With “22 Jump Street” hitting the cinemas, and actually collecting some rather respectable reviews, it is time to reveal that its predecessor “21 Jump Street” has long been waiting for you in the vast cache of Netflix.
I was doubtful. How can two boy-police fumbling around a high school pretending to be students be anything less than pathetic?
Somehow they managed to avoid it!
The non-fit fit of a couple; Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum
***NO SPOILERS***
What is this film?
Originaly, “21 Jump Street” was a TV-series from the 80s, with the young, heart-throb Johnny Depp and not-quite-so-famous Peter DeLuise. Watch out for their fleeting appearance towards the end of this reboot.
The concept is the same. We follow a part of the police, who headquarter at 21 jump street, and specialise in youth crime. The officers of this division are picked out for their youthful looks which can help them go undercover and infiltrate high schools.
Excellent set-up.
In this movie though, the two officers, Schmidt (Jonah Hill, that guy who loves Russell Brand in “Forgetting Sarah Marshall“, 2008) and Jenko (Channing Tatum, that torso in “Step Up“, 2006), are punished (for being inadequate police officers) by being transferred to 21 Jump Street. And the two of them don’t really get along either.
It’s all set up for loads of quality comedy action.
Why is this film any good?
“21 Jump Street” takes a fresh, new look at the high school we have all loved and stereotyped to death in teen-movies since forever. It is not the sports jocks nor the cheerleaders who rule the high school in question. It is the vegan-loving, hard-studying hipsters, some of them dealing drugs on campus to their fellow students.
This, somehow, fits real life in a satisfying way. Indeed the world is ruled by the intelligent and merely repopulated or entertained by the jocks and the cheerleaders. The power should lie with the smart. Doesn’t mean they aren’t teenagers and behave like utter douchebags. Power will do that to spoiled and self-centred youth.
There is something about the chemistry between goofy Jonah and hottie Channing together that actually works really well. They fullfill each other comically and continuously ruin each others efforts to do some good work and get back into the good graces of the “proper” police.
Their visual- and character differences are given an excellent obstacle by accidentally swapping fake identities at high school, giving Jonah the chance to be the popular jock and Channing the challenge of surviving as the nerd. This is handled gracefully by the writers who never resort to the cheap ways out of difficult situations, rather choosing the weird and wonderful directions to lead the plot.
What mood should you be in?
If you want a brain teaser, this is not the crime fighter series for you.
But if you want something brain dead, that is destined to make you laugh and which will leave you feeling good about yourself and your own job, then this is the movie for you.
I have not seen the sequel, “22 Jump Street” (2014), yet. But if it is anything like its predecessor, I know I am going to laugh. And that is all I would want from a movie like this.
Further watching
Quality, crime-fighting, police partners are found in abundance and you should have enough to choose from in any kind of genre.
For some more films to tickle your funny-bones, try the UK comedy, Pegg/Frost flick “Hot Fuzz” (2007).
For a more action-filled classic, go for “Bad Boys” (1995) with a young Will Smith and a loud mouthed Matthew Lawrence. That was probably the first R-rated movie I ever saw.
Good times.
If you are out to watch some real quality. Rest easy and pick up the ultimate police partners in crime movie, “Lethal Weapon” (1987). It has as many as four sequels with varying quality, but once you get into the lovely and interesting relationship between Mel Gibson and Danny Glover, the quality of the story really doesn’t matter anymore. It’s like Jack Sparrow in the Pirates movies. You just want to see more of that thing they do!
Don’t they make a lovely couple?
Who am I?
I’m a freelance writer who likes to watch movies. I watch Netflix a lot and sometimes there is a long way between the really good movies, whether entertaining or meaningful.
So that you can avoid watching all the crap I have had to endure, I will give you some hidden gems or best movies of Netflix right here every month. Want another good Netflix movie? Check out the documentary “Blackfish” here!
Why do I think I can talk about movies?
With an over average interest in movies since watching Star Wars as an 8 year-old, and with some background in the industry, I know at least a little bit about what it takes to get a movie made, and have loads of opinions about what makes them great.
But no matter my merits, it is whether or not you agree with my taste in movies (or my boyfriend’s, whose opinion will be noted if opposing my own) that will make these reviews beneficial to you.
Where can you find the film?
All movies in this Netflix-series can be found in the Norwegian Netflix Catalogue, which is the one I have access to. If you can’t find it on your local Netflix? File a complaint, they really should have it 😉
If you like what I write, please give me your favourite movie in the comments or sign-up to read my next blog post 😉
Next week, we will do another Guilty Pleasure movie. Do you have a movie that you watch over and over again, and you know it’s not the best quality, but for some inexplicable reason, you still watch it again? You do? Tell me which one! I will tell you another one of mine next week.
Alternate Realities 