicting them as an unlikely pair, they work extremely well together. It’s difficult to imagine any other actors in their shoes. Jonah Hill is as hilarious as always, and Channing Tatum is a treat for the eyes. Definitely a win-win situation.
The supporting cast aid in keeping Jenko, Schmidt and the audience on their toes from beginning to end. While some people may believe that the film is based around a rather contrived premise, you never know what is going to happen next. I, for one, hate predictable plots, but 21 Jump Street is jam-packed full of surprises.
The sequel, 22 Jump Street, was recently released and I saw it in the cinema last week. For those of you who are thinking of watching it, I advise you to see 21 Jump Street first. The films are not intrinsically linked, but having the prior knowledge from the first film will make sure that you enjoy the second to its fullest potential.
I can guarantee that this film will have you howling with laughter. I was a state, I’m not exaggerating. Watch it, and thank me later.
Devise 