MOVIE REVIEW - 21 Jump Street

It's been a long time since the TV show 21 Jump Street was on the air. But the teen crime fighting story is back this weekend on the big screen.

Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum star as Schmidt and Jenko. They went to high school together, and now 7 years later they are local police officers. Of course, with this being a comedy they are the worst cops of all time. And after they botch their first arrest, they are assigned to an undercover force called 21 Jump Street. This is a group that sends in undercover police as students to local high schools to fight teen crime. Schmidt and Jenko are sent in to break up a drug ring run by students.

There is a new synthetic drug that is making kids higher than ever. The task is to find out who the dealers are, and the supplier too. Of course, with this being a comedy, they will implore the most unorthodox methods you can imagine. Will they be successful? I'm guessing or we wouldn't have a movie.

21 Jump Street is a good example of a movie being packaged differently than it actually is. When you see the trailer, you know it's going to be an edgy, semi-raunchy comedy, but this is way beyond that. In short, this is a "dude" movie. Tons of horrible language, and of course the constant, and obligatory mention of human private parts. This movie also showcases high school drug use and trafficking, and over all bad behavior.

But there is a method to this movie that does make it slightly different than most. This movie is heavy parody and satire. It lampoons the old TV show, the movie itself, the police and their work and our cartoonish characters. Also, in the cross hairs is the public education system, teachers, terrible parenting, and the new perception that young high schoolers are running the show. And some of this is pretty funny. There are some laughs here, and many are of the guilty pleasure variety.

But sadly, that is not enough to save it and make it a really good movie. The bathroom humor sellout and the lack of comedic creativity balance it out to about a 50/50. If it would have stayed its course of the satire and parody, this would have been better, but instead the sellout is just too easy, and that's the road it in the end takes.

Hill is a funny guy and he's funny here. Tatum to me has been a stiff till now, but I will say he's pretty funny here. Much better than I thought he would be. The supporting cast is OK, plus a few cameo's work pretty well. Oh, and don't panic there will be more of these.

21 Jump Street. Overall, funny at times, fatiguing at times. Can only muster and OK here.