By Shane Cepalia – Staff Reporter

The 2012 film “21 Jump Street” is a comedy/action film based on a former television series with the same name.

The plot is based around two cops, Schmidt (played by Jonah Hill) and Jenko (played by Channing Tatum). These two are fresh out of high school and have recently graduated from the police academy. A mistake in their first arrest forces them to either join an undercover division or get fired. They are assigned to an undercover operation where they need to infiltrate a high school’s drug ring powered by their new classmates.

Throughout the movie, viewers get many relatable comedic references to modern day high schools and the students that attend them. The film also shines light on how awkward high school can be especially when students are forced to fit in. Jenko and Schmidt are both assigned classes to fit their interests, but a mix up in their schedules reverses the roles and the two are required to attend each other’s classes to add to the vulnerability and confusion.

All the while they have to “infiltrate the dealers, find the supplier” as commanded by their Captain played by none other than Ice Cube. Their assignment requires them to get a sample of the drug “HFS” and in a deal gone wrong, they are required to take the substance and almost overdose. Once they are in with the dealer, they have to take down the supplier at a drug deal on prom night, which goes south and ends up resulting in a firefight as well as a car chase scene.

“21 Jump Street’s” biggest pro is its comedic value and relatability, especially towards a teenage audience. The pain of moving back in with one’s parents and doing high school over as adults is real, and viewers can see it in this movie. The movie has a good balance of comedy to action. All of the jokes and bits nicely lined up and sometimes progressed the story, like when they got their first arrest and proceeded to mock the suspect as well as fire live rounds into the air in a crowded park as a way of celebrating.

However, the film doesn’t do very well with realism. That first arrest scene probably would have led to them being fired or even detained, and it’s not plausible that Jenko would have blended in as well as he did when he’s half a foot taller than the average senior. The film also shows the officers committing more violations in order to catch the suppliers including but not limited to: hijacking three cars, engaging in a limousine chase on busy roads, as well as a shootout from the sunroof, punching a student that provoked them, taking the substance itself, holding a party with alcohol and marijuana stolen from evidence lockers in an attempt to blend in, etc.

However, the pros heavily outweigh the cons in this movie, and it made for a very humorous movie. Even if it isn’t based in reality, some of those unrealistic moments triggered the funniest scenes. The film was very nicely paced and balanced, and that plus the comedic value made it a great movie.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars