MORAL OF THE MOVIE

Even your worst enemy can end up becoming your best friend. True friends lift each other up and stick up for one another.

WHO I THINK WOULD MOST ENJOY THIS MOVIE

Fans of classic buddy cop movies like Rush Hour, Beverly Hills Cop, Lethal Weapon, etc. will absolutely love this modern take on the genre. Also, your experience with the movie will be even better if you’re a fan of meta humor.

ADDITIONAL NOTES/COMMENTARY

Today was my 21st birthday, so I wanted to do something special for today’s review. Not only is 21 Jump Street one of my favorite comedies of all time, but it also contains the number 21 in its title. So, I thought it made sense to write my review for the movie today of all days. It’s been 8 years since the movie’s release, but it is still as relevant as ever. I still make references to its classic jokes to this day. I don’t know if this says more about my unoriginal repetitive use of movie references as a source of humor or about how funny 21 Jump Street truly is. Either way, 9 out of 10 people will get their funny bone tickled by the sheer amount of clever humor in this comedy. For me, the moments that are most hilarious are those in which the characters are so self-aware that it seems as if they know that they’re in a movie. This self-awareness adds a fresh take on the formulaic genre of the buddy cop film (teen movie genre as well) and makes it an entirely unique addition to the genre(s). Additionally, the surprisingly good chemistry between Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill makes up the heart and the entire backbone of the film. Incidentally, their friendship is what conveys the moral of the movie to the audience. If that chemistry didn’t work, then the entire movie would simply fall apart. Instead, we get an action-comedy (my favorite movie genre combination btw) full of heart, hilarious moments, and a stellar comedic duo that carry out a message about friendship, nostalgia, and self-awareness.