21 Jump Street (3 Stars)

I admire this film for its detail-oriented script. Every little thing that occured in the movie was somehow connected to the bigger picture. As ridiculous as each scene continuously got, the pieces ultimately fit and propelled the story forward. I enjoyed the fact that this was not just a stupid comedy, but rather a clever comedy with a fun story to tell. Each of the characters were fully developed and had interesting quirks, no matter how small the role, which made them memorable. 21 Jump Street may have recycled their concept from a late eighties T.V. show, but it turns out to be a comedic gold mine (even winks at the fact that it is yet another Hollywood remake).

Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill mesh well as the "dimwitted jock" and "loser nerd" characters who are cops that get their undercover backstories switched after they enroll in high school. Their hilarious hijinks make the movie. From their car chase where they are continuously expecting a large explosion from all the gas carrying trucks to them taking the drug that they are trying to contain, thus leading to them tweaking out in a wondrously hilarious way. They see the gym teacher's face transform into ridiculous incarnations. Each one topping the previous one. My personal fav: his ice cream face with sprinkles. Add in a ridonkulous final bullet-riddled showdown with a splendid cameo by Johnny Depp and you've got a solid flick.

My one itsy bitsy gripe had to do with Ice Cube's character. I felt that he was kind of a rip off of Puff Daddy's character from Get Him To The Greek, but in a non funny way. Honestly, I would have preferred if he wasn't even in the movie or if his character was more original. Yes, I understand that he was playing up the African American stereotype of an angry cop who swears a lot. I also understand that him acknowledging his own stereotype was supposed to be humorous. I also also know that I did not find him humorous.

The Breakdown: Takes an undercover cop movie and adds humor to the action to create a fun-filled flick that knew when to go over the top and when to go really over the top. If you're looking for some laughs with your action, you can't go wrong with 21 Jump Street.