21 Jump Street (2012) – Miniview

Wanting to end my Monday night with something fun and exciting, I was scrolling through Netflix when I came across 21 Jump Street. Now this is a beloved comedy that I know many people really love. I’ve seen this movie a couple times myself, and I was curious to see if it still holds up – after giving it a watch, I can say it still works pretty well, but I’ve grown past some of the comedy. 21 Jump Street is a hilariously entertaining buddy cop action comedy that is completely non-sensical and way over the top. It stars Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum as (totally not believable) undercover cops infiltrating a high school drug operation. The supporting cast is excellent as well, with the iconic Ice Cube, Dave Franco, Brie Larson, and Rob Riggle all adding very funny contributions to the film.

This movie is a great choice if you’re looking for a funny comedy to watch with friends, or it even works just as funny background noise. It doesn’t take much brain power at all to enjoy the film, but you’ll still find yourself laughing at the outrageousness of it all. I think 21 Jump Street works so well because it just completely leans into the absurdity of the plot. Childish, idiotic police officers who abuse the law actually manage to arrest and take down an entire drug operation? Yes, the whole situation is totally far-fetched and unrealistic (they already had me at the beginning when these idiots actually pass police schooling to become professional officers), but seeing the characters embrace the craziness creates humour in of itself. No one is taking this movie seriously, not even the actors, so you might as well just sit back and have fun with it.

Comedy movies always seem to work best when the actors are able to shine and show off their natural funny side. I can confidently say the dynamic between Tatum and Hill is definitely the highlight of the film. They’re absolutely hilarious together and they form an easygoing duo who can riff back and forth like it’s a piece of cake. Their friendship on screen feels believable, and it was charming in an odd and immature way. I’ve always thought Hill is brilliant in comedic roles because he has such good delivery and an incredibly expressive face, but Tatum did not disappoint either and easily matched Hill’s comedic talent.

21 Jump Street is a genuinely funny (and slightly cringy) comedy in my opinion, but I will say, it might not be for everyone. If you’re not into immature, crude humour, then you’re probably going to want to stay far far away from this one. The movie also plays into a lot of stereotypes, so if you’re not a fan of that, this likely won’t work out well for you. There’s nothing (and I mean zip, nada) serious about this movie and it makes fun of everything in its path. I still had a decently fun time and found there were moments where I had an honest good laugh (there were just as many moments where I cringed though). I will admit I don’t think I could watch this type of movie repeatedly though, it’s definitely more of a once in a while kind of film for me.

I was not expecting my night to end with rewatching this 10 year old action comedy, but in a way, I’m glad I did. I wanted something that would make me laugh and this movie certainly did. This is the type of movie that works best when watching with a group though because it’s more fun sharing in the laughter. I’ve decided I’m going to give 21 Jump Street a 6.5/10. Look, you’re not really going to walk away with anything special after watching this movie, but I can guarantee if you enjoy this type of comedy, you’ll have a blast with this one. While the script itself is nothing out of this world, the movie succeeds thanks to the liveliness of the cast who do it justice. If I had to sum up this movie in two words, I’d probably go with: brainless fun.