I don’t know about you guys, but all these countless remakes, re-imaginings, and rehashes have gotten on my last nerve. You’d think that in a world where extremely creative, non-derivitive films like INCEPTION and HUGO (although based on a book) are released, we would get less films based off past movies and TV shows. That’s why when a 21 JUMP STREET film was announced, everyone was so apprehensive. I mean, the original show, which starred a young Johnny Depp, isn’t even looked at with all that much reverence these days. Until the people behind this version were announced, there was little reason to get excited.
The film takes the basic concept of the show, young cops going undercover in a high school to bust drug dealers, and flips it completely on its head. Schmidt (Jonah Hill) and Jenko (Channing Tatum) were never really friends in high school. Jenko, being the most popular guy in the school, could never have been friends with Schmidt – he was just too nerdy. That is, until they meet again years later in Police Academy. They realize that if they join forces they could help each other make it through the academy. This leads to them becoming best friends who are terrible at their job. Ultimately, their naïveté and youthful looks lead them to the precinct on 21 Jump Street, where they are sent back to High School to infiltrate a drug ring.
John Mulhern Writes 